POST GAME 2023 NRL Grand Final - Penrith vs Brisbane

[Mick_Hancock]

For the record, I don’t like the bloke, but Michael Ennis nailed it in this Fox Article… This, this is when we lost the GF!



“Michael Ennis believes a moment of desperation from Stephen Crichton swumg the match back in the Panthers favour.

With the Panthers down 24-8 at th ehour mark and the Broncos hot on attack, a loose ball hit the deck and with multiple Broncos players in the area, Crichton came from nowhere to dive on the ball.

He then offloaded to Moses Leota and the Panthers went right up the other end of the field in a huge shift of momentum.

If the Broncos scored then it was game over, but Crichton’s desperate play got his side back in the contest and Nathan Cleary did the rest.

“It was that moment of desperation when Brisbane were right on top and Stephen Crichton dives on that loose ball,” Ennis said.

“Then Leota got the ball and went down field and that momentum started to swing back because it was all Brisbane.


“That was a moment where anyone could have dived on that loose ball, but Stephen Crichton who has had some massive moments at Origin and in particular in grand finals.

“He found a way to pick up that footy and that was a huge turning point in the game it really was.”

It might not have been his intercept to win the match against the Rabbitohs in 2021, but it was just as pivotal to the result as the Panthers won their third straight title against all odds.

 

[_wwong]

For the record, I don’t like the bloke, but Michael Ennis nailed it in this Fox Article… This, this is when we lost the GF!



“Michael Ennis believes a moment of desperation from Stephen Crichton swumg the match back in the Panthers favour.

With the Panthers down 24-8 at th ehour mark and the Broncos hot on attack, a loose ball hit the deck and with multiple Broncos players in the area, Crichton came from nowhere to dive on the ball.

He then offloaded to Moses Leota and the Panthers went right up the other end of the field in a huge shift of momentum.

If the Broncos scored then it was game over, but Crichton’s desperate play got his side back in the contest and Nathan Cleary did the rest.

“It was that moment of desperation when Brisbane were right on top and Stephen Crichton dives on that loose ball,” Ennis said.

“Then Leota got the ball and went down field and that momentum started to swing back because it was all Brisbane.


“That was a moment where anyone could have dived on that loose ball, but Stephen Crichton who has had some massive moments at Origin and in particular in grand finals.

“He found a way to pick up that footy and that was a huge turning point in the game it really was.”

It might not have been his intercept to win the match against the Rabbitohs in 2021, but it was just as pivotal to the result as the Panthers won their third straight title against all odds.

We were set so deep for the next play. Offload just wasn’t on.

 

[Allo]

Yeah but we also should have recognized that Gee had put the whistle away and returned serve by doing the same. Even if it was just a leg pull to stop them getting a quick PTB.

We weren't willing to get dirty and we paid a price for it.

You know he would’ve magically found the whistle he swallowed at kickoff if we had though

 

[Harry Sack]

I'm doing ok tbh. I've been completely avoiding shows like 360 though because I knew exactly what I'd hear. Smashed a couple of sessions at the gym to clear the head etc. I'm still annoyed, but more that it's so fucking long until the season starts again. **** I wish I could get into the NFL.

 

[subsbligh]

Forget all the other stats - if we make It to the GF next year and concede 11 errors to 1 with bugger all possession in the first half we’ll lose again. That stat is overwhelming and it’s a credit to the Bronc’s defence we miraculously held them to 8-6 at half time. Poor game management and being gassed from the first half effort lost us what should have been an unlosable game mid way through the second half.

Lessons from this game will serve our young team well in the future. If we’d have snuck home with a win despite our poor discipline we would have learnt nothing and would probably pay the price in another big game sometime in the future. Harsh lesson to lose such a close GF but it will set us up for future success unless of course we struggle to replace our aging but very good halfback which will reduce our premiership window.

All things considered it’s been a fabulous year for our team but we can and will get better. Penrith were clearly the best team this year but we’re coming to get ‘em in 2024.

Yep the score line was irrelevant - the Panthers were always going to get a chance to return serve and the Broncos fatigue couldn’t repel.

 

[Fatboy]

Have been watching the highlights replay of Mam’s 3 tries. Feel for the guy…
Still worth watching.

 

[Super Freak]

Yep the score line was irrelevant - the Panthers were always going to get a chance to return serve and the Broncos fatigue couldn’t repel.

The Panthers got a chance to return serve because we let them. We took the foot off the throat and tried to defend our lead.

When Cleary went for that captains challenge, that was a clear sign he and the Panthers were rattled. He went for a desperate challenge and even when it came back unsuccessful you could tell by the look on his face he knew it would. They had no answer for our uptempo style of play.

We should have kept the foot on the throat. If we just kept going for 5 more minutes, it’s game over. We had the energy to do so

 

[Big Pete]

The Panthers got a chance to return serve because we let them. We took the foot off the throat and tried to defend our lead.

When Cleary went for that captains challenge, that was a clear sign he and the Panthers were rattled. He went for a desperate challenge and even when it came back unsuccessful you could tell by the look on his face he knew it would. They had no answer for our uptempo style of play.

We should have kept the foot on the throat. If we just kept going for 5 more minutes, it’s game over. We had the energy to do so

The only opportunity they really had after the Herbie slip up was that set where Reynolds tried to subvert expectations and dump Piakura back on the inside.

