OPINION Which player from our main player squad are you looking for improvement most in 2025?

[Big Pete]

On the sharks I wonder what the hell happened to their attack in recent years.

Was it 2022 or 2023 where they had that sweeping play where the centre, winger and fullback were lined up so far in field and would fan out and just rip edge defence's apart... no one could stop it... now their attack looks impotent.

Kennedy appears to have regressed a fair bit, but I don't know if that's what has led to their attacking downfall or if Fitzgibbon has gone in a different direction with his attack.

I'd put it down to Brailey and Trindall playing a bigger role. They're still scoring the same number of tries and both Katoa and Mulitalo are right up there. However Trindall is an option himself while Brailey is pretty effective at getting his forwards into try scoring situations.

That combined with teams wising up to Hynes and his lateral shift has seem that stall somewhat in that department.

 

[kman]

There's a few players in our current system and newer stricker coacjed we have. I'm really looking forward to seeing. Cobbo, Mariner, Mozer and Piakura. They are the players that need to life up to get our next premiership.

 

[Old Mate]

Was reading some shit on Facebook about Walsh being one of the least fit blokes in the side. Not real good.

 

[theshed]

I think it's more than money, I was thinking more when to move guys on when to keep and contract length of management.

I think money wise most clubs do pretty well, everyone knows what someone is worth.

Can you please provide some examples of who think this applies to?

 

[Sproj]

I’d really love to see one of the young backs knock the door down in preseason. Challenge the likely centre-wing combo of Arthars, Cobbo, Staggs and Mariner.

Would also love to see someone random suddenly become a viable second row option. If those two things happen, I reckon we become contenders because right now our second-row, centres and wings have no competition for spots and it showed this season just gone.

 

[1910]

20-30 is the key here.

The second could have been a disaster but when you have Brian To'o and Jarome Luai coming through getting rid of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and James Maloney isn't a huge call. I'm pretty sure Campbell-Gillard was the only player they didn't have a direct replacement for and they had enough players emerging.

The Broncos need to sort out step one before they worry about step two.

It was bold because they came 12th and then went in with less of a cap, if a player they could have bought became available and they couldn't get him because a million dollars is just pissed away and they come 12th again, that is pretty significant.

They knew exactly the player they wanted and needed and with that clear picture wasn't going to have anyone there that didn't fit that picture and that's only one year into Cleary's return too.

That clarity around what type of player you want is important then you can get your top 30 right and places 20-30 and let the players go that you need to.

 

[1910]

Can you please provide some examples of who think this applies to?

Paix and Madden are obvious, Too many players they are hoping someone else takes. That's two spots you can't fill with players you want.

I feel like it got right for a while, went through the TPJ and Lodge pain but now back there again carrying players you don't want.

 

[Gaz]

Was reading some shit on Facebook about Walsh being one of the least fit blokes in the side. Not real good.

Appears they had a fitness test with Riki, Walters and Madden finishing up the front with Cobbo and Walsh towards the back end.
No not real good although maybe not as important in the scheme of things as the media making out.

 

[mitch222]

They also had Burton coming through at the same time as Luai... so moving Maloney becomes an even easier decision.

I think one of the biggest things for panthers was Yeo changing from an OK second rower into a workhorse 80min ball playing lock.... like where the **** did that transformation come from.

He's basically a halfback in the forwards... was he that skilled coming through or has Ivan somehow extracted it out of him??

Isaah has always had natural football ability. Its in his blood. His dad could have played 200+ first grade games in Sydney if he stayed down there but chose to come back home instead.

 

[Morkel]

Appears they had a fitness test with Riki, Walters and Madden finishing up the front with Cobbo and Walsh towards the back end.
No not real good although maybe not as important in the scheme of things as the media making out.

The explosive, faster guys are never going to win fitness tests. Their whole regime is based on shorter bursts of power.

 

[Bucking Beads]

The explosive, faster guys are never going to win fitness tests. Their whole regime is based on shorter bursts of power.

Walsh is fullback so needs to be one of the fittest in the side. I hope he can bring elite fitness into the season

 

[Foordy]

Was reading some shit on Facebook about Walsh being one of the least fit blokes in the side. Not real good.

If you read it on Facebook ... Then that means that in reality, Walsh is likely one of the fittest players in our squad.

Facebook comments are rarely if ever even close to reality

 

[Foordy]

Paix and Madden are obvious, Too many players they are hoping someone else takes. That's two spots you can't fill with players you want.

I feel like it got right for a while, went through the TPJ and Lodge pain but now back there again carrying players you don't want.

I'll give you Paix, but Madden was clearly their Reynolds succession plan. (At least as a stop gap until Black is ready to take over). That looks to have changed now given Hunt's signing and Madden performances replacing Reynolds this season.

The Panthers also wanted Madden is their back up half.

Remember Madden was signed prior to Hunt even coming on anyone's radar.

 

[Big Pete]

It was bold because they came 12th and then went in with less of a cap, if a player they could have bought became available and they couldn't get him because a million dollars is just pissed away and they come 12th again, that is pretty significant.

They knew exactly the player they wanted and needed and with that clear picture wasn't going to have anyone there that didn't fit that picture and that's only one year into Cleary's return too.

That clarity around what type of player you want is important then you can get your top 30 right and places 20-30 and let the players go that you need to.

I'm not as hung up about that 10th placed finish. It was largely off the back of a poor start where there was a lot of drama behind the scenes and a couple of key injuries. They went 2-8 before going 8-2. They would have been on their way to playing finals had Payne Haas not torn through their defence.

If you look at their previous results, it stands out as the anamoly.

Waqa Blake was the other player they released while he was injured and had Brent Naden step up in his absence.

 

[1910]

I'll give you Paix, but Madden was clearly their Reynolds succession plan. (At least as a stop gap until Black is ready to take over). That looks to have changed now given Hunt's signing and Madden performances replacing Reynolds this season.

The Panthers also wanted Madden is their back up half.

Remember Madden was signed prior to Hunt even coming on anyone's radar.

If you've made the call you don't want him/them, then action something. Carrying players for two years you don't want is exactly what I am talking about and exactly what Panthers didn't do when they decided change had to be made.

Like I said the price of that was million dollars, but they got it done.

 

[Foordy]

If you've made the call you don't want him/them, then action something. Carrying players for two years you don't want is exactly what I am talking about and exactly what Panthers didn't do when they decided change had to be made.

Like I said the price of that was million dollars, but they got it done.

Isn't that pretty much what the club has done with Madden though.

In the 2024 season he was our succession plan for Reynolds.

The club and new coach have decided he's no longer in our plans, and have tapped him on the shoulder, giving him permission to leave.

It's still a bit early to call if the situation like Madden is closer to the Paix situation (where we want him to leave but won't chip in any cash), or similarities to the Panthers strategy and take a hit to our cap.

 

[Sproj]

Also helps that Penrith is not far from about 10 other sides, a bit easier for a player to stay where they are and just move to another club.

 

[Renegade]

I went with Mariner, mainly because if Madge can't get a tune out of him maybe it's time to look elsewhere. At the moment he's fast and not much else, defensively he's dismal.

Riki and Piakura also need the riot act read to them.