Panthers prove too strong for Tigers in Bathurst
67 mins ago | Robert Crosby
The Panthers are certainly the flavour of the month out West and they
will be looking to milk the good publicity they are receiving in order
to cure the hungry thirsty desires of the team in 2012. Was that enough
OAK puns? Well Cudo for that...ok that's enough...down to the real
outlook.
The 2011 season was a frustrating one for Panthers players and fans
alike with the play on the field resulting in a number of movements off
the field. The 2011 season saw some dramatic events occur at the foot of
the mountains with the sacking of head coach Matthew Elliot, the loss
of the clubs major sponsor Sanyo, the club captain leaving the team
along with sweeping changes to the front office including the release of
CEO Michael Leary. Despite these pains, the door of anticipation still
remains ajar for the 2012 season.
The Panthers enter the 2012 with a significant amount of positive
momentum for the first time in a long time. A new coach with a new
regime and training staff, a new and exciting sponsorship arrangement, a
vibrant front office with a brilliant social media plan to boulster fan
support along with an influx of youth and experience into the full time
squad have Panthers fans excited for the future.
The most exciting development at the Panthers is that new head coach
Ivan Cleary and General Manager Phil Gould have stated that their focus
will be on developing the large junior base at Penrith and provide a
pipeline to First Grade for Panthers juniors. This formula is what has
brought the Panthers success in the past and will be relied upon to
restore this club to glory moving forward.
This push for youth started in late 2011 when Panthers fans caught a
glimpse of the stars of tomorrow with the debuts of young guns Blake
Austin and Harry Seijka. These two young stars along with a plethora of
junior talent progressing through the grades at the Panthers will go a
long way to ensuring a re-structuring year of 2012 will establish the
platform for prolonged success in 2013 and beyond.
Areas of strength:
Competition - While the Panthers suffered significant turnover to
the playing roster at the end of 2011, a number of experienced players
have been brought in to compete for playing spots. The biggest
competition is for the fullback position with stars Lachlan Coote and
Michael Gordon both healthy and vying for the custodian position.
Competition breeds success and in each year the Panthers were
successful, the lower grade competitions were thriving and putting
pressure on the NRL roster to maintain excellence.
Focus on balance - In 2010 the Panthers were criticised for being
too reliant on the kicking game to be successful. In 2011 the attacking
game plan stalled along with the success of the kicking game which
resulted in the pushing of offloads and errors as a result. In 2012, the
Panthers will endeavour to play a balanced brand of football harnessing
the ability of their skill position players such as Michael Jennings
and new Panthers captain Luke Lewis.
Infusion of youth - Along with the recruitment of experience, the
Panthers are infusing the best of their NYC team showing that spots are
up for grabs. The Panthers will be hoping young guns like Andrew
Pelasio, Matthew Moylan, Vaipuna Tia-Kilifi, Evrett Vaurasi, Harry
Seijka, Tony Satini and Blake Austin can continue to develop and
contribute to the Panthers in the 2012 season.
Areas of development:
Explosive Backrow play - In consecutive years the Panthers have
lost playmakers Frank Pritchard and Trent Waterhouse. These two players
combined for a plethora of offloads and line breaks at the fringe of the
field for many years at the Panthers. With the recruitment of Clint
Newton the Panthers feel they have one side secured but the Panthers
will require a second fringe impact player to take the pressure of their
game breakers in Michael Jennings, Lachlan Coote and Michael Gordon
Discipline and errors- For the last three years the Panthers have
either been on the end of a poor error count or lopsided penalty
counts. With a new coaching regime in focussing on discipline, these
issues are surely being addressed in pre-season. Ultimately, the players
must respond to the coach's message and the Panthers cannot afford to
give up easy field position as often as they did in 2011
Player to watch: Michael Jennings
In his own words Jennings' 2011 season was sub-par for a player of his
standard. Amongst a myriad of off-field problems and inconsistent play
on the field, the superstar centre suffered greatly in 2011. Early in
2012, Jennings is saying all the right things and appears to once again
be the focussed superstar that Panthers fans know and love. 2012 is a
year of redemption for Jennings so watch for the trademark explosion and
speed which made him such a strike weapon in 2010.
Rookie to Watch: Andrew Pelasio
Standing at 190cm and weighing 102kg, the Junior Kiwi's winger will be
looking to capitalise on a fantastic 2011 NYC campaign. Pelasio
consistently showed his athleticism, strength and big play ability
throughout the 2011 season, but played a significant role in the
Panthers resurgence mid-season scoring eight of his twelve tries this
season in the last six weeks of the season. Pelasio's ability to shed
tackles and finish at the goal line will see him put significant
pressure on Ivan Cleary for an opportunity this season.
Gains & Losses:
Gains - Clint Newton (ESL), Cameron Ciraldo (Newcastle Knights),
Danny Galea (Canberra Raiders), Geoff Daniella (Wests Tigers), Junior
Tia-Kilifi (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Chris Armit (Bulldogs), Ryan
Simpkins (QRL)
Losses - Petero Civoniceva (Brisbane Broncos), Matthew Bell
(Wests Tigers), Shane Elford (Retirement), Joseph Paulo (Eels), Adrian
Purtell (ESL), Timana Tahu (Newcastle Knights), Trent Waterhouse (ESL),
Daine Laurie (Knights)
Best Line-Up:
1. Lachlan Coote, 2. Michael Gordon, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Brad Tighe,
5. Sandor Earl, 6. Travis Burns, 7. Luke Walsh, 8. Tim Grant, 9. Kevin
Kingston, 10. Sam McKendry, 11. Nathan Smith, 12. Clint Newton, 13. Luke
Lewis
RES: 14. Nafe Seluini, 15. Dayne Weston, 16. Chris Armit, 17. Blake Austin