 

[Dash]

It's nonsense that we played defensively, a la 2015. After the offload stuff-up (read: not playing defensively) we barely the ball for the rest of the game. It was almost an exact repeat of the first 20 minutes, except this time we had an hour more fatigue in the legs.

 

[Allo]

The only opportunity they really had after the Herbie slip up was that set where Reynolds tried to subvert expectations and dump Piakura back on the inside.

That play happened down my end and I couldn’t believe my eyes when they tried it. Panthers had players everywhere coz you know, it’s the middle of the fucking field

 

[Super Freak]

On another note.

We'll have to break a 35 year hoodoo to win this.

The curse of the English centres.

The curse continues.

 

[Johnny92]

Rewatched the final 15 mins and a couple of what ifs..

View attachment 24651

If only Walshy found a pass or kick to Ezra on this play like every other game this season, Ezra's in untouched for his 4th and we're holding up the trophy.
Ezra's screaming for it, pointing.
If Cobbo supports down his wing Reece also has another option.

View attachment 24652

This one if Cobbo was not so deep Walsh could of hit him with a hail mary to go a 1v1 with Edwards.
Cobbo and Staggs are sitting alot deeper because the play was planned for the tackle before.

View attachment 24655

The play before Carrigan juggles the ball and takes the hit up instead.
Cogger, Critchon and turuva vs Reynolds, Riki, Walsh, Staggs and Cobbo.
Cogger was already committed to Reynolds.
Walsh either gets between Turuva and Critchon or hits Cobbo with a cut out pass. Mam knows what's on and he's already pushing up in support centre field.
It's a identical play in the same spot of the field we used the week before against the Warriors and scored off that " forward" pass, only difference is the Warriors one Haas played the Carrigan first reciever role.

 

[Johnny92]

Rewatched the final 15 mins and a couple of what ifs..

View attachment 24651

If only Walshy found a pass or kick to Ezra on this play like every other game this season, Ezra's in untouched for his 4th and we're holding up the trophy.
Ezra's screaming for it, pointing.
If Cobbo supports down his wing Reece also has another option.

View attachment 24652

This one if Cobbo was not so deep Walsh could of hit him with a hail mary to go a 1v1 with Edwards.
Cobbo and Staggs are sitting alot deeper because the play was planned for the tackle before.

View attachment 24655

The play before Carrigan juggles the ball and takes the hit up instead.
Cogger, Critchon and turuva vs Reynolds, Riki, Walsh, Staggs and Cobbo.
Cogger was already committed to Reynolds.
Walsh either gets between Turuva and Critchon or hits Cobbo with a cut out pass. Mam knows what's on and he's already pushing up in support centre field.
It's a identical play in the same spot of the field we used the week before against the Warriors and scored off that " forward" pass, only difference is the Warriors one Haas played the Carrigan first reciever role.

Rewatched the final 15 mins and a couple of what ifs..

If only Walshy found a pass or kick to Ezra on this play like every other game this season, Ezra's in untouched for his 4th and we're holding up the trophy.
Ezra's screaming for it, pointing.
If Cobbo supports down his wing Reece also has another option.

This one if Cobbo was not so deep Walsh could of hit him with a hail mary to go a 1v1 with Edwards.
Cobbo and Staggs are sitting alot deeper because the play was planned for the tackle before.

The play before Carrigan juggles the ball and takes the hit up instead.
Cogger, Critchon and turuva vs Reynolds, Riki, Walsh, Staggs and Cobbo.
Cogger was already committed to Reynolds.
Walsh either gets between Turuva and Critchon or hits Cobbo with a cut out pass. Mam knows what's on and he's already pushing up in support centre field.
It's a identical play in the same spot of the field we used the week before against the Warriors and scored off that " forward" pass, only difference is the Warriors one Haas played the Carrigan first reciever role.

 

[Allo]

Gee being in the way probably made Reece not pass in that first one

Another thing to add to the list. Was it him or Atkins that stopped a try for us earlier this year also?

 

[1910]

It's nonsense that we played defensively, a la 2015. After the offload stuff-up (read: not playing defensively) we barely the ball for the rest of the game. It was almost an exact repeat of the first 20 minutes, except this time we had an hour more fatigue in the legs.

Yep! Completely different to 15. I think they couldn’t turn it off and the little ball they had it became touch football. They should have gone 15. Once the momentum shifted the mindset became just score once more.

 

[Super Freak]

On that play when Reyno played it safe by giving the short ball to Piakura, he had Walsh out the back with a **** ton of space and a 3-on-3 (which he could have turned into a 3-on-2 with his speed) and a defender that's notorious for going for the intercept which there was a very very good chance he would have at that time.

He throws a short ball because he went into protect mode. Before the GF he would have even put the ball into the in-goal

 

[broncos4life]

On that play when Reyno played it safe by giving the short ball to Piakura, he had Walsh out the back with a **** ton of space and a 3-on-3 (which he could have turned into a 3-on-2 with his speed) and a defender that's notorious for going for the intercept which there was a very very good chance he would have at that time.

He throws a short ball because he went into protect mode. Before the GF he would have even put the ball into the in-goal

And if we make that play and Crichton intercepts and runs the length we are all saying “FFS we are up by 3 tries play smart”.

For me the point is these guys have a split second to make decisions in the biggest game of their lives and sometimes you come up with the wrong ones, Cleary came up with the right ones this time.

Monday morning Quarterbacks are undefeated.

 

[ZTop]

The one that really annoyed me was with the 5 minutes on the clock and Reynolds kicked on the 4th tackle and it was a terrible kick