POST GAME 2023 NRL Grand Final - Penrith vs Brisbane

[Wolfie]

I watched Ivan's presser late last night and it instantly made me feel alot better about the game.
We gave them the fight they haven't had for a long time.
Any other team and Penrith put 40+ on, they were 1 error away from being perfect all night and they had to be perfect to beat us, we didn't need to be perfect to beat them.
We seen how this team came back after 2022s disappointed, we have the team to win it next year the boys will learn some lessons and get better no doubt.
Penrith know just how good we are, as Ivan said it's going to be scary what this team will do in the next few years.

I keep saying it, but that first 15-20 mins with those 5 or 6 errors really took a lot of gas out of us against a top tier side. It was very impressive we managed to get back into the game and actually take control in the second half. If we were smart enough to not look for the big play so often i think we would held out. We gifted them momentum and they never looked back.

 

[JayPee]

Anybody think Reynolds sub par game come down to himself being gassed? I know some are saying he looked and sounded nervous but jesus how many times did Fisher Harris and Sorenson pick him out and run straight at him. Targeted him all night. I can't remember Fisher Harris running so wide all the time. It was a great tactic. Made the most tackles by a half by far.

 

[Super Freak]

If everything goes well in the pre-season and we have some luck with injuries, we're arguably going to have a better team next year.

One of the worries is that a few of the other teams that didn't perform as well this year will likely go up a gear.

In 2016 it was the Sharks and Melbourne.

 

[Sproj]

If everything goes well in the pre-season and we have some luck with injuries, we're arguably going to have a better team next year.

One of the worries is that a few of the other teams that didn't perform as well this year will likely go up a gear.

In 2016 it was the Sharks and Melbourne.

But is that gear as good as we can go up?

The issue in 2016 was that we blew up late in the season to an extent and then that was it because we had so many players coming to their end and Milford went downhill badly.

This feels different because we have so many gun youngsters who aren't at their best yet and despite that, as others have mentioned, 15 minutes of us at our best just blew the best team of the NRL era away. Unfortunately, we couldn't maintain it. If we can learn to get our base level up say 10%, even other teams' improvement isn't going to matter.

 

[Fitzy]

If everything goes well in the pre-season and we have some luck with injuries, we're arguably going to have a better team next year.

One of the worries is that a few of the other teams that didn't perform as well this year will likely go up a gear.

In 2016 it was the Sharks and Melbourne.

Thats a lot of gears needed to climb a new year is a new year but if you are a betting man Penrith and Broncos will be the benchmark next year again.

 

[Johnny92]

He looked lost in the stadium, I think I heard he’d never played there before so I guess that makes sense.

I think the occasion really got to him this week, he was the talk of throughout the media all week

Anybody think Reynolds sub par game come down to himself being gassed? I know some are saying he looked and sounded nervous but jesus how many times did Fisher Harris and Sorenson pick him out and run straight at him. Targeted him all night. I can't remember Fisher Harris running so wide all the time. It was a great tactic. Made the most tackles by a half by far.

I noticed that aswell Fisher Harris was running at Reynolds all night.
I also think he was more injured then what he made out to be after that tackle where he was hurting. Walking In the airport today he was really struggling.

 

[ningnangnong]

Today doesn't feel any better to be honest. Last night has really knocked me for six.

It's still too raw for me to say whether I find it worse than 2015 or not. At the moment, it feels worse. 2015 was always a close match, but last night we built a very solid lead, and a very small part of me began to think maybe we can do this.

As soon as we had that set down Penrith's end with the loose offload to no one, I felt the dread set in. The boys didn't learn from last week, and this time the team they were playing were good enough to capitalise on the opportunity. I was down the end Penrith scored all their tries in the second half, and on the same side where Cleary ran in for the winner. You feel sick sitting there, completely hopeless watching it all unfold in front of you. When they got that first try after our little period of dominance, it almost felt like a foregone conclusion that they'd reel us in and win.

I've never felt so low at a footy match before. Against the Cowboys in 2015, it was more like boom, boom, you're done, you lose. Last night was just slow torture. Argh, I just feel so shit about it.

I guess though, it's important to remember that experiencing the lows like this, is what makes the highs so incredible.

 

[Foordy]

Anybody think Reynolds sub par game come down to himself being gassed? I know some are saying he looked and sounded nervous but jesus how many times did Fisher Harris and Sorenson pick him out and run straight at him. Targeted him all night. I can't remember Fisher Harris running so wide all the time. It was a great tactic. Made the most tackles by a half by far.

