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TheEroticGamer

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Joined January 2016

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Melbourne, Penrith and Roosters are a lock for the top three with the order unconfirmed. Melbourne lose Slater but Scott Drinkwater isn’t a bad replacement and they will still be tough with Bellamy at the helm. Roosters are the same with Robinson. Ferguson’s a loss but they’ll still be fine. Hard to see Penrith going anywhere but up considering how well they did considering injuries among other things. Cleary already has a solid understanding of the players there and if they could finish 5th considering what they had to go through then they should be in premiership contention when you also consider their improvement at head coach.

Had Cronulla in the conversation but their issues with Holmes and now Flanagan potentially not being there this season has thrown a spanner into the works. Hard to see them going all the way.

My top eight for the NRL in 2019

“The Eels, Cowboys, Bulldogs and Titans are the bottom four teams on the ladder. They’ve been ordinary all year. Their form has been consistently poor, week in, week out. I didn’t think that needed to be explained.”

Such a vague and terrible point you made here which in doing so proven me right further.

For teams to be at the bottom of the ladder, they need to lose matches. Easy concept to understand. But where does the discussion about the difficulty of their draws come into play? When you try to justify or question a team’s placing on the ladder, you need to look beyond the ladder placings of those teams that were beaten otherwise it’s just a logical fallacy. I’m not suggesting based on this alone Penrith have beaten tough teams every week, but it means that criticism birthed from pure ladder analysis is lazy and stupid. You tried to give greater depth to this argument with saying all those teams have been poor every week. Again, that’s absolute vague garbage. The Parra side Penrith beat in round one wasn’t going to win the comp but they were far better in that match than they were in any other game this season. You can’t compare that performance with how they played against Manly the following week. Every team has rises and dips in form, regardless of their supposed team quality in the first place. Titans, a team that has been “consistenly poor” this season was 3-2 coming up against us and their only two losses was against the red hot Warriors and Dragons. They were in really good form and win would lift them into the top four. Penrith beat them. Again, there is too many levels for the easy draw argument to be a sufficient argument against a team.

“The Knights and Tigers in particular have had seasons where they started extremely strongly and have fallen away recently. Watch a game or two, look at their ladder standings through the season, there’s plenty of markers. The Sharks and Souths started the season a bit slowly compared to how they’ve played lately. Again, if you’d watched a game or followed the comp it’s pretty easy to understand. The Panthers met all those teams at favourable times.”

Favourable times? Lol. Come on buddy, you can’t use the ladder argument then type this part up. You can say Knights fell down a bit when Pearce got injured but Tigers? Packer being out was a loss for a few weeks and hurt their go forward but they played much against Penrith than in the previous weeks after they got some confidence back against the Cowboys. Souths started slowly? If it wasn’t for a forward pass call just before half time they might have beaten the red hot Warriors in round one. Again, there’s too many factors for your argument to work. Sharks didn’t start the season well but how does that make an injury riddled Penrith loss to them in round 7 look any different? To conclude this part of your argument, I have to say that Penrith have had a lot of injuries this season and in doing so given other teams “favourable times” against us. Guess what, we’re still first. Maybe winning regardless of favourable times or not is a good indicator of how good a team is rather than looking at the…lol…’ladder spots of teams they’ve beaten’.

“The rest of it’s not that hard to understand. Not every team plays each other twice and then the NRL stacks the draw so that teams can play one another twice in a couple of weeks. If you really can’t see how that can result in teams getting a lucky draw compared to others then you really shouldn’t be calling people simpletons.”

If Penrith were drawn against Cronulla within the first month chances are they win. If Penrith aren’t drawn against Canterbury after they’ve played against Roosters and Storm and are desperate to win to pay tribute to a recently passed legend of the club, chances are they win that too. If Penrith had the opportunity to play a lethargic Brisbane team instead of a team desperate to win like the Cowboys then Penrith probably wins. It goes both ways. Penrith’s draw is no more lucky than it is unlucky. Also, both of their matches after origin games are 6pm friday matches, literally the worst timeslot when you have four players you want to have backup. Also, guess who’s the one team in the competition who has to play the one New Zealand team with Origin players away? Exactly.

