[2018] R23 Panthers v Knights - Game Day Thread

2025 Game Day Archive 2018
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Telstra Premiership          
:rugby_football: Match Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights
:stadium: Venue Panthers Stadium, Penrith NSW
:clock10: Time Saturday 18th August 2018 3:00pm
:rugby_football: Other Matches ISP Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights 12:45pm
JF Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights 11:00am
:tickets: Tickets Ticketek [Link]
:stadium: Gates Open Gates Open 10:15pm
:sun_behind_rain_cloud: Weather :sun_behind_small_cloud: Mostly Sunny 22°C (20% Chance of Rain :cloud_with_rain:)
:tv: Broadcast :tv: Fox League (Channel 502) [LIVE]
:desktop_computer: NRL Live Pass [LIVE]
:radio: ABC Sydney 702AM [LIVE]
:radio: Triple M 104.9FM [LIVE]
:radio: 2GB Sydney 873AM [LIVE]
:spiral_notepad: Teams and Officials [Link]

 
PREVIEW
The Panthers managed to snatch victory again from the hands of defeat, but with a few weeks left before the finals the team are struggling to find a rhythm that will make them look like legitimate premiership threats. With the drama of this week over, Coach Cameron Ciraldo will be looking to get the team back on track, and putting the team back on track,

The team will be without star five-eighth James Maloney with scans on Monday confirming a Grade 2 MCL Strain seeing him sidelined for 3-6 weeks. Tyrone May has been called into the squad to fill in.

Newcastle will be looking for a few high profile scalps before the end of their season and a win against Penrith will be high on their list. They are not a team to be taken lightly and the Panthers can ill-afford to leave this game down to the last minute. Hopefully the team can give their fans hearts a break this week with a solid win going into two tough games against the Warriors and Storm.
 
 
FULL TIME

Telstra Premeriship           
Newcastle Knights 20 Tries Aidan Guerra, Cory Denniss, Sione Mata’utia, Ken Sio
Goals Ken Sio (2/4)
Penrith Panthers 12 Tries Tyrone May, Wayde Egan
Goals Nathan Cleary (2/2)

 
 
FULL TIME

Intrust Super Premeriship
Penrith Panthers 22 Tries Liam Coleman, Christian Crichton, Adam Keighran, Sam Smith
Goals Adam Keighran (3/4)
Newcastle Knights 20 Tries Jacob Gagai (3), Beau Fermor
Goals Jack Johns (2/4))

 
 
FULL TIME

Jersey Flegg Cup             
Newcastle Knights 28 Tries Henry-Siriah Fuimaono, Justin Worley, Ben Talty, Heath Gibbs, Tex Hoy
Goals Kurtis Dark (4/5)
Penrith Panthers 26 Tries Stephen Crichton, Marlon Ritchie, Daine Laurie, Ethan McPherson, Adam Fearnley
Goals Brendan Hands (3/5)

 
PRESS CONFERENCE

PANTHERS MEDIA REPORT

MATCH REPORT

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

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Even with Maloney out we need to dominate the knights and put a score on them. More importantly, we need to keep them essentially scoreless to prove we are worthy of our position on the ladder. If we bumble our way to victory this week (or worse heaven forbid) we are no threat to the comp.

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Only 8 points down at halftime. Should be a walk in the park.

4

Pretty awful display. No better than last week.

We can’t keep getting out of gaol. I think it’ll catch up with us this week, not that it makes much difference. If we keep playing like this, we’ll get flogged by any side in the 8, no matter where we finish.

5

absolutely deplorable.

6

Is Gus the mentor for the coach. If he is, it’s time to move on.

Wade Egan should be the starting hooker.

Tamaou should be lucky to be playing for the GP Brumbies.

Nathan had the chance to own that game. Let him go to the Tigers.

7

We have been ordinary for a while, but were lucky enough to jag a few wins in the last few weeks. Today we tried to use to use the same tricks for the fourth week in a row, and the opposition were on to us. Hopefully this will be the boot up the backside we need, but I’m not counting on it at this stage.

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i have been reading posts on this site since its inception and watched carefully the posts re the Griffin sacking and through to todays effort against the Knights and really didn’t want to post but am compelled to post.

The Directors of Panthers and indeed many supporters have drunk the Gould “cool aid” and todays absolute capitulation is the end result of a failed experiment and an utter embarrassment to our sponsors, players and loyal supporters like myself.

