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
I thought Junior was pretty good last year but he is now sadly just a reserve grader based on his performances this year. He is 32 and can't keep up with the game, looks like he hates the collision and has no line speed and rarely covers from the inside. Williams is now 30 and does not look suited to the middle either. Put him back on the edge and get rid of Kelma he is so slow getting back into position after making a tackle and is often the last player to get to their feet. Our middles are probably the weakest in the comp sadly and I am not sure what has happened to Ryley Smith this year but he is not providing any line speed and his first up contact is often poor.
I feel sorry for Ryles our squad is weaker than what it was last year and now we have some seeious injuries. Most of our squad would not start at any other club and other clubs below us last year have recruited much better than us so while we are going backwards with an aging and poorer quality squad they are on the up.
I don't think Bellamy or Cleary could get any better results with the cattle we have.
Yep Williams is a backrower now. He isn't a middle
Ryley getting hooked will be fascinating to see what happens moving forward. Da Silva was ok, i mean conceading 48 points not many players would be 5/10 but Da Silva, other than looking gassed with 15 to go, was fine. But you are right Mannah, Smith now has had i would argue two poor games, one average game and one decent game (Brisbane).
Is it confidence? Da Silva over his shoulder so he tries to impress and loses confidence when things don't go right? Once he loses the middle he's fatiguing quicker?
I would leave him to start, wouldn't be reactionary but if he has a poor start again v Wests....
JR looked so dejected in the press conference. Seems like he knows our middles defence ain’t gonna improve any time soon
There was nothing definitive from him bar the defense is the problem.
Down trodden though and not really enamoured or interested even though I thought the reporters went easy on the both of them.
Well we were an injury away we've lost our second or third best player in Iongi and now we have another showdown in the west at least it's at Commbank.
Wests look good too. At least Papali'i is a decent back-up, you can definately win games with Joash at the back. Particularly with an ok draw. Titans and Manly should win and can win with Joash at the back. Doorey is a loss, Moretti comes in at least but need to get a middle from somewhere.
A position of need got weaker.
I seen that. But thats on him they are his recruits.for me i don't understand how buckets or rodgers have a job. Look at tigers and dragons both were a mess yet they have no issue in getting recruits. Ffs until we get a decent footy manager and recruitment officer we won't attract anyone decent. Dragons hired daniel anderson. And people say tigers are a mess yet look who they have signed you'd have to say there recruitment team makes ours look like apprentices
Its ok guys, we're the Parramatta 'there's always next year' Eels.
Id love to know if the club would be asking a 'please explain' for why Sorensen wasnt sin binned. Worse than Hopgoods in rnd one and only a penalty?
Ok am i the only one who is not losing my mind? Yeah i said we could win it early in the week, glad it was not 50 though close, but this team put 40 on Sydney who i reckon would beat us. They kept Brisbane to 0 and Cronulla would have had more put on them. It is the best team, and i mean best by a long way, in the competition. At this stage nobody is going to match them and 16 teams are making up the numbers.
Defence was poor but Penrith makes the majority of defences poor. Not saying we shouldn't strive to be better, bloody oath we should be but also we just aren't good enough. At least they didn't give up, one thing that is a cardinal sin in sports is giving up.
I know someone will abuse me for this post but so be it.
It's not that we look poorly coached. It's that we lack the class we need to compete. Personally I've had enough of sort of competing.
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