“The only way you can counter what I’m saying is to say the draw is exactly equal and comparable for all teams. Which by definition it clearly isn’t.”

It’s equal enough. Dragons have had the luxury of playing Sharks when they had players out and couldn’t score at all and also played a Souths side without Burgess. They’ve had the luxury of playing the Titans when they put in their worst performance of the season. Unfortunately for them, they had to play a red hot Warriors team in New Zealand that was determined to break their streak. Swings and roundabouts. If you take out those three wins they had against Souths and Sharks they’re still yet to beat a top four side. But again, that’s a pointless statistic. They’re 2nd. They deserve to be where they are. You can go through doing this with every team. The point is, every team has certain beneficial and treacherous things that happen in relation to the draw but the ladder is always a good representation of the teams up to that point. Complaining about it is nothing more than nonsensical bickering by people who were stupid enough to believe even for a second that Penrith were going to struggle this season. A team who’s made the finals 2014, 2016 and 2017 and would have made 2015 as well if not for one of the worst injury tolls in NRL history, is high up on the ladder? Wow, no way.

“Do you watch rugby league?”

I do, and unfortunately I have seen many of your posts here over the years. You’ve had some terrible takes but this is certainly up there. Surprised you know how to spell Rugby League let alone know how to use the internet.

Also, I love the ‘cheeky’ stabs through out that post. But without a sensible argument to go with it, you’ve essentially tried to put frosting on a cake that you haven’t even put in the oven yet. Good luck trying to line up the dial with the right number without getting a headache, ‘simpleton’.

The Panthers say nay to us naysayers

So in the space of two paragraphs you went from using ladder placements as a definitive indicator of a team’s quality then shifted to the argument that a team’s quality can fluctuate through out the season based on the form.

The easy draw argument is a stupid one and is used by simpletons. It makes no logical sense. Penrith are the ‘toughest’ team in the competition at the moment. Time for everyone to accept it.

The Panthers say nay to us naysayers

Wouldn’t let me reply to this comment directly before for some reason. Here it is.

That’s one of the stupidest comments ever made on this website.

Clearly, being a ‘Roar Guru’ doesn’t require a minimum level of intelligence. Anyone is welcome I suppose.

NRL: Where Test matches are meaningless and trials on suburban ovals are essential

@Renegade

That’s one of the stupidest comments ever made on this website.

Clearly, being a ‘Roar Guru’ doesn’t require a minimum level of intelligence. Anyone is welcome I suppose.

NRL: Where Test matches are meaningless and trials on suburban ovals are essential

Penrith 12th?

I thought this website required posters to have a certain level of intellect before submitting posts.

Good god, absolutely stupidity.

Cowboys hot, Knights not: My 2018 NRL predictions

If Penrith wants to contend for premierships, they need to become ruthless.

Their attitude towards refereeing is passive to put it nicely. Whilst you have other clubs getting in referees’ faces and complaining about decisions post game, you have Gus coming out on Twitter saying Penrith will never complain about refereeing, after getting robbed in one of the worst refereed matches in NRL history against the Roosters in round three, last year.

The fact of the matter is that intense scrutiny will influence decisions made. There’s a reason clubs and players do what they do. It gets results. The fact that Penrith rules themselves exempt from doing it as well is harmful. Among other things, you simply can’t have the majority of decisions go against you and expect to win tight games. You can’t win matches when teams defending on their line are consistently getting away with infringing the ruck and cheating the ten, and you can’t replicate it yourselves. That’s what ended their season in Brisbane.

I don’t see Penrith finishing outside the top eight regardless, but if they seriously think in the possibility they get to, let’s say, a Prelim final against a team like Melbourne, they’re going to be getting decisions against a team that has Cameron Smith breathing down the referees’ necks? In addition to how little influence they try to impose on referees in comparison? Even clubs like Cowboys, Roosters and Brisbane will get more decisions because of their players and coaches influencing decisions.

