There’s no denying that the NRL table toppers have had a tough run to the top.
If you had told me in February that the Penrith Panthers would top the National Rugby League ladder in Round 14, I would have chuckled. Sure, they have an exciting young side and the addition of Australian representative would do no harm.
However, if the rugby league gods had their way, they would’ve (like the rest of the competition) be trailing the powerhouse Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters.
If you had then told me that in the first 14 weeks they would lose Nathan Cleary, Tim Browne, Sam McKendry, Dylan Edwards, Moses Leota, Peter Wallace, Josh Mansour, Villiame Kikau, Waqa Blake and Jack Hetherington for extended periods of time, I would have laughed in your face.
The adversity that this football team has faced is like none I have ever seen before. The injury crisis has taken Penrith supporters on a rollercoaster ride throughout 2018 and I think they are going to like where it finishes.
Round 19 at Suncorp is bookmarked, circled and highlighted in my calendar because barring any more serious injuries, and surely there can’t be any more, Penrith will regain all their stars excluding McKendry, Edwards and Browne who suffered season-ending injuries and the Panthers-Broncos clash is set to be a cracker.
These returning stars, adding to the experience that State of Origin stars; Tyrone Peachy, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Nathan Cleary and James Maloney will gain from the next month make the Panthers a hot tip for September 30.
See you in September, Panther fans!
Macca
Guest
Panthers have a good draw, but I can't see who they wouldn't be favourites to beat, storm won't worry them or south's maybe saints and roosters, I think when blake and mansour come back it will.be a pretty balanced backline, although peach has got to play somewhere for 80
Muzz
Guest
I'd give anything to have Maloney at my club. He is a premiership magnet and one of the best game managers in the comp.
JVGO
Guest
They have an unbelievably easy draw. The only top 8 teams they play twice are the Sharks (who they have already lost to) and NZ who they haven't played at all yet. Absolute dream run. How that will turn out for them who knows.
Geoff Dustby
Guest
so you are missing the great Tyrone May despite Maloney and Cleary in the halves? Wallace is barealy a loss, Browne wasnt in the side, Hethrington is a rookie and Leota a fringe player and Mckendry struggle to make the side
Albo
Guest
I agree Mansour will add some vital metres in the run, but the other two areas will not be addressed by his return. He has plenty of defensive failings including being clueless under the high ball. Hence his most recent injury.
Penrith Punter
Roar Guru
Mansour is aiming for a Round 19 return IIRC.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Mansour should be back by September.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Haha, under strength! Don't make me laugh. We had Mansour, Wallace, Brown, Blake, McKendry, Edwards, Leota, Hethrington and May missing. Then we lost Kikau. We had a player in the bin for 10 minutes, four players backing up from SOO and you were at home. You had everything stacked in your favour and you still couldn't win. The refs even gave you a try that was a knock on. What more do you want!
Albo
Guest
The Panthers have done very well to date considering their injury list. They have plenty of coverage for their strong forwards boasting two good packs of forwards, and the halves are developing well , but their outside backs are rubbish. They would currently have the weakest back 3 in the competition, and it has been an amazing feat by the rest of the team to have compensated for this lack of ability at the back so far. Unfortunately, I can sees games coming up where these back 3 are going to be fully exposed under high balls, lack of metres run off their line, and poor defensive positional play, that will cost the Panthers some vital matches. Apart from Waqa Blake still to come back, I see no other solution in the lower grades to even fix this exposed back 3 limitation, and I think hat will significantly limit their chances come September.
Ron Norton
Roar Rookie
Good young side but can't see them as premiers if they could only beat the struggling, undermanned Raiders by a single gifted field goal with more than a little help from at least one of the two on-field officials.
peeko
Guest
agree on both counts. they do have great depth and i would argue that losing Browne,wallace, Leota and Hetherington wasnt a big deal great to see them do well, especially as it keeps Rothfield quiet.
Paul
Roar Guru
They've had a tough run wit injuries but a relatively easy run with the draw. No argument they deserve to be where they are on the table, but have a few top 8 games to go before September, so lets see how they go with those games, given 2 more SOO games to play as well.