Extra Time March 22 2024 (Round 3 - Panthers v Broncos)

the final word

Penrith and Brisbane come together in Round 3 for the first time since last year’s Grand Final, and no doubt plenty of Broncos players are still recovering from the 17 minute nightmare starring Nathan Cleary last October.

While all the talk this week has been about a Grand Final re-match, the truth is the players don’t seem to see it that way – both are focused on this new campaign, and the Broncos players even refused to talk about the Grand Final at media opportunities this week.

It’s probably for the best. Winning or losing this match certainly doesn’t change the result of last October.

But there’s no question that deep down, media ban or not, the Broncos players will want revenge. They’ll want to prove something to a Penrith team that snuck in and stole the Premiership while they went to sleep.

It might not get them a Premiership ring, but it would certainly provide some satisfaction and some muchneeded confidence as the 2024 campaign rolls on.

After both sides suffered first-up losses to start the new season, Penrith and Brisbane recorded wins last weekend against fellow top contenders.

The Panthers were too good for an Eels side that would probably play better if they put as much effort into running and tackling as they did complaining to the referee. Penrith always looked on top but were still pretty rusty with the ball and through the middle in defence; perhaps to be expected given the short pre-season. It appears to be a carbon copy of their start to 2023.

Brisbane were reasonably dominant against Souths though coach Kevin Walters surely wasn’t happy

with how they let the Rabbitohs back into the game early in the second half, grabbing some momentum they certainly didn’t deserve. It’s those lapses that cost them the Grand Final last year and they’ll need to fix them if they’re to be a serious threat this season.

Brisbane have of course been dealt a significant blow, with halfback Adam Reynolds to miss this Thursday night showdown and Jock Madden to wear the number seven jumper. It’s a significant blow early in the season but Madden will certainly be seeking to grab the opportunity with both hands.

The Panthers aren’t without problems themselves, with a shoulder injury to James Fisher-Harris forcing changes to the starting pack that is so ferocious, with Lindsay Smith to start at prop. Thankfully, it appears he won’t be out for long.

Penrith did breath a sigh of relief on Sunday when the charge sheet revealed only a monetary fine to Jarome Luai over two incidents in last Friday night’s game, meaning he’s free to play against the Broncos. Luai is probably trying a little too hard at the moment as he saddles up for his ‘last ride’ but I have no doubt he’ll become critical to Penrith’s chances of a fourth straight Premiership as the campaign rolls on.

Brisbane’s obvious danger comes from their speed out wide and the dynamic Reece Walsh at the back. The fact Walsh and Deine Mariner already have three tries each this season shows where Brisbane’s points will largely come from this year.

Penrith meanwhile will continue to shift right where Izack Tago leads the competition in line breaks this season with six.

As much as this will be talked up as a close encounter, I’m predicting the Panthers to run away with this one and make a Premiership statement early in the season. I can’t see it being a close one.

Tip: Panthers by 18.

panther rumblings

FAMILY FOCUS AT PANTHERS

! The family club: Nobody can deny that part of Penrith’s success these past four years has been how a family culture has been built at the foot of the Mountains. Coach Ivan Cleary and his staff have gone overboard to ensure families feel part of the club, identifying some time ago that with so many players having kids, the Panthers needed to embrace family rather than have players with a split focus. Plenty of clubs will tell you they embrace family spirit but nobody does it quite like Penrith.

! May’s days numbered? There’s plenty of rumours doing the rounds that Taylan May could leave the club at the end of the season, contradicting other reports that a new deal was close. And just quietly, there’s the odd official at Penrith who wouldn’t be overly concerned if he did end up walking. May is unpredictable, and certainly walks to a different beat than most. He’s also a bloody good footballer. May is represented by Black Money Enterprises, and if he does end up leaving, I reckon there’s a bigger story emerging here about the space being created between Panthers and the agency. Watch this space.

! Spotted: Taylan May at Brookvale Oval watching brother Terrell go around for the Roosters.

