Our loss last week was bad but looking at this panthers team and how ahead of the cmp they are its hard not to
1. Be impressed
2. Concerned
The way they keep on getting better is scary they used to be our little neighbours now they are the biggest club and we don't rate a mention we have tried to copy the development pathways they have we are still a fair bit away to finding out if we have got it right.
We are not alone i don't think any club is aswell drilled and organised as Penrith not just the juniors into stars but making other players look better as soon as they join them.
This year's comp is Penrith to loose.
Realistically does anyone see us getting close to that level on and off the field anytime soon?
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Anyone would agree they are light years in front of the competition. But there is a consolation in, it looks like, every other team will suffer large like we have.
I don't need us to make the GF (though that would be great) but suddenly our form last game becomes understandable. Maybe now more could give us a sporting chance to make the finals
I watched the match last night. The Storm are reknowned as being one of the hardest training and fittest in the comp due to Bellamy's notorious pre-seasons. Yet last night, these guys looked gassed with hands on hips, and Penrith looking as they were just out for a training run. They didn't even look like they were gasping for air at any stage, even after a length of the field try.
They've lapped both of last years Grand Finalists and putting 50 on all comers. When you are that far ahead of everyone else in any sport, it doesn't smell quite right to me. Every one of their players is making post contact metres that Taumololo would be proud of. Whatever it is Penrith are doing, it doesn't pass the pub test for me. Look at Lance Armstrong, everyone thought he was exceptional, till he wasn't. Flo Jo is another.
Yep something doesn't smell right! It's like they were super hyped! Doesn't add up! Maybe it's some type of herbal supplement who knows but it's definitely very odd! We need a Toovey Investigation into this
I would love to Penrith GPS stats vs other teams. They seem to maintain line speed all game where other teams have to pick and choose as you can not physically maintain top level line speed pressure all game but Penrith do. It also doesn't affect their ability to attack, as you said post contact metres are through the roof.
Some of that is through tactics such as giving away 6 agains early in the tackle count to get a set defensive line. They gave 18 from 22 of their 6 agains on tackle 1or 2 after a few rounds which was well above any other team where 6 agains usually occur mid to late in tackle count but even that doesn't account for the level of intensity they maintain set after set.
Should be
Set Restarts / Sus Penaties - First
Penrith - Recipients - 2nd
Everyone Else
It's a long season keeping this up all year will be a tough ask other teams will hit form and make runs towards the end of the season and the riff may well lose form who knows can't see them doing this for a full season
Early days and I guess anything can happen but right now if it were a fight it's a KO in the first round.
Be interesting to see if teams like Brisbane Melbourne and Souths how much they can improve.
Last night Penrith had 55% possession and Melbourne completed at 94%. I don't think I have ever seen that. Penrith never seem to get major injuries.
How do Penrith maintain line speed, pressure and intensity for so long each game. Sports science is always developing and I believe they have found a loophole. Every club works hard and have the toughest preseason ever so I don't believe 1 team has a major fitness edge over every club to level we are seeing. Testing is useless and new ways to find advantages are being found everyday. Not saying they are cheating but they found an advantage. I also believe they have an incredible sports psychologist helping them stay focused under pressure and fatigue.
This isn't to downplay the coaching, the systems and the players Penrith have. There was a study showing teams with familiarity and continuation with core group of players perform better than other teams even if they have more stars. The team who are familiar with each other better success. This was regardless sport or age group. Penrith have a core group who have combinations from childhood or mid teenage years. Even young players coming through now usually have combinations with a few other players already as they add new juniors each year. Melbourne has done this successfully for years for sustained success.
I am also not dismissing the advantages being a top teams with golden boy players does to referee decisions. I don't think it's purposely cheating by the ref but there is more pressure to ensure a top teams win. It's easy to say a poor ref decision didn't affect the result of a team would have won anyway but after an upset on a controversial call that cost a tean a top 4 or top 8 spot, the media attacks and loss of money would bring plenty of scrutiny in the referee who made the call.
There is an unconscious bias of how a poor performing team should perform against a top 4 team. The ref will pick up any small mistake or 50/50 from poor sides, while if Penrith are expected to execute big plays, so less likely to be called back even if there is an error.
Classic example Fox being offside for intercept try last week. Bunker can't rule on offside so that is ref decision but rewinding and pausing the TV it was line ball. Would he call a line ball decision like that it if it was Penrith?
Another game a team scored but ref pulled it up for incorrect play the ball. The try was scored against top side so ref found something wrong despite missing all the other times it happened that game. Would the ref call it back if Penrith played it incorrectly, no because they accept Penrith play better and faster then other teams so see nothing wrong.
Titans had half a chance against Broncos but a flat pass called forward denying titans chance to even it up before half time. Broncos ran away with it so it wasn't talked about after the match as much, but if teams were reversed and broncos were disallowed and titans wintthere woutbe massive scrutiny this week about costing the broncos the game.