How costly was the decision to play Dean Whare?
I feel sorry for the Penrith players. They really put into tonight, outdid the Bulldogs at their own game and looked set for an unlikely victory until it all came crashing down on them. Losing Whare late in the game caused a reshuffle and gave the Dogs an easy target which they were able to capitilise on.
The Dogs will be happy because they got away with one they didn't deserve to win. Those wins are like gold and will go a long way by the end of the season. Got to give another rap to Moses Mbye, he's been a stand-out these past two weeks and Will Hopoate's work at the back has improved tenfold under Des. The loss of Tolman really rocked them tonight and I thought they really missed having Lichaa out there which may say something about Garvey and his game.
In general, I tend to agree that it wasn't much of a footy game. It was more or less a contest between the two packs, where I thought the Panthers stood up beautifully. Campbell-Gillard turned around a poor week and was a big presence in the middle, Matagi added some punch off the bench and Trent Merrin has given the Panthers an extra dimension in attack. Unfortunately all their hard work was let down by the creative players who didn't provide their players with the guidance they needed.
I reckon most punters would want to see Te Maire Martin thrown in but I still think he's really raw at this stage and think he should be given a few more weeks in NSW Cup before changing the guard. Instead, I'd be keen to see how they fair with Moylan in the side. No doubt Penrith are missing him and he'd just provide them with that extra pass they desperately need.
Wallace may have extended his career with his dummy half performance tonight.