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Mastermind season review: Penrith Panthers

Roar Guru
3rd October, 2014
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(AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox)
Roar Guru
3rd October, 2014
1

Not much was expected of the Penrith Panthers this year, but steady progress under Ivan Cleary and the resurgence of Jamie Soward led the club to their best season for a decade.

The Panthers’ achievements came amid a brutal second half of the season which saw their captain Peter Wallace, as well as Elijah Taylor, go down with season-ending injuries, leaving it to ex-Dragon Soward to carry the team forward.

He did so with excellence, leading the Panthers to fourth place at the end of the regular season and falling just short of what would have been a dream grand-final berth.

Let’s now take a look back at how the Panthers’ season and see what could be improved in 2015.

Penrith Panthers
Final ladder position: fourth (15 wins, 9 losses, +80 differential)
After finals: fourth

What went right?
After missing the finals for the fourth year running, the Panthers went on a recruiting rampage which landed them Soward, Tyrone Peachey, Brent Kite and Peter Wallace, among others.

Soward’s form was welcome for Panthers fans, as it was feared he had lost his aura after leaving the Dragons midway through last season. The Panthers’ investment has been vindicated.

The club started the season inconsistently, going on a win-loss pattern for the first eight rounds before embarking on a five-match winning streak which was halted by the Warriors in New Zealand in Round 16.

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The Panthers also won four matches by 20 points or more, including defeating Newcastle by 22 points twice, as well as defeating western rival Parramatta by 26 for their biggest victory margin of the season.

What went wrong?
Penrith could be playing for the premiership this Sunday had several of their players not gone down injured towards the back end of the regular season.

Captain Peter Wallace’s season-ending ACL injury against Cronulla in Round 20 hurt the most, as he and Soward were the architects behind the Panthers’ impressive 2014 campaign.

The club also lost five matches by single-figure margins – including their preliminary final against the Bulldogs. That is something they need to rectify as they look to go one better in 2015.

Best win: defeated the Sydney Roosters 19-18 at Allianz Stadium in the first qualifying final
The Panthers defied a horror injury toll to finish the season fourth, just ahead of the North Queensland Cowboys. Despite that, they were not given any chance of defeating the Roosters on their home turf.

Trailing 18-12 with five minutes to go, the Panthers appeared beaten. However an Anthony Minichiello clanger saw Dean Whare score a try, followed by a magnificent sideline conversion from Jamie Soward.

With scores level, Soward kicked the match-winning field goal with 30 seconds left to send the Panthers into their first preliminary final in a decade and their fans into absolute delirium.

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Worst loss: lost to the Sydney Roosters 32-12 at Allianz Stadium in Round 19
Eight weeks earlier at the same venue, however, the Panthers submitted their worst performance for the season when they went down to the Chooks 32-12, their worst defeat of the year.

The Panthers were without captain Wallace due to a left knee injury (the right knee injury he suffered against the Sharks the following week was the season-ending one) and Peachey. Unsurprisingly, they lacked any direction against the defending premiers.

A poor game from Soward and the sin-binning of Elijah Taylor just five minutes into the game didn’t help either, as they fell behind 18-0 at halftime. Although they fared better in the second half, the Roosters’ class proved the difference.

The future
Having exceeded expectations and reached the preliminary final when predictions of a mid-ladder finish were expected, the Panthers will look to raise the bar higher and contend for a grand final berth in 2015.

Wallace should be back for the opening round, and he will be expected to continue his impressive combination with Soward in the halves.

The club has signed Apisai Koroisau from the South Sydney Rabbitohs, while they have lost Tim Grant to the same club. Wes Naiqama is off to the London Broncos in the Super League, and Kevin Kingston has retired.

The acquisition of Koroisau, who is filling in for the suspended Issac Luke in this Sunday’s grand final, will provide the Panthers a good back-up in the dummy half department, especially if James Segeyaro goes down with injury.

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With all expected to be back on deck for the 2015 season, the Penrith Panthers will be the team to watch.

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