In tomorrow's Battle Of the West, Vincent Lombardi almost foreshadowed the Panthers sixty years ago when he said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."
The Panthers seemed to have forgotten they're not perfect. Matty Johns is right, they're playing with a "chip on their shoulders" after missing the grand final last year.
It's worse than David and Goliath. Almost no-one gives us a sliver of a chance.
Teams
Panthers (2nd) vs Eels (9th) | Saturday, 5:30pm AEDT | 28 March | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Sportsbet: Panthers $1.18, Eels $4.95. A Panthers win is the most expected result in the known galaxy, up there with death and taxes.
The Panthers remain firm premiership favourites. The Eels have stabilized to 11th in the market at $34, after being bottom four at $51 at round two following the massacre.
Weather: Expected to be sunny, 21°C, after Friday's severe weather warning. A steady SSE breeze that could affect kicks, potential for gusts 22-37 km/h. Bombs could be a weapon.
Referees: Todd Smith (met his restart quote for the year in round 1 vs Storm), Drew Oultram (touchie, fair-minded), Liam Kennedy (bunker, pray)
Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins (L) 3. Paul Alamoti (R) 4. Casey McLean (L) 5. Brian To’o 6. Blaize Talagi (L) 7. Nathan Cleary (R) 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Isaiah Papali’i (L) 12. Liam Martin (R) 13. Isaah Yeo
Bench: 15. Billy Phillips 16. Scott Sorensen 17. Luke Garner 18. Izack Tago 19. Freddy Lussick 21. Jack Cole
Cut: 14. Jack Cogger 20. Kalani Going 22. Jaxen Edgar
Ins: Jack Cogger (back from concussIon), Jaxen Edgar, Kalani Going
Outs: None significant
Head Coach: Ivan Cleary
Eels: Isaiah Iongi 2. Bailey Simonsson (R) 3. Brian Kelly (L) 4. Sean Russell (L) 5. Josh Addo-Carr (L) 6. Jonah Pezet (L) 7. Mitchell Moses (R) 8. Jack Williams 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Kelma Tuilagi (R) 12. Kitione Kautoga (L) 13. Dylan Walker
Bench: 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Sam Tuivaiti 16. Matt Doorey 17. Luca Moretti 18. Charlie Guymer 19. Joash Papalii (not named in reggies this week)
Cut: 20. Jack De Belin 21. Teancum Brown 22. Araz Nanva
Ins: Araz Nanva, Brian Kelly, Jack De Belin (named at lock in NSW Cup this week), Luca Moretti, Teancum Brown (named at prop in NSW Cup this week)
Outs: J'maine Hopgood (ACL, season), Jordan Samrani (knee)
Head Coach: Jason Ryles (HQ, nrl.com, finally have him on the team sheet after the ghost of Brad Arthur made a special appearance in earlier rounds)
Panthers team: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Paul Alamoti 4. Casey McLean 5. Brian To’o 6. Blaize Talagi 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 15. Billy Phillips 16. Scott Sorensen 17. Luke Garner 18. Izack Tago 19. Freddy Lussick 21. Jack Cole
Eels team: 1. Isaiah Iongi 2. Bailey Simonsson 3. Brian Kelly 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Jonah Pezet 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Jack Williams 9. Ryley Smith 10. Junior Paulo 11. Kelma Tuilagi 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. Dylan Walker 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Sam Tuivaiti 16. Matt Doorey 17. Luca Moretti 18. Charlie Guymer 19. Joash Papali’i
Image (Getty): Our left-edge has been under seige, but our right edge almost lost us the game last week.
Stats
■ Todd Smith was our round one ref who met his yearly quota for restarts in that game, and ref in our 2022 Panthers game that was our biggest win over them since 2009.
■ The Panthers have won their last four games against the Eels.
■ The Eels have won their last four games at CommBank Stadium.
■ The Panthers are aiming for a 4-0 start for the third time since 2021.
■ Eels winger Josh Addo-Carr has scored nine tries in his last five games at CommBank Stadium.
■ Panthers winger Brian To’o has scored 10 tries in his last 10 games against the Eels.
Image (Getty): Ryley Smith and Jack Williams made 50 tackles in the middle last week in 60 minutes spells.
Form
Panthers. Best Defence 92-10. Basically, perfect.
26–0 vs Bronco, the reigning premiers. Strangulation.
26–6 vs Shark, perennial contenders. Strangulation.
40–4 vs Rooster, one of the premiership favourites. Domination.
Middles dominate, edges with options.
Goliath strangling boa-constrictor-style, surgically. Add a Chainsaw. C4.
Eels. Worst Defence 74-104. Supremely imperfect.
4-52 vs Storm. Bashed up. 408 tackles. 128 more.
40-32 vs Bronco. Burnt early. Staying alive.
30-20 vs Dragon. Bashed up. Staying alive.
Middle under seige, edges leaking.
David, under pressure on the ropes, on the canvas. But keeps getting up, with counter-attack jabs.
