R25 Panthers v Knights - Game Day Thread

[steamboatfarmer]

the Knights are a seriously bad footy team todaybut the damn Panthers can make you wonder…today we have forwards running hard breaking the line and 4 Panther players in support

All year i had been asking for forwards to run hard break the line and look for support and i get it last game of the year when its all over

And its been reported on the call Cleary is set to make Cleary Captain next year

Until next year everyone

Thanks for your posts and valuable information about the club, players and stats

Didn’t think we would be going out in the last round of the year.

[LMJ]

Where has this been all year?

[Puss]

Crighton’s not a winger, Luai’s not a centre and we still beat them.
Newcastle have bigger issues than us by a long way. The win for
mine does little to sweeten the bitter taste of a season soured by
a myriad of internal issues. The NRL hierarchy disappointed as did
the rule makers and rule enforcing officials. Our game has withered
on the vine and needs a facelift pronto.

Meanwhile the Panther Pride faithful have been just that. Thanks
for your company, opinion and never ending optimism. Look
forward to your 2020 input. Go you Panthers !

Cheers/Puss

[Mutley]

Great way to finish the season, especially with Cleary breaking the record for most points in a game. It makes you wonder where we could have ended up if we had played like that from the start.

EDIT: The last conversion took Cleary past 600 career points. He is just 12 points short of Preston Campbell in 4th for points for the club, and with a good season next year could overtake Michael Gordon in 3rd (will need 198 points).

[SteveTidball]

Man of the Match voting is now open here.

Round 25 v Knights MOTM

Vote for your Round 25 v Knights Man of the Match Penrith Panthers 54 Tries Nathan Cleary (4), Billy Burns (2), Brian To’o, Wayde Egan, Moses Leota Goals Nathan Cleary (9/9) Newcastle Knights 10 Tries Starford Toa, Herman Ese’ese Goals Mason Lino (1/2) Who are your votes for this weeks Man of the Match? (Please select 3 players) poll

[SteveTidball]

Just got back from the game, hung around a bit after full time to chat to other fans at the ground and at the leagues club. There is a sense of optimism for 2020, that this season was the exception and not the rule. There are many reasons to believe that.

The match felt odd to me today. I had no real feeling or emotion in it despite the scoreline. It served as a reminder to the season it could have been rather then the one it was. They had a chance to seal a spot in the top 8 weeks ago but blew it, and then serve up a cohesive team effort to put the skids through newcastle, falling 2 points short of the top 8.

Anyway… about the game. It was nice watching Cleary today, Maloney took a back sast even though it would be his last game in the NRL, and didn’t Nathan put a show on today. There is nothing better than watching as halfback back themselves and take on the line… 4 tries, 9 goals for 34 points, beating Michael Gordon’s single game points record and setting his name in stone at the Panthers at the age of 21. I can’t wait to see him take the reins in 2020.

I can’t really fault anybody today, everybody did their job, gave away few penalties and made few errors. It leaves me thinking where this was during the last 10 weeks.

The young next generation coming through into first grade are adding the spark the team needs, Billy Burns was phenomenal today, as well as To’o, Crichton and Martin

Word is going around that Parramatta will announce RCG signing at the end of their season. You could tell out on the ground after full time that is probably the case. He really had a dig today and lead the team in metre gained. I’m sure there will be some that will be happy to see the back of him, but I feel his best days are still ahead of him.

Anyway, time a for a much needed break, season 2019 has done my head in and the NFL starts this week, so might not be as much of a break as I thought.

Don’t forget that the Jersey Flegg boys will play 2 weeks from now, playing the winner of the Sharks v Rabbitohs for a spot in the Jersey Flegg Cup Final. It will play on the weekend of September 21-22.

[SteveTidball]

Have your say on the Panther Pride 2019 Player of the Season. Vote now here. Voting will close on Friday 20th September 2019.

[mrwalker]

Well, never saw that coming!

Looked as if they just went out to play footy and have some fun, but that doesn’t explain the commitment in defence that hasn’t been there for some time.

I know that the knights are probably the worst team in the league, but we had guys playing out of position, and really had only mad Monday to look forward to, and put in a real effort?? Maybe it was ‘for Jimmy’ but if so, we need to have someone leaving every week

Now again, the game officials were just awful which is a real problem for the game, but for now it’s time to relax and look forward to season 2020, not really knowing what to expect.

All of you on here, all the best for you and yours & special thanks to Steve and the mods for providing us with a sensible forum for our discussions.

Onwards & upwards.

[FaulcoPete]

Some end-of-season thoughts, to add to everyone else’s :-
Completions : Was I imagining it, or did we have a greater respect for ball security against Newcastle? From memory the completion was high.
RCG : The word seems to be that RCG is signing with Parramatta for 2020. Interestingly, he also had one of his best games on Sunday. That all ties in with this story – Warren Ryan once commented “Show me a team of blokes coming off contract and I’ll show you a champion team”. That reinforces the view that desire is probably as important as talent and skills.
Cannonball tackles : The knee is a hinge joint, and can be damaged by impact from the front or sides, hence the crackdown on third-main-in tackles around the legs. But hitting behind the knee is completely different and should be judged accordingly.
End-of-game : Did anyone on this forum stay round on Sunday until the field was opened up? In the recent past when this has happened the opening was delayed for ages, until all players had left the field. I stood on the south hill on Sydney watching hundreds of kids having an absolute ball, and also being able to have selfies and autographs with lots of the players mingling on the ground. The atmosphere was fantastic, and will add to the positive vibe from the big win in bringing the crowds next year.
Hooker : What’s with Koroisau coming? Is he a Cleary favourite? That gives us three hookers, at least, plus Luai (who can play hooker, half, 5/8, centre and wing). What is his future role? Will he have a Tyrone Peachey role as the super sub?
Gaps between games : It drives me mad why there are such long periods between each game on game day. The excuse given to me is that it allows for any injury delays from prior games not to interfere with the start time of the main game. I think that’s bollocks, and can be easily demolished as an argument. The obvious reason is to give more time for patrons to buy stuff, but it has the effect on having some spectators delay their arrival until just before the main game.
Forum : I go to the Panthers web site for the official information and viewing. But I come to PantherPride for more realistic commentary, ie the unvarnished truth. I hope that future years are the same here. Pity that more fans don’t use this superb facility. Thanks to all for your enlightened and perspicacious comments, especially from those who know a lot more than me about league in general and what happens behind the scenes at Panthers in particular.

[Puss]

perspi … perspicac …

nothin to say till I find a dictionary !

[Puss]

… your indefatigably welcome !

[Bryan]

Michael Chammas reports the Eels are close to finalising a deal with RCG fot next year.

I mention this in order to promote an ethos of verisimilitude.

[BxTom]

I mention this in order to promote an ethos of verisimilitude

Yes, it would be good to obviate obfuscation

[Bryan]

Indeed. And triturate those egregious helminthoid tendencies.

[Puss]

some of us gonna need a translator before too long.

[Mutley]

¿Qué? no entiendo ingles

[FaulcoPete]

How very Australian to mock literacy. Or is just very Penriff? I guess the future needs to be monosyllabic.

[AlbertRoss]

We appear to have a plethora of lexicologists on the forum.

[SteveTidball]

You can tell the Off Season has begun.

[Puss]

… and we’re still open for a chin wag, so if it itches
you can scratch right here.