He also got injured pretty early

 

[BroncsFan]

So, all the winners across the 3 different competitions are all NSW based clubs. Shiiiiiiiiiiit!

"neutral venue"... so must be a coincidence more than anything

 

[Fozz]

I bagged out Accor before the game and said it wasn't as good as Suncorp. I was right but the atmosphere was still fantastic in the supporters bay. Great experience right up until that last try.

 

[Bronx48]

I think the occasion really got to him this week, he was the talk of throughout the media all week

I noticed that aswell Fisher Harris was running at Reynolds all night.
I also think he was more injured then what he made out to be after that tackle where he was hurting. Walking In the airport today he was really struggling.

His injury actually looked pretty bad, I was surprised to see him continue to play. Being at the game it honestly felt like it was 45 degrees. Lol Penrith were running circles around them so it didn’t surprise me how gassed they were.

 

[Big Pete]

You guys made an awesome crowd by the by. It sounded like Suncorp during an Origin game when the Broncos got their tails up. I'd like to think you guys helped carry them during that period before the fatigue, heat and pressure eventually got to them.

 

[Fitzy]

I guess though, it's important to remember that experiencing the lows like this, is what makes the highs so incredible.

Abso-fucking-lutely. We have had enough shit over the last 17 years that will make our next premiership victory whenever it is all the more sweet and special.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

I keep saying it, but that first 15-20 mins with those 5 or 6 errors really took a lot of gas out of us against a top tier side. It was very impressive we managed to get back into the game and actually take control in the second half. If we were smart enough to not look for the big play so often i think we would held out. We gifted them momentum and they never looked back.

I said to my mate at the time when we had completed 5 out of 11 or something, “That’s going to cost us later.”

 

[Dexter]

The lack of big game experience with Walsh certainly hurt him last night.

He'll learn from it. He's one player that I'm not worried about. Last night won't break him.

Geez I dont know if it was lack of big game experience . He's been a worry right through the season with his high risk high error plays.
The annoying thing is he just doesn't have to do it. He has such elite speed that's enough for now and not much if his many good moments has come from a high risk play when it does work.
His game awareness hasn't improved much if any during the year.
The kicks going dead, the impossible passes, the quick ptball gone wrong, not staying down when close to the line.
He will get there but atm it seems he is one of those guys who learns from fucking it up not from listening because I am sure KW and co would have been in his ear about picking his moments.

 

[BroncsFan]

It's a 12 hour flight each way, and they will be on board a chartered United flight where they'll be sitting up front.

The travel from LA to Vegas is not worth talking about it's so short.

Unlikely they will be hitting regular airport terminals, and crowds.

If they schedule is to play a bottom feeder in round 2, it'll be fine.

So they'll line us up to play penrith in penrith then

 

[Fitzy]

Geez I dont know if it was lack of big game experience . He's been a worry right through the season with his high risk high error plays.
The annoying thing is he just doesn't have to do it. He has such elite speed that's enough for now and not much if his many good moments has come from a high risk play when it does work.
His game awareness hasn't improved much if any during the year.
The kicks going dead, the impossible passes, the quick ptball gone wrong, not staying down when close to the line.
He will get there but atm it seems he is one of those guys who learns from fucking it up not from listening because I am sure KW and co would have been in his ear about picking his moments.

He wanted to be the superstar of the show last night to much and reality is he wasn’t. He had a few good runs but was abysmal in defence. It was an area I thought he rarely had an error in this season was being out of position but that’s what hurt us most and it happened a number of times in key moments. Nothing we, him or anyone can do about it but when that chance comes again which it will you have to learn from it. He has been great this year and part of his youthful exuberance you can accept the errors but there isn’t anything in the game he hasn’t experienced now, he is a top player and about to be paid like one he has to cut the shit out from now forwards.

 

[BroncsFan]

This is a set play, someone wasn't in position. Who fucked up?

I'm guessing Walsh, he missed his assignment a number of times last night.

I'd say either Walsh or Ezra... but Ezra went pretty hard into the back field looking for the penrith bat back, so that's probably his role on the play... so I'd say that it was meant to be Walsh.

Seems odd that he was just standing under the sticks. Surely he's needed over on that side no matter what, and he surely knows that's where Reyno is kicking it, because he always kicks to a contest to that side of the field.

If he's the bat back target then he should be there... if we win the ball then he's needed at the dummy half for next yardage pass, if we win the ball and an offload is on the cards, he's needed as a support player... and if penrith win it then he's need on that side because that's where their next ptb would be starting from.