The Penrith Panthers were never in the hunt for a finals berth last season, let alone a premiership, and face tough times ahead unless they produce a drastic turnaround in form.
Ivan Cleary officially has the toughest job in the NRL as he aims to guide Penrith through a 2013 season that could feature a lot more defeats than victories.
Despite some solid recruiting, the Panthers enter this season without representative stars Michael Jennings, Luke Lewis and Michael Gordon.
Lewis’s defection to the Cronulla Sharks will sting the Panthers faithful, given that he was usually recognised as the heart and soul of the club.
Without Lewis, Penrith will need to find a new leader, and quickly, if they are to remain a unified playing group.
Despite the drama of last year, a new season brings with it new hope and the Panthers will certainly be keen to start 2013 on a high.
Strengths
If there is one area where Penrith are strong, it is in the forwards with Origin and Test stars Tim Grant and Sam McKendry leading the way.
Grant came out of nowhere last season to establish himself as one of the NRL’s best props after a fine debut for NSW in Origin football.
With Lewis gone, Grant is strongly tipped to be the Panthers new captain and has certainly played well enough to deserve the honour.
New recruits Sika Manu, James Segeyaro, Lewis Brown and Jeremy Latimore will also add further punch to a Penrith pack that will be difficult to outmuscle in 2013.
Former Sea Eagles player Dean Whare is also a good signing for the Panthers. The young winger is a rising star and should combine well with fellow young star Lachlan Coote.
Weaknesses
The Panthers finished last season as the worst attacking team in the NRL and there is little evidence to suggest that their struggles with the football will end this year.
Although Whare and Coote are good players, Penrith really lack an X factor in their backline and may struggle to score points against accomplished defensive teams.
A lack of depth in the halves is also a major concern. Luke Walsh is a solid player but has shown no where near the creativity needed to open up the opposition on a constant basis.
Segeyaro however will add spark from dummy-half so it’s important that he remains injury free for much of the year if Penrith hope to give themselves the best chance of scoring points.
Overall, tries will probably be hard to come by yet again in 2013.
Player to watch – Tim Grant
Grant is a world class forward with leadership material written all over him. The NSW Origin prop will need to dominate upfront this season if he is to provide an inexperienced backline with time to shine.
If Grant performs well, the rest of Penrith’s roster should rise with him and we may just see the Panthers become this season’s surprise packets.
At just 25 years of age, Grant will shoulder a lot of responsibility in 2013 but his performances thus far suggest that he is well up to the task of leading Penrith to an unlikely finals berth.
Prediction – 11th to 16th
Last year: 8-16 (15th)
Player of the year: Tim Grant
Top tryscorer: Michael Jennings (10)
Key additions: Lewis Brown (Warriors), Sika Manu (Storm), Dean Whare (Sea Eagles), Wes Naiqama (Knights), Jeremy Latimore (Dragons), James Segeyaro (Cowboys), Sam Anderson (Knights), Ethan Cook (Knights), Kyle O’Donnell (Knights), Moses Pangai (Cowboys), Maurice Kennedy, James Roberts.
Key losses: Michael Jennings (Roosters), Luke Lewis (Cronulla), Michael Gordon (Cronulla), Sandor Earl (Raiders), Mitch Achurch (Leeds), Travis Burns (Hull), Nafe Seluini (Roosters), Masada Iosefa (Wests Tigers).
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