NRL

[wenchbarwer]

Staggs has been great this year, he is an absolute bull.

Still don't know why Hudson Young got binned

[Booney]

Here come the Panthers. What a remarkable organization they are.

Over the years we have lost Mansour, Tamou, Kikau, Crichton, Fisher-Harris, Luai and Turuva among others and they were 17th, bottom, at the midway point of the year and now we're about to go into our 6th straight prelim. Unbelievable whatever happens from here.

[wenchbarwer]

Here come the Panthers. What a remarkable organization they are.

Over the years we have lost Mansour, Tamou, Kikau, Crichton, Fisher-Harris, Luai and Turuva among others and they were 17th, bottom, at the midway point of the year and now we're about to go into our 6th straight prelim. Unbelievable whatever happens from here.

Mansauce and Big Jimmy T were a bit more surplus to requirements than anything, but the amount of players Penrith have lost over the past 5 years is mind boggling.

There were 4 alone in the Temu Panthers side on the weekend (Burton, Kikau, Crichton and Salmon), There's 5 at the Tigers (Luai, Turuva, Koroisau, Staines & May), two at the Warriors (JFH and Capewell), one each at Canberra (Hosking), the Roosters (Leniu) and Eels (Hopgood). On top of all this, the best young halfback in the game was also pinched from Penrith in Isaiya Katoa, now at the Dolphins. You can also chuck in Sean O'Sullivan (Dolphins) and Jack Cogger (Newcastle) who got better deals after playing back-up to Nathan Cleary.

That is an entire team, plus interchange, 17 players!

May is the only one Penrith have cut, the rest bar JFH all got offered better deals elsewhere (Fish went home for family reasons). It's a production line like no other, in any sport.

Watching 1991 was a watershed moment for me, I thought we were set up to win a few more and really challenge the Raiders as the team of the 90's. Roycey Simmons scoring two tries in his last game was a n absolute highlight, along with him promising to have a beer with everyone in Penrith. The passing of Ben Alexander really tore the heart & soul out of the club for a long time.
Staying up late to watch the delayed broadcast in 2003 was a return to the glory days, Scotty Sattler's tackle lives rent free in my head to this day, beating the much more favoured Roosters was the cream on the cake.
But, the last 5 years have been nothing short of extraordinary, The genius of Cleary, the toughness of Yeo, Leota & Martin, the Eveready battery qualities of Edwards & To'o, and the up-and-comers like the McLean boys and Talagi, makes me think they can actually keep on winning.

The first half yesterday was as complete of a demolition job as you'll find anywhere, in any code of sport. They look primed, and are running white hot. For a guy in 2020 that had so many questions marks over his career, Ivan Cleary will go down as one of the greatest coaches in rugby league history.

[Brodlach]

What. A. Game!

[dedja]

Big weekend for Brisbane.

[Jim05]

Please Melbourne don’t let those scumbags win

[Brodlach]

You spelt Brisbane wrong

[am Bays]

Is it just me is after yesterday has V’Landys put the word out we need to sandbag SE Qld get Brisbane two more wins…

Cleary gets wiped out, penalty against Martin for defending Cleary last try has sspeciogs double movement which people better informed than I are up in arms about

Melbourne may as well not show up next week, this one smells of a battle for column inches of the Courier Mail

[Brodlach]

Just you.

Martin should have been binned and wasn’t

There was no double movement, it was momentum

[am Bays]

Mate I’ve got a former News Ltd Courier Male sport Sun Editor and 40 year RL referee asking the same question

This smells

[Jim05]

Just you.

Martin should have been binned and wasn’t

There was no double movement, it was momentum

I despise Brisbane but Penrith got a pretty decent run today IMO.

[wenchbarwer]

Please Melbourne don’t let those scumbags win

I feel so dirty for siding with you

[wenchbarwer]

Just you.

Martin should have been binned and wasn’t

There was no double movement, it was momentum

Mamm should have been penalised for taking out the kicker and wasn't

[wenchbarwer]

Seems you can't win them all, the second half was just a bridge too far for the Panthers.

Reckon Ivan got it right after the match, though, the dynasty is far from finished. In fact, I reckon they're better placed to win it next year than this.

The Cleary/Talagi combo was excellent in the second half of the year, look to see more consistency from the young blokes like McLean, Henry, Talagi & Alamoti (this bloke is built for finals!)

Papalii was excellent in the back half of the year, think he takes Sorenson's starting spot next year. To'o, Martin & Yeo will get themselves right in the off season, then we have players like Patea, Jenkins and J McLean waiting in the wings.

[The Bedge]

Been the most exciting finals series I've seen the Bronco's play ever... first the Raiders game, then yesterday! Unreal!

I could hardly breathe in the second half haha found myself constantly holding my breath

Hopefully we can break the drought, have come so close the last two GFs.. but the Storm are just a genuine football factory, they just keen turning up.

[wenchbarwer]

[Booney]

5 grand finals, 4 in a row and lose a prelim by 2 points. This dynasty is over but I feel we'll be back here next year. The game style stands up, Clearly, Yeo and McLean have been playing banged up, Sorensen was a loss yesterday so early as Kenny and Martin looked cooked mid way through the second half.

Credit to Brisbane, amazing run by the Panthers. I hope nobody wins next week.

[Jim05]

5 grand finals, 4 in a row and lose a prelim by 2 points. This dynasty is over but I feel we'll be back here next year. The game style stands up, Clearly, Yeo and McLean have been playing banged up, Sorensen was a loss yesterday so early as Kenny and Martin looked cooked mid way through the second half.

Credit to Brisbane, amazing run by the Panthers. I hope nobody wins next week.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing and they needed a bit of a break but I wonder if effectively tanking to finish outside the 4 and take the long road home caught up with them in the end. They looked as flat as a tack on the second half

[wenchbarwer]

5 grand finals, 4 in a row and lose a prelim by 2 points. This dynasty is over but I feel we'll be back here next year. The game style stands up, Clearly, Yeo and McLean have been playing banged up, Sorensen was a loss yesterday so early as Kenny and Martin looked cooked mid way through the second half.

Credit to Brisbane, amazing run by the Panthers. I hope nobody wins next week.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing and they needed a bit of a break but I wonder if effectively tanking to finish outside the 4 and take the long road home caught up with them in the end. They looked as flat as a tack on the second half

100% it did. Losing the golden point game against the Raiders cost them any chance of a top 4 spot, so it was always going to be the long way home from there, even if Ivan gave the entire team a week off.

Had so much possession early in the second half in Brisbane's 20 but just couldn't crack the try line. Hindsight shows that would have won the game for us.