Penrith has a choice to make. Look nice, or be a premiership threat. Considering the statements they make in relation to refereeing, I’m worryingly of the belief they still haven’t learned anything and will stick with the former.

Where will your side finish in 2018? (Part Three)

Considering what’s transpired the last few years, being regarded as overrated is completely insane.

Also, this is a preview.What are Rugby League fans supposed to expect from this team?Will other sides catch on to how they play?Is there too many playmakers in their side for other teams to shut down?Don’t preach your couch potato hate of Gould through labeling players he has brought to the club as overrated for 90% of the article then go on to say “they might win a game” in the finals.That’s a real lackluster preview if there ever was one.

And because you seem quite narrow minded about it, it should be said that Mansour is expected to return round 12-14.So saying he’s gone for the season is an excellent microcosm of you level of knowledge when it comes to this team(non-existent).

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

Thank you.Good to see someone understands where I’m coming from.

Comments such as the Wallace one isn’t just baseless, it’s completely insane.

His combination with Cleary and Moylan, as well as his defensive output, has him in the discussion for representative honours and rightfully so.Imagine coming back from two knee reconstructions, constantly have the media say you will be thrown out by your coach and after all of his effort be noted as someone who has nothing to add.

Baseless, moronic statements.Try again.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

Think you’re getting opinion piece mixed up with trying to air out dirty laundry.

I dislike Parramatta, but I don’t completely disregard their chances of accomplishing certain goals.

The same logic should be applied even more to clubs like Penrith, as their squad has made the finals previously.

To say “As for their finals campaign, they might win a game, but they won’t make the grand final”, makes this less of an opinion piece and more of an outlet for the author to let out his frustrations with his side’s probable struggles.

Such a bold claim stating the equal premiership favourites ‘might’ win a game but definitely won’t be featuring in the big day.Only such a claim can be made emotionally rather than factually and understanding the sport.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

I should help you out mate.I should write a proper preview with no bias and statistical analysis.Breaking down what could go right and wrong with the team, just not go on an overrated labeling spree.

I mean, I got absolutely trashed with my last article yet I turned out to be 100% right.Funny what analysis and knowledge of rugby league can do for people predicting things NRL related.

Your spelling in the article seemed to be up to standard at least.So you’re better than most Telegraph writers, congratulations.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

Anyone that uses the phrase “they won’t make the GF” has obviously stepped away from being a journalistic figure and instead is trying to preach is negative thoughts on certain clubs.Penrith must have beat his team pretty bad last year.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

The Penrith club finished 11th in 2015 despite having one of the worst injury tolls in NRL history, yet the following season the majority of pundits said they will finish even lower the following year.I remember one Ryan O’Connell say Penrith finished where their quality is ranked in the competition.Not a very well thought out statement.

The fact that Penrith players are made to look like overachievers by certain people despite them ‘overachieving’ every year, means there’s a blind spot for many people on the Rugby League spectrum(or maybe another type of spectrum, who knows).If you want overrated players, you’ll find them at the likes of Brisbane and of course the Warriors, as proven by their failure to live up to the consistently handed bill to them despite evidence pointing in the other direction.A club that has great players and silences moronic critics time doesn’t make their players overrated or overachievers, it just makes them look like they are performing to their standard to the people that are paying attention.

And please don’t say(you’re using a year old example, please stop shredding me with facts), if we lose the first few games we are signalled as a bottom eight team.If the two teams I listed above do the same they will be labelled as having a minor hiccup.

I look forward to what should be a well educated rebuttal.

Thank you.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

I sure am.Hit after hit after hit on Spotify.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

This is possibly one of the worst articles ever written on this website.

You spent most of the time in the strengths department alluding to what you will talk about in the weaknesses, yet failed to provide any analysis as into why you believe they are ‘overrated’.Because you don’t actually have any reasoning to say so other than trying to make way for a team of your own in the top four of your fantasy world.

