Game Day Blog R4 vs Panthers: Disrupt the Disruptors?

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: 14. Jack Cogger 15. Billy Phillips 16. Scott Sorensen 17. Luke Garner 18. Izack Tago 19. Freddy Lussick
Reseves: 20. Kalani Going 21. Jack Cole 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)
Reserves: 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)

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

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.

"Which brings us to
Mental health can u handle the pezzit situation he's had a couple of very good games if u include trial.but yeah he's could be a flat track playeer .
If he can't tackle get ride of him"

"That's rubbish, TDS had a good 20 minutes against a tired side......he showed nothing of a comparative nature in the Melb and Broncs games, where as Smith was tackling forwards twice his size.....he did have an inexplicable miss in Saints first try…"

"I think Daz's point is relevant to Coryn's example....but it then becomes semantic i.e. speed kills, it also wins football games and not all players are blessed with it....there does none the less need to be some compensationary issues.
Interesting…"

Replies

Clintorian March 27, 2026 at 1:37pm

I just hope we put up a good fight and start a little better than we have the last 3 weeks. I don't expect us to beat a nuclear Panthers team, especially since they have flogged teams with far better premiership credentials than us. But, let's hope the team puts in a good performace and our defence stands up.
Parra_Greg March 27, 2026 at 2:18pm

So long as we dont have Graeme Atkins Son we might have a chance...The reffing to start the year has been diabolical.

Im no Manly fan but the reffing last night was bordering on cheating and of course the roosters benefited. The strip, penalty tries of forward passes the six agains ffs

This reply was deleted.

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