Bragging Rights On The Line: Captain Moses vs Cleary (nrl.com)
Last Five Years
Won 4 of last 14
2020 L2-20 (-18) | Panthers | Gerard Sutton
2021 L12-13 (-1) | Panthers | Ashley Klein
2021 L6-40 (-34) | Cbus | Adam Gee
2021 L6-8 (-2) | BB Print | Ashley Klein
2022 W22-20 (+2) | Panthers | Gerard Sutton
2022 W34-10(+24) | CommBank | Todd Smith
2022 L8-27 (-19) | Panthers | Gerard Sutton
2022 L12-28 (-16) | Accor | Ashley Klein
2023 W17-16 (+1) | CommBank | Ashley Klein
2023 W32-18 (+14) | Panthers | Ben Cummins
2024 L18-26 (-8) | Panthers | Ashley Klein
2024 L34-36 (-2) | CommBank | Peter Gough
2025 L10-18 (-8) | CommBank | Peter Gough
2025 L10-32 (-22) | CommBank | Peter Gough
Image (Getty): Bench impact. Taylln Da Silva changed the game with 2 tries in 20 minutes. Big Sam ran for 174m in around 40 minutes.
Bottom Line
The Panthers are chasing perfection. The Eels are chasing themselves. Possibly the ball. Possibly each other. New edges. New combinations. Fans already throwing tomatoes at R&R, Pezet and the front office after only winning two from three on the back foot, barely surviving.
If we’re getting bashed up the middle making 60 more tackles in the first 25 minutes like the last two weeks (down 20–6 vs Bronco, 14–6 vs Dragon), it could be game over early. And if we’re stuck making 400 tackles again like round one, we won’t be chasing the game, we’ll be drowning in it. Fatigue doesn't just make cowards. It's a vicious cycle that kills.
But if Lombardi got one thing right: perfection isn’t attainable. That’s one for the fans too.
To stand a chance, we’ll need every ounce of "Reel Grit" Gus Gould praised us for and Jason Ryles commended. Not just to hold the middle and our edges, but hold our nerve and do something outside our structures. Because structure, even perfected, won't be enough.
The Panthers don’t just beat you. They suffocate you. Slowly. Methodically. Surgically dismantling you before your eyes.
We’ve been in survival mode. It's Order versus Disorder. Perfect Structures versus Barely there. And sometimes, that’s where chaos thrives.
Replies
Sorry guys we ain't winning the GF, in any season with Pezet,Kelly,Tualagi, Guymer, Moretti, Doorey and I'll throw in Riley Smith in the starting team.
The way the Eels are playing has me worried about our coaches. This side is struggling big time to read the game. The side lacks leadership and players who know how to set up a game. Until our forwards can stick with opposing forwards we will leak. I don't want to dog on Ryles but he needs to rethink his coaching ethics and idea's. Our forwards get dominated big time to easey.
The biggest problem is in the middle of the park.We don't roll the middle we have turned into a finesse pass first play with width not roll your sleeves up and playing tough through the middle type team.
Alot of fans are telling you because we look good moving the ball we are better coached I laugh when I hear this.In a physical contact sport you have to win at that first before the fancy stuff we are so concerned of getting to edges ourmiddles have forgotten what a physical battle is and when the opposition take it to us we fold we saw that last week.If the dragons had better halves we lose that game aswell.
If you watch the riff middles they get Smith and Yeo especially a fraction wider bringing backrowers onto the ball but stay in that middle third rolling it and once they back up the opponent's middle they release it to Cleary and what makes it worse he has time to dissect the defense he controlled the narrative all night because of the work inside done by Smith.
Look at that McLean off load no but I saw the Smith offload that kept the ball alive in the movement earlier.
It’s hard not to respect Penrith, rivals or not.
Their attention to every detail is incredible. Every player works relentlessly for the 1%.
Nice to see the pride shown in the second half to keep competing though, these guys are trying but against the Panthers, under that much fatigue, is impossible.
💯 all it tells me is how steep the climb is NoS Riff just didn't turn out like this overnight it took them a decade to get like this we are in year 2.
We are a long way behind them and I think the realisation is there to be seen.I've always said this JR isn't doing this by himself to beat the best you have to be the best or near the best across the board on and off the park.We clearly aren't that.
Absolutely, Coryn.
My concern is are we even in year 2? The Panthers had a schematic, drawn around Nathan Cleary, are we building around Mitch? We lost his halves partner, we lose his current halves partner, and the other player who is really helping Mitch is in his 30's (Walker).
The other concern is it's not just Penrith, they're obviously the pinnacle, but the Bulldogs, Warriors, have built great squads, and then even teams like the Tigers & Knights have been building squads that imo, are arguably ahead of ours - at least currently.
I hope we are just at the infancy of a clearly defined plan behind closed doors, because currently it's hard to see what that plan is for multiple positions.
Like you I don't blame JR or the players Coryn, they're doing their best with what they have.
Someone in the club has completely fucked our conditioning. Something is seriously off with it. That's the major issue. Kelly is a 3rd choice Centre, everyone knows he isn't good enough including the coach. JDB rightfully dropped, so Ryles is across that too.
We are out of shape in a big bad way.
I thought Kelly was good today. But yes our middles our fucked. The moment we have to defend a second set in a row it's immediately too much for them
Yeah kelly played better than round 1.
We did beat Brisbane with Haas and Carrigan
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