You turned a supposedly ‘expert'(I try my best to say this without laughing) article into a platform to lay your negative point of view on the GM of the club being biased?You somehow believe a person that has various positive and negative views only narrows it down to benefit his club just because he’s more knowledgable of the past of certain Penrith players?That’s not being biased, that’s just being more equipped with knowledge to fill blank sound bytes during commentary.

I could go on about how Penrith players if anything are the complete opposite of overrated, but I’m still baffled as into how you are this ‘highly’ viewed on this website.I genuinely hope you aren’t paid to do this, as you certainly have ripped people off of money, and time off of people like me.

Anyway, I’d like to enquire on how to obtain a position like your’s.Doesn’t seem like I’d have to put much thought into what I’m writing.

Cheers.

NRL 2017 season preview: Penrith Panthers

Martin isn’t out for the season, Anthony Griffin after the Souths game said he’ll most likely be back in 3-4 weeks time.

Martin is viewed as an insanely bright talent in the same way Cleary is. The thing is that Martin is a 5/8 and Cleary is a 1/2, with play styles that will complement each other with absolute perfection. Martin with great attacking spark and Cleary with composure and great control.

Moylan won’t be moved as him and Cleary are still getting used to each other in their current positions. Moylan would have nowhere to go other than fullback.

1.Moylan
6.Martin
7.Cleary
9.Wallace

Unless they were to move Martin to hooker as he has some experience there, Moylan will stay at fullback, no question.

The time is right for a Matt Moylan move

Well that’s the thing.

Several sides have also gotten better as well.

Really makes these types of ‘improvements’ look more of a sideways or going backwards movement more than anything, with all due respect.

NRL 2016 ladder countdown: Canberra Raiders (7th)

They won’t make the finals but their side has gotten better.

Can see them finishing 10th-12th.

NRL 2016 ladder countdown: Canberra Raiders (7th)

Barry, Penrith finished 11th.Stop saying they finished second last.

Also, Manly only managed to finish two spots ahead of their basically their under 20’s side.Think Tim is on the right track.

Statistical predictions: The 2016 NRL table

That’s a good point about Griffin.I don’t see him changing the foundation of a team too largely mid-season barring an injury or a complete collapse.

I think with the news of Te Maire wanting to play NSW cup first is a humble statement from him and more so echoes Phil Gould’s preference to having young players get more game time in the secondary competition rather than just being thrown into the deep end.It’s not a case of if but when Martin will join the first grade side, he really is an extremely talented player that makes my mind completely boggled that the Tigers refused to agree paying him $130K a season.

You probably are right about Soward and Martin being the best halves pairing though.It’s all about which route Griffin wants to take whilst taking on board Gus’ preferences.We’ll just have to wait and see, March can’t come quick enough!

P.S, didn’t say it before.Very good read.Thanks for the reply.

Panthers eyeing the future as halves battle heats up

Very much so looking forward to seeing Te Maire Martin play this season.He’s got buckets load of potential along with a knowledge of a veteran.He’s like a second Moylan in the shape of a five eighth.

Whether he’s put in first grade from the get go is the question.If Penrith were to have a great start to the season then there’d be no need to throw him in there.If Wallace gets injured then you’ll most likely see him in there.

Either way they have options and competition, which is only a good thing.Regardless of who will be put there(as Soward is a shoe in) it’s important that they string games together to get accustomed to each other.Can’t be in the finals if you’re having ten different halves pairings through out the whole year.

Panthers eyeing the future as halves battle heats up

“Penrith will be interesting to watch this year. Is 2014 the real version of this side or is 2015? Yes the Panthers had injuries last year but so do every team. They were certainly quick to reach for this excuse.”

