Round 1
Brisbane Broncos 48 d. Penrith Panthers 12

2008 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Penrith start with good defence of the wooden spoon
Mon March 17, 2008
Penrith's defence of the wooden spoon got off in the fashion worthy of coming last with a thumping 48-12 loss against Brisbane yesterday with the future of coach Matthew Elliott now under increasing pressure.

The Panthers with such a booming junior league base and successful lower grade sides haven't been able to translate that into NRL success except for a small period in 2003-04 and throughout the late 1980's leading into the success in 1991. After both premierships in 1991 and 2003 Penrith haven't been able to build an era of success except for a good defence of their 2004 title.

Penrith shafted premiership winning coach John Lang in 2006 to bring Elliott from the Canberra Raiders and his move to the foot of the mountains has been nothing short of a disaster with player unrest, strange selections and players who should still be at the Panthers leaving the building.

The halves combination of Joe Williams and Jarrod Sammut did very little to install the confidence of Penrith supporters and more so with one of the two players who should be in their halves on the opposite side. It was revealed on the weekend that Penrith didn't make an offer to Peter Wallace when he was prepared to stay at the Panthers and in the end he ended up at the Broncos where he's going to have the honour of playing inside the great Darren Lockyer. Penrith allowed whole hearted captain Craig Gower to leave the club to play another sport in France and failed to replace him.

Williams was freely released by Souths last year and Sammut's reading in defence was a very worrying sign where he seemed intent on going for the intercept instead of wrapping up his man and defending inside his opposite number. Sammut did have luck with one intercept, but the score was 48-6 when it happened.

It's also rumoured that there's two Internationals currently at Penrith who want out of the club and there's unrest based around Elliott.

During the week Penrith missed out on snaring Todd Carney from the Raiders, which was a big target of Elliott's and one of his protege's from his time in the Nations Capital. It's now being reported that the Panthers could be interested in former Canberra fullback and now rugby union player Clinton Schifcofske, who was a guest of Elliott's at the game yesterday.

Elliott last year had problems with 2003 Grand Final hero and Clive Churchill Medalist Luke Priddis with no denials from either party and both claimed the issue has been sorted. One of the many problems several Penrith players had with Elliott was that he tried to instill the Canberra style of football onto the Penrith side rather than allow them to play their natural game and play to their strengths.

Canberra was a side that thrived on dummy half running and playing to the basics as they lacked the natural talent and skill level to play an expansive and off loading game. Whereas Penrith have many free spirit style players with great natural skill levels and the ability to play second phase football. Lang allowed Penrith to play with a freedom of expression and used them to their strengths. Lang's style did wear off, but the Panthers got hit hard after winning the 2003 title.

Lang at a coaching senimar in 2004 did state that at Cronulla he used David Peachey in many set moves whereas he couldn't do the same with Rhys Wesser at Penrith because they were different players and had different football minds. Lang allowed Wesser to play his natural supporting game rather than manufacture Wesser into another Peachey style footballer. Complaints at Penrith is that Elliott is trying to turn Penrith into what he had at Canberra.

One disgruntled Panthers supporter who is a good friend of this author in a very heated email to the Rleague.com website said, "As a follower of Penrith for the last 40 years I find it difficult to understand the culture and the future of the joint. Sure we can win everything in the Juniors, but we never seem to transfer that to the next level. Sure we can say we've won two competitions, but we've never had an era after that."

The supporter went on to say, "Please explain why our best halfback since Greg Alexander is playing Union in France, the skipper who replaced him doesn't want to be there and two other Internationals wanted out last year?"

And the supporter concluded, "I'll support the Panthers for all my life, but when we are not in the game at half time it hurts. We are the most undisciplined side in the League, we drop the ball and no one seems to care. I would be happy to give the best A-Grade side in the District the game each week and to know they are having a go. You guys (the current team) have a gift - why are you pissing up against the wall?"

Where to for the Panthers from here? Sure the Bulldogs produced the worst 40 minutes of the season and the Dragons lost where they had no structure or control was thie most disappointing in Nathan Brown's 16 years at Kogarah - but for the overall 80 minutes and for what happened last year Penrith continued to disappoint yet again.

What is the answer for Penrith and how can they translate the Juniors into NRL footballers?


Lockyer makes successful return
Mon March 17, 2008
Broncos champion Darren Lockyer made a successful return from injury following a knee reconstruction last year in Brisbane's 48-12 victory against Penrith.

Lockyer has been out of action for eight months and yesterday was his first run following many gruelling months of pain and rehabiliation.

In a surprise decision Lockyer asked Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett if he could start the match from the bench and ease himself back into his return match. Lockyer was introduced midway through the first half and marked his return with a precise 40/20 kick, which the Broncos scored from the scrum base.

Lockyer started the onslaught in the second half when he put Justin Hodges into the gap and like all good five-eighth's backed up on the inside to score.

"After a performance like that, all the doubts you have in you mind go away," said Lockyer.

The magnitude of the victory impressed Bennett who said, "I don't think anyone expected us to be as sharp as we were.

"I'm pleased with all 17 players - some made different contributions to others.

"Teams win competitions, they win games. Individuals don't get results anymore."

Two other pleasing aspects with Brisbane's performance was the goal kicking of Corey Parker who landed a club record 10 goals from 10 attempts and young winger Darius Boyd continued to emerge as a player of the future scoring three tries.

The only bad news for the Broncos came with a medial ligament injury to Joel Clinton, who could be out for a month. Clinton was facing off against his former club after leaving the Panthers not on the best of terms last year.

Meanwhile, Penrith emerged 28-24 victors in their Toyota NYC Cup match against Brisbane which saw the lead change hands several times, it was the visitors who held their nerve to come from behind and take the two competition points.

Tue March 11, 2008
• Broncos team for Round 1 v Panthers
  

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