Extra Time September 22

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Friday, September 22, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

PANTHER RUMBLINGS

with the Masked Panther

FINAL CHEERS » We tend to focus on player farewells

at this time of the season but a few other important departures from Panthers need to be noted. Three long-serving cheerleaders are moving on, hanging up their pom poms after years of passionate service to the Panthers. Brooke Bowne (who is doing great things in the marketing and corporate sponsorship world) is leaving the Pantherettes after seven years, while Nat Sinclair (who has started her career as a lawyer) departs after five seasons.

Danielle Maroun is also saying goodbye to the Panthers. Well done girls – and all the best for the future.

» Melbourne Storm halfback Cooper

Cronk was in Penrith last weekend. Don’t get too excited – he wasn’t taking in a guided Gus Gould tour of the Panthers Rugby League Academy or looking at local real estate options, rather he was with partner Tara Rushton watching the Matildas take on Brazil at Pepper Stadium.

» Spotted: Phil Gould, Anthony Grif-

fin and recruitment manager Jim Jones watching the Panthers do battle with the Bulldogs in the ISP NSW Preliminary Final at Leichhardt Oval last Sunday.

» The latest speculation in the Matt Moy-

lan drama has him linked with the Manly Sea Eagles, who may join the hunt for the star five-eighth if Blake Green heads across the Tasman to join the Warriors.

The Moylan story is far from over, but he was certainly in high spirits when he joined team mates for a few drinks at Panthers Leagues Club last Saturday night.

» It was an awful end to the season for

Panthers five-eighth Tyrone May, who suffered an ACL injury in the loss to Brisbane and faces a long off-season of recovery. He’s surely in doubt for the opening rounds of the 2018 season, putting question marks over Penrith’s halves combination if Matt Moylan does indeed move on.

» Some fans won’t travel from Penrith

to Allianz Stadium to watch a game of footy but what about the dedication of well known Panthers fan Ed Kolen. Ed walks three hours each way to find a TV to watch the Panthers play over in Papua New Guinea. He’s become a familiar site walking those dirt roads in his Panthers jersey.

» Despite guiding his side to the ISP

Grand Final this Sunday, Penrith reserve grade half and captain Darren Nicholls is still unsigned for next season. The 28-year-old said he’s hopeful of remaining with the club. “I’m looking to get my future sorted soon,” he told Extra Time.

“I’m not sure where I’ll be next year, hopefully it’s at Panthers again.”

» Is something going on at Fox League

in relation to Andrew Voss? In a bizarre move, Voss was sidelined last weekend to make way for Brenton Speed to call the Broncos v Panthers match, while Warren Smith called the Eels v Cowboys clash. Smith’s inclusion in the line-up is understandable but given Voss constantly rates just under Ray Warren as the fans’ preferred caller, it was a surprise to see him relegated to an appearance on the ‘Professor’s Second Year Syndrome’ last weekend. Hopefully Vossy is back in action this weekend.

» There’s still plenty of rumours sur-

rounding John Cartwright’s possible return to Penrith doing the rounds. The current Manly assistant has obvious ties with the Panthers, winning a premiership with the club in 1991. His son Jed currently plays for Penrith’s ISP NSW side and is on the verge of his first grade debut in 2018. If Cartwright does return to Penrith, it will most likely be in an Assistant role to Anthony Griffin, who is poised to have his contract extension confirmed in the coming weeks.

» By all reports it was a drama-free

celebration to wrap up the season from the players earlier this week. Just the way we like it!

Cheerleader Nat Sinclair in action

» That’s it from the Masked Panther in

2017. I’m happy to announce that after some tense and at times scary contract negotiations, I’ve signed a new two-year deal that will see me return to Extra Time

next season. I’ll certainly have my ear to the ground finding out the latest Panthers news and gossip in the off-season. You can always email me at maskedpanther@ westernweekender.com.au.

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A

nother NRL season is over for the Penrith Panthers and still – after 14 long years – there’s no Provan-Summons trophy or ticker tape parade down High Street in sight.

After what can only be described as a roller coaster year on and off the field, Penrith’s brave and at times turbulent 2017 campaign finished in disappointing circumstances at the hands of the Brisbane Broncos last Friday night.

