At the halfway point of the NRL season, there have been a few surprises. The Gold Coast Titans have led the competition, Parramatta have been in the top four for a long time, and the Penrith Panthers are on the top of the table.
However, looking at their roster and previous matches, it would be a worry if they weren’t.
The Panthers have won their last four games and are in red hot form. They recruited well at the beginning of the season and their signings have proved the difference thus far.
Their halves pairing and back line have led the way and look certain to continue this trend. Their six and seven are some of the new faces around Penrith this year, but have taken no time to settle in.
Peter Wallace, who was a solid counterpart to Darren Lockyer at the Broncos, has shown a cool head and has been the experienced all-round half the Panthers really needed after the departure of Luke Walsh. His partnership with Jamie Soward this season has been the foundation of the Panthers’ success.
Soward moved to the Panthers after becoming a Dragons misfit and has shown a new found confidence within himself. He takes the ball to the line more often, muscles up in defence and has reminded everyone about his blistering pace over 40 metres, scoring two tries in his last two games.
Although sporadic, both these players have played State of Origin before and will look to do so again if their form continues, maybe Jamie more so than Wallace.
Along with this halves pairing, Penrith also boast hot property in their back line in the form of Matthew Moylan and Josh Mansour.
Penrith took a gamble with Moylan, releasing Lachlan Coote to make room in the fullback position, and it’s paid off. Although Moylan played for Penrith last year, he’s making a name for himself this time around after being rewarded with a City representative jersey. Together with Mansour, the Panthers look to be solid out wide.
Mansour has re-signed with the Panthers, extending his stay for another two years. He boasts is one of the hardest men to tackle in the NRL and is in great try scoring form. His name has been highlighted to replace winger Brett Morris for the State of Origin decider in Sydney and I think doubt he’ll do a job for the Blues. Together, Mansour and Moylan parade 12 tries this year and will certainly add to their tally before season’s end.
Two other men who are on top of their games is young Tyrone Peachey and James Segeyaro.
Peachey, the nephew of former NRL star David Peachey, has been an ever-present attacking force for Penrith. With the speed of a winger and the build of a forward he has made his own name known with two long range tries and strong defensive efforts.
Accompanying Peachey in the forwards is little Segeyaro. Kevin Kingston’s foot injury has been a blessing in disguise for Panthers fans as Segeyaro has shown the form to be noted as a serious bolter for the Maroons’ Game 2 squad. He’s been in and around the NRL for some time and is displaying great form of late. Segeyaro notched 51 tackles the other night against the Gold Coast. It’s this kind of work he gets done on the field that allows Mansour and Soward to shine for Penrith.
This new-look Penrith side is young, slick and energetic. Currently sitting at the summit of the competition after re-signing Mansour and securing the signature of promising hooker Apisai Koroisau, the boys from Penrith are in serious contention for a top-four spot and look certain to play finals footy this September.
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