Highlights: Panthers pounce on important win

Peranara for SOO - it had a close finish and no controversy or contrived ref decisions in the process

ACE!

Knights wouldn't have blown it, but the refs might have blown it for them...

I seriously don't see more than one or two more wins this year. That was the sort of loss that mentally destroys people. It's all but sapped my will to live.

The Raiders may be the dumbest, mentally weakest team in any professional sport in the planet. Even the Knights wouldn't have blown that.

Thanks Albo. I think I need to settle down but its hard to conceal your disappointment when a win is stolen away like that at the end of a game. The Raiders have now lost three in golden point this season, lost to the Broncos by a point and lost to the Panthers with a minute to go. That's a pretty dismal and damning record. If they'd won at least a couple of those they would be sitting fairly comfortably in the 8. I didn't watch all of the game but you're probably right that the Panthers should have led by more at the break. From all reports the Raiders defended pretty well in the second half but looked gassed when Penrith strode through for those last two tries. Interesting to hear that you're just as frustrated with Moylan and Cleary. I guess we'd all love to have a Cronk or Thurston running the team. I'd love nothing more than see Sezer take control of the Raiders but I'm not sure its going to happen.

There is nothing like a last minute win to cheer you up Albo ! I tend to agree with you about poor game management in the first half. The Panthers last tackle options were poor to say the least. I kept shouting kick the FN ball as they died with it yet again on the last. I understand running it occasionally is a good tactic, but pick you time please . I like Watching the Panthers play. They are skilful and have a natural bias to get on with it. But gee they need Cleary and / or Moylan to learn how to control a game. If they crack that, watch out.

Geoff , as a Panther supporter I can tell you that I was bitterly disappointed with the Panthers poor game management (yet again) for 77 minutes of that game. At 12-20 I knew I had seen all this Panthers rubbish before ! In the end Moylan orchestrated a rare " get out of jail " Panthers victory in the last couple of minutes, which can happen in the NRL from time to time. From my perspective, they should never have been in that position in the first place. They had so much possession and field position in the first half, that they should have led by 20 at the break. But they wasted opportunity after opportunity. Pretty much like they have done all season. What I would concede however, is that the Raiders defence worked overtime to keep them out, and the Panthers ran their defences ragged throughout that period, which I believe contributed to the Raiders problems in those last 2 minutes of the match. Moylan kept coming at them with danger signs flashing even more so in those dying minutes and with 4 handlings in that last set of 6, he created the required two opportunities to get the Panthers home. And so changed my whole disposition for weekend. What I would say, is that the Raiders were just the unfortunate recipients of a rare "get of jail ' performance, that could well have happened to any other team facing the Panthers at Bathurst last night. I wouldn't be too harsh on the Raiders for that performance. They did battle hard all night under extreme attacking pressure. They still have plenty of good players to trouble any team with some fine tuning. I agree their game management is the issue, but that is as it is for all NRL teams that don't have JT, Cronk & Smith . It is the same thing I have been hoping would finally develop with Cleary & Moylan. It is not there yet on any consistent basis, but at least they are managing some recovery missions ( 3 of their past 4 wins) whilst managing only one game thoroughly but against the poorly performing Dogs. I still think Sezer has to be one to take control of the Raiders game management. Part of the problem I see is that with too much reliance on dummy half running from Rapana, Leilua , Cotric & Hodgson leaves minimal touches in any set of six for the game managers like Sezer to impose their direction on things, apart from a kick on the 5th tackle. But the way the game is played today, its all about meters, meters, metres and then lets see if we can get a try on the 5th with a kick or something ! Its all off the top of the head stuff ! Occasionally it comes off ( the Raiders scored from two bombs in that 2nd half), but it is not the solution for consistent success.

Certainly time for Ricky to make changes..I'd like to see Rapana at fullback..dont think he needs Joey anymore..Hodgson organizing in the halves with Austin, and Cotric shifted over outside BJ..Wighton bench/Whitehead interchange..

I'd be throwing everything I could at Cooper Cronk to organise this rabble. But from all reports he is headed to Sydney to be with his girlfriend. I saw the recruitment of Sezer as a good move when it was announced given the way he ran the Titans but he hasn't had the same impact at the Raiders. I blame Hodgson a bit. He runs out of dummy half a lot and nobody know what he's about to do. A bit like Robbie Farah. It's all ad lib which looks great when it comes off but comes to a grinding halt when there is no one in support. With Hodgson so dominant the halves are playing a supporting role rather than running the show. I'd like the dummy half to stick to feeding the halves which the odd scoot to catch defences off guard. And I'd have Sezer running the show from 7 - barking orders - telling blokes where to be. If that's not in his make up he should go. Austin should stick to his running game at 6 and support more. And I'd start Baptiste at 9 and move Hodgson to lock. Taylor has to come in for either Bateman or Priest when he is fit. I'd also move Wighton to the wing and Cotric to fullback. Cotric is much safer under the high ball for a start.