In front of more than 38,000 fans inside The Cauldron, Penrith weren’t able to back up their outstanding Finals win from the previous week, going down to Wayne Bennett’s more experienced men 13-6.

Speaking to the media the following day, Panthers coach Anthony Griffin said Penrith well and truly had their chances to win but weren’t able to capitalise.

“We had a team out there that was capable of doing the job, it’s just when you’re playing semi final football – you get one or

two opportunities and that was the difference,” he said.

“Brisbane took their opportunities and they were clinical. We had a couple of opportunities but we weren’t the same with our execution.

“We are just a little new and raw in our execution at times. That will only get better as our key position players learn and get older.”

After a shocking 2-7 record to start to the year, just making the Finals in seventh spot was an achievement in itself. Griffin reflected on a season that Penrith went into as bookies’ favourites.

“Our whole season didn’t go the way we wanted at times. The hype, from my point of view, didn’t come from us – it was external,” he said.

“It was a really tough season, we had a lot of challenges thrown at us and, every time we did have a challenge, we came back harder from it. We will learn from that and be better next year.”

Despite a week two exit and another year’s wait for an elusive premiership, Griffin graded Penrith’s season as a pass.

“I thought it was really good [and while] I’d love to still be playing, I thought it was

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 22, 2017

FEATURE

Penrith players take last week’s defeat to the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium hard. Photo: NRL Photos a real brave year for us as a club. I thought we played tougher football this year against quality opposition,” he said.

“I thought last year, during our run to the Finals, we picked off a few sides that were never going to play Finals footy. This year we had to earn our spot.

“I thought it was a real build on what we did last year.”

One sour note to finish Penrith’s season was an ACL injury to rising young gun Tyrone May. The 21-year-old rookie five-eighth left the clash late in the first half, further hampering Penrith’s chances to win.

“You never like to see players getting injured especially young guys like him,” Griffin said.

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Friday, September 22, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

FEATURE

THE YEAR THAT WAS Troy Dodds looks back on a roller coaster season at the foot of the Mountains...

» MARCH: A SHOCK START The Panthers open their much anticipated 2017 campaign with a shock 42-10 loss to the Dragons at Kogarah Oval.

Penrith are totally outplayed, and finish the opening round of the competition in last place.

The rugby league world is rocked by front page headlines suggesting a woman was paid $50,000 to have an abortion after she fell pregnant to Panthers star Bryce Cartwright. The fallout is immense and rattles Penrith’s start to the season.

Phil Gould holds a long press conference, stressing the club had no knowledge of the payout.

In other on field action, the Panthers thrash the Tigers 36-2 at Campbelltown, go down to a controversial late try 14-12 to the Roosters and bash Newcastle 40-0 at Pepper Stadium.

» APRIL: NEW DEALS & CONTROVERSY The Panthers fight hard but eventually go down 28-6 to Melbourne at AAMI Park.

Despite getting over the line numerous times, the Panthers couldn’t find the points needed and the eventual Minor Premiers showed their class.

Coach Anthony Griffin dramatically axes Matt Moylan, Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku from first grade after they breached team protocol by breaking a curfew and hitting the town in Melbourne. The trio miss Penrith’s clash with Souths, with the Rabbitohs eventually getting up 21-20 thanks to a late field goal.

A season book-ended by off-field issues: Bryce Cartwright and Matt Moylan. Photo: Megan Dunn Winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak signs a new three-year deal with the Panthers.

Meanwhile, his brother Malakai makes his first grade debut with Penrith.

Dean Whare signs a new long-term deal with Penrith that will see him stay at the club until at least the end of the 2022 season.

In other on-field action, Penrith are embarrassed 28-2 by Cronulla at Pepper Stadium, go down 18-12 to Parramatta at ANZ Stadium and lose 32-18 to a dominant Broncos at Suncorp.

» MAY: COMEBACK KINGS Representative duty calls for Penrith with a whopping 19 Panthers players chosen to compete in various fixtures during the NRL Rep Round. It’s highlighted by Trent Merrin’s selection in the Australian team to take on New Zealand.

