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
Year after year in this site, people have been saying how we have lots of money to spend next season 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Every "Moses is out of form" comment should answer what Moses is supposed to do when defensively the Eels have spent the first 25'isg minutes of each match on the back foot?
The Eels have conceded leads early, letting teams get away from them. Thus far 4-18, 6-20, 6-14 and 4-30 in the first 25-27 mins of each game. After that poor opening stanza, the Eels have recovered 75% of the time: the Eels' scoring has been 0-34, 34-12, 24-6 and 20-18.
The stats say the Eels are unable to compete when the game is at its fastest but as it slows they get back into the game?
Moses game management in attack causes defensively fatigue. When he throws a hospital pass, drops the ball himself, poor kick choice that gives Panthers a good start to their sit. All these contribute to making more tackles and defending a side with momentum.
The cohesion is different though EA you can see how well set in there structure they are and the options they have.It isn't Cleay or bust even though he has a big say you've basically got ball playing middles in Smith and Yeo Leota is there yardage prop and there back 5 out of yardage is close to if not the best in the nrl.
Moses right now is a Lone Ranger he is by far best player and we are in the infancy of a rebuild.I feel right now he has to overplay but at second receiver.We need to be getting our attack with Walker and Moses more so.
Yea I am not worried about Moses. We all know the level he can play at. It's only going to get worse with all these injuries. Samrani, will, Iongi, Hopgood, Doorey, Lorenzo, Richard
Don't be surprised if we can't make another signing Moses will ask for a release
If we are at this level in another 12 months I'd let him go to don't muck around with it.For me the realisation will come where he'll want to take his talent to a team that's legit ready to win a comp seemingly we don't look like we are aligned in his prime timeframe.Dogs would take him in a second.
I wonder if our R &.R would have the nouse to make Katoa the richest 7 in nrl history and make him and Iongi Parra's future I thought it was DB and Moses but that times gone.
Katoa would be more chance of heading back to Panthers if the golden boy decides to move on for a new challenge.
The playing roster has been gutted. This is the result. The R&R committee couldn't sign a player if he turned up on their doorstep with a contract and a pen in hand. I've been saying for years that you can't run R&R like an accounting firm. You need NRL recruitment experience and an ability to sign the talent you need. You don't need an MBA and an extensive background in auditing and finance.
This club gets so much right off the field. It is an extremely well run organisation. But R&R is inept and until they fix it and get the right people in place this team is going nowhere fast. As fans we deserve better than this. And our long term players deserve better than what R&R have dished up.
I feel for Jnr Paulo. At this stage of his career he should be coming off the bench and playing his part to support the younger guys. But instead he's expected to play 60 minutes for 27 rounds whilst the club puts back rowers next to him and sign JDB ffs. Putrid.
R and R has been inept not just this year but for years I'm still spewing that DB isn't with us spewing and we still haven't replaced him.
Lomax but in saying the same Simonssons giving it a red hot crack and is going well but you can't hope to improve if you lose talent like that and replace it with lesser talent I don't know why anyone was thinking we'd improve it's just not happening.
150 points in 4 games 150 those last 5 games last year look like an oasis in the desert a false hood.
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