! Fish hopeful of quick return: Powerhouse forward James Fisher-Harris (pictured below) breathed a sigh of relief this week when scans revealed the shoulder injury he suffered against the Eels last Friday night was not as bad as first thought. There’s no structural damage and there’s every chance he’ll be back in a couple of weeks.

! Committee to guide return: The Panthers are putting together a committee of members to hear the thoughts of fans regarding the move out of Penrith Stadium at the end of the year, the time away from the ground and the ultimate return to the new-look venue. An email went out to members last week seeking expressions of interest. The committee will meet fortnightly. The talk of the Western Grandstand last weekend was the desire for members to return to similar seating at the new venue. To be honest, there’s more trepidation and concern than there is excitement about the new stadium at present.

!

Luai free to play: There was certainly some eyebrows raised when Jarome Luai only

copped a Grade 1 Careless High Tackle charge for his hit on Bailey Simonsson last Friday night, especially given the Eels centre was forced out of the game. The low grading, and a similar low grading for a tripping offence, means Luai is free to play this weekend and hasn’t copped a suspension.

! Mielekamp back in footy: Former Panthers staffer Shaun Mielekamp, who went on to a hugely successful reign as CEO of the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League, is back in rugby league. He’s taken on a role with the Wests Tigers as General Manager of Community, Foundation and Affairs.

! Mini reunion: Proving that team bonds never quite go away, check out this awesome photo of Daine Laurie, Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke with former teammate J’maine Hopgood post-game last Friday night.

! Spotted: ABC head caller Andrew Moore having a quick cigarette outside BlueBet Stadium before heading upstairs to call the Panthers v Eels blockbuster. I wonder if he ran in to former colleague Ray Hadley, who was calling the game for 2GB. The pair don’t get on.

! Media crossroads: Josh Mansour’s explosive revelations about his time at Souths on a podcast hosted by James Graham during the week, combined with the furore over Latrell Mitchell’s expletive-laden radio interview last Thursday, play into a situation where the coverage of rugby league finds itself at a crossroads. More and more players are appearing on podcasts hosted by former players and mates. The players feel this is where they can best express themselves, and even Nathan Cleary said recently he enjoys the podcast space more than the traditional media. It’s a situation the NRL and key media people are monitoring. The NRL and traditional media outlets have strong working relationships, even if there’s disputes at times. Club media managers do wonders at ironing out the kinks and handling issues. The podcast space is entirely different and often players appear on them without the knowledge of their clubs or the NRL. It’s an intriguing issue that will only

! Spotted: Panthers prop Matt Eisenhuth at the premiere of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ with his family last weekend.

! Spotted: The Pantherettes with Panthers mascot Claws enjoying a strong reception from the crowd at BlueBet Stadium last Friday night.

Brian To’o and Jarome Luai with their kids. Photo: Megan Dunn.

Reigning NRL Rookie of the Year Sunia Turuva is hopeful that his future with the Panthers will be finalised in the not-too-distant future.

The 21-year-old winger is currently off-contract at season’s end, with negotiations already underway with his management and the Penrith front office.

However, with several other key Panthers players also in the middle of sorting out their long-term futures, Turuva is now playing the waiting game.

“I’ll be honest… I haven’t heard much but obviously the plan is to stay here at Penrith – it’s home,” Turuva told Extra Time on Tuesday.

Mitch Kenny and Taylan May are also hoping to lock down their futures with the club in the coming weeks, with the latter reportedly being chased by three rival teams including the Storm, Dragons and Roosters.

Turuva said he and his off-contract teammates all want to stay at the Premiers beyond this year.

“Along with Kenny and Tiny (May), all three of us want to stay at home,” he said.

“We love this club, and I’m sure the other two would agree.

“The club has done a fair bit for us over the years and the plan is to stay, but I don’t know if we can because [Izack] Tago took all the money,” Turuva joked referring to the centre’s

whopping new deal last week.

Whatever happens, one thing is certain, Turuva will be doing everything he can this season to prove his worth in Ivan Cleary’s side.

Last Friday, in Penrith’s 26-18 victory over the Parramatta Eels,

Turuva scored a double and ran for 134 metres. This week, he’ll be looking to continue his strong start to the year when the Panthers battle the Broncos in a re-match of the 2023 NRL Grand Final.

