Back in 2014, a Penrith Panthers side fancied by most to miss the eight lined up on a chilly Saturday night for a game of football.
Yet, this was no ordinary game of football. It was September football.
A preliminary final with a possible grand final berth on the line.
The side was ravaged by injury, with Bryce Cartwright and Peter Wallace among others sitting on the sideline.
Eighty minutes later the siren sounded and Penrith had suffered a heartbreaking 18-12 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs.
Coach Ivan Cleary later claimed that it just “wasn’t meant to be.”
Despite the loss, to most experts there seemed to be something brewing out West and Penrith were accordingly installed $10 favourites for the premiership in 2015.
Yet, such promise did not amount to much.
There were injuries. A lot of them, with Penrith’s first choice spine only playing a mere 170 minutes together.
Yet, any hopes Penrith had of salvaging their season were compounded by a lack of experience and patience, which cost the Panthers dearly.
It appeared, like it had for the Warriors, all the buzz and excitement regarding Penrith’s talented youngsters had little impact on their results.
Fast forward now to September 2016 and it is safe to say that this Panthers side has gained even greater expectations heading into 2017.
Similarly to 2014, this year Penrith was a young side lacking in experience and suffered significant disruption with player movement and injuries. The losses of first choice international centres Dean Whare and Peta Hiku threatened to derail their season, yet unlike 2014, these injuries occurred earlier and helped facilitate the development of Tyrone Peachey and Waqa Blake, who became two of the most damaging centres in the game.
The rise of Blake was particularly impressive, after calls for his head at the end of 2015 from a number of Penrith fans.
In three more games this season, Blake made three errors less, fifteen more tackle busts and scored three more tries which is likely to force either Hiku or Whare out of the club.
The emergence of young talent in Nathan Cleary, James Fisher-Harris and Leilani Latu saw Penrith reach September footy only to bundle out with a disappointing 22-12 loss to Canberra in week two of the finals.
Yet, Penrith is in an even better state going into the 2017 season, with the combination of masterful fullback Matt Moylan and young Cleary a delight to witness.
Furthermore, the forced departures of 2014 Dally M Hooker of the Year James Segeyaro and Jamie Soward left fans questioning Anthony Griffin and whether Phil Gould’s ‘five-year plan’ would be in need of an extra five years.
Integral to Penrith’s improvement this season was the stunning form of previously maligned halfback Peter Wallace.
The arrival of Griffin at the start of the season seemingly spelled the end of Wallace’s time at Penrith, with the signing of boom rookie Te Maire Martin further strengthening this claim. Yet, Wallace’s move to hooker was a masterstroke by Griffin, with the veteran proving invaluable for such a young, inexperienced side.
Wallace’s attitude and effort cannot be bought but is instead ingrained in his nature, and has proven critical for a Penrith side that only missed fewer tackles this regular season than the Knights and Titans. The addition of workhorse Trent Merrin also assisted in this area.
Although a premiership may be looming, 2017 shapes as one of the most important seasons in the club’s history.
Penrith’s 2014 success was followed by an 11th place finish after a last round victory over Newcastle ensured the Mountain Men didn’t collect the dreaded Wooden Spoon.
An impressive second place finish in 2010 was followed by another string of disappointing 12th, 15th and 10th placed rankings. Even the years following their premiership success in 2003 were dire, with their fourth place finish in 2004 their only return to finals football until 2010.
And finally, after earning their first taste of glory in 1991, albeit competing in the Super League in 1997, the Panthers had to wait until 2000 for another berth in the finals, before a subsequent three-year delay.
Penrith should be a dynamic force in 2017. However, what Penrith fans are hoping is that the term ‘should’ can be replaced with the word ‘will’ in the next few years.
This side boasts some of the best young talent in the game, headlined by already recognised stars Matt Moylan, Trent Merrin and Josh Mansour, as well as rapidly rising rookies. Even Bryce Cartwright’s move back to the second row next year will make Penrith an even more dangerous attacking proposition.
A top four finish next season is certainly not beyond this group, but they must prove themselves capable of building upon the success of 2016. The future looks very bright out west but of course, the Warriors are a side that epitomises the idea that talent does not always bring success. Hard work and dedication do.
2017 will be the most important year in Penrith’s history if they want to win a premiership in the near future.
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