Round 6: Brisbane v Penrith preview
A mismatch of epic proportions looms this weekend as the lowly Broncos face the high-flying Panthers.
After last week's 35-6 defeat to the Rabbitohs, Kevin Walters made quite the statement amid growing criticism of five-eighth Anthony Milford.
"I thought he had probably his best game of the year tonight," Walters said of Milford at his post-match press conference.
"I thought defensively he was much better, very aggressive with his tackling and yeah, I liked what I saw tonight from Milf."
Either Walters suddenly changed his tune on reflection or even Milford's ‘best' was not good enough, with the playmaker dumped to the Intrust Super Cup this week.
It says quite a bit about the state of affairs at Red Hill right now, with the club's future vision unclear as a number of key players come off-contract with rivals circling.
Milford was not the only casualty with Tesi Niu also dropped.
Matt Lodge was frank in telling the media on Monday that he appreciated Walters finally taking a "ruthless" approach but unfortunately, save a miracle, the Broncos are expected to be on the wrong end of another thumping this week.
The Panthers are still without Dylan Edwards and Apisai Koroisau but you can barely tell, with Ivan Cleary's men undefeated after a classy 30-10 win over the Raiders last week.
Jarome Luai outshone halves partner Nathan Cleary in that performance, further proving that while the halfback may be the main man he is far from the only game-breaker in this Penrith unit.
Brian To'o once again topped the 200-metre mark and is quickly establishing himself as one of the best wingers in the competition while Spencer Leniu was devastating off the bench.
As expected, Cleary has named an unchanged line-up this week.
Last meeting: Round 17 2020 - Broncos 12 Panthers 25
Who to watch: If the Broncos are any hope of even getting close to Penrith, they need Brodie Croft to lift. With Milford dumped and Tom Dearden in, it will be on Croft to lead the way as the more experienced playmaker. He has failed to live up to expectations since moving to Brisbane and has even been moved to the bench at times in a bid to spark a form reversal. The confusing messaging from Walters is not helping. Brisbane's last-tackle options left a lot to be desired last week and a similar effort on Thursday will render them unable to build any pressure.
Nathan Cleary, on the other hand, is an example of what Croft can be if he has a clear understanding of his identity and role within the squad. Croft may not have Cleary's varied skillset but the Panthers halfback excels at reading the game. He understands when a long clearing kick is needed to turn momentum or when using his running game to take the line on is the better option. Cleary also is not the type to hog the spotlight, taking a backwards step or simplifying his game if Luai is in a mood like he was against Canberra last week.
The favourite: Penrith are overwhelming favourites.
My tip: On paper this should not be close. A short turnaround and travel time may see the Panthers start slow but they should kick on for a comfortable victory as the game drags on. Penrith by 16.