Wow that's a tough run for the Raiders. Origin may be their only hope.

The Compatibility Factor. They are both so desperate to please but it ain't working. Worse still, there is a set of four Tsunamis on the way. Broncos Cowboys,SGI, Storm. It does not help that almost every Viking player seems to be carrying niggling injuries. The Byes may help but Papalii, Paulo and Hodgson look totally spent.

Pretty much summed it up Joe. While Vaughan, Fensom, Sam Williams and Brenko Lee weren't tearing the place down last year at least they were available as back up and were putting pressure on those in the 17 to perform. The Raiders have little in the way of that quality of depth this season. The Raiders faithful were filled with optimism at the start of the season expecting big things after almost cracking a GF last year. Just goes to show you can't rely on past performances or form as a guide. Just look at the way the Sea Eagles and Dragons are playing this season - didn't see that coming after last year. The Raiders have enough talent on the field to win most games but there is not enough leadership or game management in the halves to close tight games out at the moment. There is no way that a Storm or Sharks side would have allowed themselves to lose from that position last night.

Max , without those things I would be getting in my wife's hair and probably be divorced by now.!

IMHO the Raiders are a very , very good RL team but they just don't have a game managing half who can get it done for them. Just watched the Cows in Darwin and am still marvelling at JT and how he controls a game. I realise there are not many who are at his level but Maloney and Townsend can do it Cronk can do it , Foran can do it , Pearce can do it , and others like DCE and Taylor can do it often enough. The Raiders pair just can't . For mine, you can carry one running half like Austin, but if you do the other half needs to be a faultless organiser. Not sure if Ricky can change this at the Raiders or if recruiting is the only option. The Raiders have the pack and the outside backs to win a comp, but their halves , Meh !

The Week of Whirlwind finishes. Wings of Eagles wins the Derby (watch the replay... unbelievable) The Storm overwhelms the Sharks...( the mind of Cameron Smith) Impending produces a long sustained run to give Darren Beadman his first G1. Corey Brown up and nicely , nicely at 20/1. Matt Moylan's men give new meaning to "Once Upon a Time in the West" and guiding his team to go beyond the impossible. Where would we be without Rugby League and Racing? Life is good.

I had Raiders in the GF this year after last years performance. Sure they lost players this year but Vaughn and Fensom were pretty much playing reserve most of last year and Lee dropped a couple in Melbourne that might have seen them in the GF and Cotric has been way better than him. Added to that Paulo and Tapine who joined mid season had a full off season with the Raiders I was pretty confident of a top four. That said the halves have not improved at all as mentioned by a few here. They should have closed out that game with that lead. Kick to the sidelines and give the team a rest because they were out on their feet. Rapana is still scoring tries and is top tryscorer by a big margin. Even though teams have worked out Leipana they are still pretty effective. Leilua though is guilty of trying to offload when it clearly isn't on and is now reaching a stage where its affecting the team because all that extra defense is what ends up having no gas at the end. Bright side is Baptiste return where he was much better than I expected after all that time out. Kudos to the Panthers too who were brilliant and played to the last whistle. They are definitely the come back kings this year.

Could be worse. Raiders could have lost to the Knights. Oh, wait...

The Raiders find yet another way to lose a close game. They are becoming masters at it. Their defence in the last two minutes was comical. It will be a miracle if they finish in the 8 and if they do they will be no threat to the top 6 teams in the finals. Bitterly disappointing and shameful result. The supporters have had a gutful. While I'm a member I'm not sure if I can front up to see them take on the Broncos if they deliver another one of these pathetic performances. I have zero confidence in the coaching and leadership at the club. The halves couldn't run a bath and Ricky Stuart has taken them backwards this season. Rapana, Papa and Cotric keep giving their all but the rest of them aren't worth two bob.

I hope that you are correct but I see no reason to be optimistic. You don't get points for trying hard. The Raiders are extremely poor game managers - until that changes it is hard to see them doing well. They will just make up the numbers if they don't change.