Probably because they had literally ten different halves pairings through out the year, not to mention constant changes in the centre wing combinations on both sides. Also hard to do anything without top players such as Soward, Segeyaro and Moylan to name just a few missing 99% of the year. Have something like that happen to Brisbane or Cowboys and they wouldn’t make the finals as well, if not finish lower than 11th. Just imagine having Hunt, Milford, Hodges(back then), and McCullough among other Broncos players missing as many games as the Penrith players did, they’d probably do worse.

Comparing Penrith’s injury toll to another team’s and thinking it’s just another ‘excuse’ isn’t just incredibly ignorant, it’s completely idiotic.

2016 NRL preview series: Penrith Panthers

For Penrith to make the top four, they need to avoid another year of atrocious injuries.

Teams like Cowboys, Brisbane and etc doesn’t get those type of runs with injuries ever, where as Penrith copped a bad one in 2014 and a really really really horrendously awful one in 2015, in which is sort of a sucker-punch to the Panthers faithful(not saying they want other players to get injured, you get what i mean).

After following up their win against premiership favourites at the time in Canterbury, they easily dismissed Titans in a 40-0 bashing.Which made the great Andrew Voss exclaim, “Make no mistake, the Penrith Panthers are premiership heavyweights in 2015.”.So how does a team make someone say this only to ‘deservedly’ miss the top eight entirely.Hint, they don’t.

This line was only said because Penrith’s quality was clear, and that he along with many other people assumed the 2014 injuries were a ‘one off’.Well unfortunately, they came back in even more brutal fashion, with a rumour turning into reality that Jamie Soward required back surgery which kicked off a year that hosted literally ten different halves pairings, and injuries that would send even great sides towards the bottom.Could you imagine if Brisbane had ten different halves pairings with Milford and Hunt missing large parts of the year?They wouldn’t be in contention for the finals, full stop.

So my plea to the Panthers will be to please, if you’re going to make changes, make it minor.Keep the spine positions along with lock to having the same players(1.Moylan, 6.Soward, 7.Wallace, 9.Segeyaro, 13.Taylor), transition is necessary in all sports, but it doesn’t have to be started right now, as Penrith still hasn’t fully got the full rewards from the previous one to the current one.Starting a transition now is unnecessary and postpones success for at least another season that isn’t even guaranteed.Transitioning now won’t remove problems, it only changes them and most likely creates even more.Have Merrin and Cartwright as the starting back-rowers to combine work rate with attacking flair in the forwards and Taylor can stay in the position he has been made comfortable in.Changing halves is a ridiculous thought especially with a player doing so well(Moylan) being made to changed positions.That’d be ridiculous right now.

So what do Penrith have to do to be successful?Minor changes through great signings that will certainly make the team even better.Anything else and you’re just asking for a transition year that will probably do more harm than good.Their problem has been injuries, not specific players.Every player, and i mean every single one, has shown that they are capable to be put together with each other to muster up a team more than capable of pulling off a real premiership assault.

Please Penrith, don’t throw away this opportunity just because of two horrible injury filled seasons.

Five reasons the Panthers can make the top four in 2016

5.Yes, someone like Blake Austin is just what the Blues need if they want to do this.Feel like they’ll win it this year.

4.Absolutely, have them stringing games together and they’ll be around the top of the ladder again.

3.Got Thurston down receive another dally m, Milford in top three though.

2.That’s not fearless mate lol.

1.I do understand they have a top team, but writing everyone else off is ridiculous.The season hasn’t even started yet.But hey that’s ‘fearless’ so that kind of contradicts my last point haha.

Great article mate.

Five fearless headlines you'll read in 2016

Changing halves partners won’t solve anything as the main problem is that anyone who pulls on the black jumper gets injured.

Changing Moylan’s position straight up may dial in an unnecessary year of transition for a team that does so well when fit.

Penrith suffered the highest amount of centre-winger, spine and halves combinations in it’s respective categories.Do that to a Brisbane or a Cowboys side and you’re going to get similar results.

Penrith has such a talented team that can do so much damage, look at 2014.Chopping it up and starting again is such a huge waste.

Moylan as captain a move in the right direction

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