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Penrith produce an incredible second half comeback to get their shaky season back on track and down the Warriors 36-28 at Pepper Stadium. They come from 28-6

The Panthers narrowly miss out on a fifth straight win, going down late to the Cowboys 14-12 in Townsville.

behind to secure the back-from-the-dead win.

The Panthers are again forced to come from behind the following round, beating Newcastle 30-20 after being down 14-0 at half-time.

Panthers centre Dean Whare reveals he’s concerned as the game’s pay dispute rolls into another month. “It’s a big issue at the moment, with no one knowing what’s happening next year,” Whare says.

Hooker Peter Wallace suffers a groin injury, ruling him out of New South Wales’ State of Origin campaign. Bryce Cartwright also suffers an injury, adding to the woes of Penrith’s up and down season.

After months of speculation, Te Maire Martin signs a three-year deal with North Queensland, while Peta Hiku is granted a release after being given an opportunity in England.

» JUNE: MOYZA MAKES THE SWITCH

Exciting forward Corey Harawira-Naera signs a new deal with the club, securing his future until at least the end of the 2020 season.

Anthony Griffin names Matt Moylan at five-eighth to play Canterbury at ANZ Stadium, shifting him from his beloved fullback role. The switch seems to work, with Moylan leading the Panthers to a 38-0 demolition of Des Hasler’s team.

» JULY: A HICCUP, THEN ‘THE RUN’

Penrith produce a miracle in Bathurst – coming from eight points down with two minutes on the clock to beat the Raiders 24-20 in a game that would ultimately have an enormous impact on the top eight.

Penrith’s season is placed on life support after a 42-14 thumping at the hands of Souths at ANZ Stadium. The Panthers hit back, however, downing Manly 16-8 the following week to keep their season alive.

Dylan Edwards had a breakout season

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 22, 2017

IN pANTHERLAND After the Manly win, Penrith build an impressive winning streak with victories over the Warriors, Titans and Bulldogs.

Trent Merrin suffers a knee injury in the win over the Warriors, ruling him out for several weeks.

Leilani Latu denies persistent rumours that he’s poised to leave the Panthers to take up an opportunity elsewhere.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is cleared of any wrongdoing following a frightening incident at a junior rugby league match in which he was attacked by an official while helping out as a touch judge.

» AUGUST: FINALS LOOK LIKELY The Panthers dare to dream after downing the Wests Tigers and Cowboys in consecutive weeks, allowing them to move into the top eight for the first time in 2017. A thrilling 26-22 win over Canberra in the nation’s capital then all but confirms Penrith will be playing in September.

Captain Matt Moylan is sidelined with

another hamstring injury; ruling him out of the club’s final two matches.

The Panthers’ winning streak is ended by a desperate St George-Illawarra, who score an unlikely 16-14 victory in front of a huge crowd in wet conditions at Pepper Stadium.

The Panthers announce their stadium sponsorship deal with Pepper will conclude at the end of the year. The club opts to take back the naming rights to the venue, confirming it’ll be called Panthers Stadium from 2018 onwards.

» SEPTEMBER: PLENTY TO WORK ON Penrith limp into the Finals on the back of a 28-12 loss to Manly at Lottoland.

The Panthers are plunged into crisis with talk that skipper Matt Moylan has played his last game for the team. A meeting is held at Panthers HQ, after which it is confirmed that Moylan is staying at the Panthers but would be taking a break from football due to personal issues. Moylan’s future remains clouded.

The experienced Peter Wallace was a warrior for the Panthers through the 2017 season Penrith produce an inspiring and memorable 22-10 win over Manly in week one of the Finals at Allianz Stadium.

The Panthers’ season comes to an end at the hands of Brisbane, with Wayne

Bennett’s men winning the Elimination Semi Final 13-6 at Suncorp Stadium.

Five-eighth Tyrone May faces an offseason of recovery after suffering an ACL injury in Penrith’s last game of the season.

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Friday, September 22, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

FEATURE

BEST OF THE BEST Extra Time Player of the Year: Reagan Campbell-Gillard Everyone expected new recruit James Tamou to be the star of Penrith’s forward pack this season, but instead it was Reagan Campbell-Gillard who stamped his authority on the competition in 2017.