Thursday’s match at BlueBet

Stadium is a part of the NRL’s Multicultural Round, with Penrith set to wear a special Pasifika jersey to celebrate the occasion.

Crafted by former Panther Frank Puletua, in collaboration 2003 premiership winner Joe Galuvao, the jersey symbolises a proud tribute to the rich heritage of Pasifika players, their families, and the unwavering support of Panthers fans.

“I remember when our manager Jason Wrigley bought up the jersey to us last year and we all bought into it straight away,” Turuva said.

“It’s always Panthers, Panthers, Panthers, so getting to represent Fiji for Panthers will be pretty special. I’ll be representing my family and a lot of people back home as well.”

Not a day goes by when Turuva doesn’t represent his family and heritage proudly, and nothing is about to change any time soon.

Turuva said his mission in 2024 is to avoid the dreaded second year syndrome and to do his best to remain fit and healthy despite a “frustrating” ongoing knee issue.

“It’s a pre-season injury that’s been carrying on the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“I don’t need to rest it, I can manage it through the week and it’s pretty much right by game day. Hopefully it comes good.”

Sunia Turuva is all smiles after a strong start to the season. Photo: Melinda Jane.

THREE D’S ARE KEY TO SUCCESS

lang on league

analysis player

There’s no doubt that last Friday the Panthers looked like a much-improved outfit from the previous week against Melbourne. You could see the machine, slowly clicking back into gear even though the motor was still spluttering a little.

After watching the game multiple times, I believe there are three things which need to be fine-tuned and running perfectly if Penrith are to achieve the level of success they’ve enjoyed over the last four years and really have a chance at an astonishing four-peat.

I call it the ‘Three D’s’. Defence, discipline and desire.

Let’s break it down, one word at a time.

We’ll start with ‘defence’. You don’t have to be a genius to know that the team with the best defence usually wins the premiership. Defence wins games, we all know that. Penrith’s defence over the last four years has been virtually impenetrable, however it did look a little brittle against the Storm and Eels at times.

The side let in three pretty soft tries in the first half against Parramatta and more concerning was where, right up the middle where the big boys play and it sent shockwaves through commentators and Panthers supporters alike.

The good news is the boys steadied the ship in the second half and kept the Eels scoreless. Letting in three tries is not the end of the world but Penrith will want to stop the rot before it sets in. The boys in the middle pride themselves on being a wall but they need to get that steel back into their defence. Letting in those three tries could be the best thing that happened to them.

Now let’s move onto ‘Discipline’. While I found myself regularly blaming the officials for not picking up on an Eels forward pass here

of the year

The Western Weekender Penrith Panthers Player of the Year competition runs throughout the season, with our four experts delivering a 3, 2, 1 rating for the best Panthers players from each Penrith game. The player with the most votes at the end of the season is crowned our Player of the Year.

LAST WEEK’S POINTS: PANTHERS VS EELS

or a missed ‘ruck infringement’ there, upon re-watching the game and if I’m going to be completely honest, the Panthers did lack a bit of discipline in their play at times during the match.

In this game Jarome Luai did sail close to wind on a couple of occasions and was quite frankly, lucky not to serve any time on the sidelines.

Again, those little one-percenters when it comes to getting back onside and no hands in the ruck etc will disappear from their game as the weeks roll on and the side finds its rhythm.

The final ‘D’ is ‘desire’. You can’t win a game of ping-pong let alone a game of rugby league if you don’t have that. I’m happy to say that in

my humble opinion, this is not an area the team needs to worry about.

You could be mistaken for thinking that after four consecutive Grand Finals and three Premierships in a row, the side may be finding it hard to motivate themselves and retain that same hunger, that same desire to win.

Not this mob. They ooze intensity and hunger, it’s in the way they walk, talk and play the game.

There’s a quote in sports that I believe sums up the Panthers attitude and culture perfectly. “Winning isn’t everything but the desire to win is.”

And these blokes have got that in spades.

The Panthers celebrate a try against the Eels. Photo: Megan Dunn.

with Peter Lang

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