The 24-year-old had a breakout season, opening up the possibility of a call-up into the Australian team for the World Cup. The rampaging man with the mo played every game for the Panthers this season, running more than 3,300 metres overall (an average of 129.5 metres per game).

Showing very little care for his own safety, Campbell-Gillard was often the man sparking Penrith’s attack up field, leaving opponents in his wake.

While Nathan Cleary was close to winning this award in 2017, CampbellGillard’s impact on the season was so significant that he gets the gong this year.

We can’t wait for what he delivers in 2018.

Last year’s winner: Matt Moylan

Extra Time Rookie of the Year: Corey Harawira-Naera The agile second-rower made his NRL debut on March 24, 2017 against the Knights at Pepper Stadium, scoring a try in the 40-0 rout.

He would go on to play a total of 22 first grade games in 2017 and establish himself as a permanent member of the NRL squad.

At 22 years of age, he is one of the most exciting back row prospects at the club and is set to be even better in 2018.

Last year’s winner: Nathan Cleary

Extra Time Player of the Year: Reagan Campbell-Gillard Last year’s winner: Panthers 31 Broncos 12 (Round 20)

Extra Time Win of the Year: v Warriors, Round 10 Down 28-6 at half-time, the Panthers showed pure skill and determination to wrestle their way back into the game and eventually win 36-28, sending the Pepper Stadium crowd into a wild celebration.

The Panthers scored in the 47th, 53rd, 55th, 59th and 76th minutes to complete a remarkable comeback.

Extra Time Moment of the Year: Miracle in Bathurst Down by eight points with just two minutes to play, the Panthers somehow produced an incredible finish to beat Canberra in Bathurst.

It turned out the win would be critical to the make-up of the top eight, impact-

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ing on both sides. Corey Harawira-Naera scored in the 79th minute while Tyrone Peachey scored the winning try as the siren sounded.

Matt Moylan starred in the finish, showing incredible skill to wrestle back the game after it appeared all was lost for the Panthers.

Last year’s winner: Te Maire Martin’s match-winning field goal against Brisbane on debut at Pepper Stadium.

panthers eye isp nsw glory NATHAN TAYLOR @natetaylor87

NATHAN TAYLOR @natetaylor87

P

Darren Nicholls and Mitch Williams.

Photo: Gregg Porteous

enrith Intrust Super Premiership NSW captain Darren Nicholls has vowed to work on his goalkicking after his four missed conversions last Sunday almost cost his side a spot in this weekend’s Grand Final.

Despite the 28-year-old’s unsuccessful kicks at goal, Penrith managed to advance to this Sunday’s reserve grade decider after overcoming a fast-finishing Canterbury Bulldogs outfit 16-12 at Leichhardt Oval.

The experienced halfback admitted to feeling a little bit guilty for missing four conversions as the match started to get too close for comfort.

“You do start to think about that sort of stuff, but I’ve just got to put in the hard work at training this week and get it right for the big game,” Nicholls told Extra Time.

“It was just one of those days for me. I’ve just got to get into training, get my practice in early and get back to my routine.”

Penrith were well in control of the match before a wild and whacky last few minutes almost sent the Mountain Men packing.

After Panthers centre Tony Satini was sin-binned in the 78th minute, the Bulldogs scored through Rhyse Martin to make it 16-12 – setting up a grandstand finish.

“We had the game in the bag but almost let it slip,” Nicholls said.

“Those last 10 minutes were a bit wild.

We were giving away unnecessary ball, a couple of penalties, a sin bin and the next thing you know they’ve scored.

“I’ll be honest, it got a little bit nerveracking at the end there but we got the job done which was a positive.”

Penrith will go into this Sunday’s game against Wyong as slight underdogs after the Roos finished the season four points clear atop the competition.

“They are a really strong side with big forwards and a really good hooker in captain Mitch Williams, who will get them around the park,” Nicholls said.

“They finished first by a mile this year and will be favourites going into this weekend. I really back our side and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, September 22, 2017

FEATURE

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