The Panthers brand and indeed players and supporters have ben trashed by the sacking of Griffin and todays complete lacklustre effort by our team.

This is not a condemnation of players but what we have seen today is an end to a nonsense promise.

Sacking a coach 4 weeks before the finals is and was an embarrassment to anyone who is a Panther fan…i didn’t hold Griffin in high regard, in fact i earnestly believe he simply couldn’t coach but he was entitled to see out the year and then be punted if we failed in the finals.

What we have now as evidenced by the media reports of recent weeks is a coach in Ciraldo who is nothing more or less then a Gould puppet and its showing.

Anyone see the face of RCG as he left the field today???

Ciraldo had nothing more to do then simply challenge the players to show what they are capable of…he couldn’t change or hope to change what is in place but he could challenge the players to show the rest what we all know…they are capable of anything.

Today we saw what they feel…and it has been building with come from behind wins against all odds in previous weeks and today we lost on all fronts including the fight where Kikau and May were binned.

Its bigger then this…how Peachy is being selected at FB is beyond my comprehension…we have DWZ who has performed with even Atkins performed solidly but whose idea was it Peachy is a FB?

He is an opportunist at best to be kind and is best suited to be deployed when forwards get tired and lazy but its not a direct criticism of him its a criticism of him being selected at FB but follows a larger problem in the team which has been evidenced for weeks but in the main masked by our come from behind wins.

This is a team blessed with talent other clubs would die for but we have players now who look like strangers on the field and clearly are not focussed.

we now have a coach albeit a Gould puppet who is impotent and a board who are paralysed as they are captives to the Gould vision…which in simple terms means he will protect his job/salary despite what is best for Panthers.

I have called despite pushback from good and loyal supporters on this site for Gould to go.

In my opinion Gould should be sacked immediately from Panthers…and that means tonight/tomorrow to unshackle the players so we remain a viable chance in the finals.

I believe in our players…i don’t believe in Gould/Ciraldo

Why i am fearful most of is what i believe is happening now…the utter destruction of Panthers under Gould.

We have no coach…little hope of securing a coach of the highest quality and we have players who i can best describe as playing as though they have no interest.

I don’t blame the players at all…they need a leader and loyal supporters such as myself are entitled to more.

Today was coming and has been since we trounced St George at home…there is hope but we need to reset now.

Gould should go and get him out of the club.

Ciraldo then without control should take control and show to us all what he is capable of…then the challenge to the team is to show us all what they are able to do.

It wasnt high stakes getting rid of Griffin…i believe it was key to free the board to now sack Gould.

It is high stakes for Panthers keeping Gould.

Today showed for all and sundry the mess he has mastered

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I disagree about Ciraldo. Maybe it’s time for Gould to go but not Ciraldo. Regardless of the results from the last 2weeks he is only putting the pieces together.

I truely thing we need to get off the Nathan Cleary band wagon. Let him go. He is the cause of all this crap that is going on. He couldn’t own the team today so why would he be any good in the future. Let him go to the Tigers. Nobody is bigger than the club

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that is where i believe you have fallen into the Gould trap…Cleary is an immense talent but he is a talent which has to be crafted. It is Gould and Gould alone who has been running the media commentary about Cleary

This is not about individuals, its about the sum…the “team”

Any pundit/observer/supporter will all suggest this is a team of immense talent but its not working at the moment

I never said anything about Ciraldo other then he has been a Gould puppet…unleash him and see if he indeed has what it takes to be a coach but we aint going to see that while Gould is long shadow over all which happens at Panthers.

I am over the Gould 5 year plan and sacking coached when it suits him and for what?

The Directors led by Mr Oneil should move on Gould.

Give the team a chance to believe in themselves without the Gould shadow.

11

What a disappointing game.

The good news, is that having watched the press conference, Ciraldo all but confirmed that Egan will be starting next week.

Don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but Katoa was woeful today - forward passes, penalties and poor passing.

Yet to be seen if Kikau is in trouble with the punch he through, not a good view from the ground, so don’t know what May’s involvement was.

Wish stats were kept for ISP, once again Andy Saunders seemed to be tearing it up.

Mansour seems not his same self after coming back, made a few errors again.

I don’t think Yeo playing in the middle worked, we missed him on the edge. Surely RCG and Tahmou starting at prop, and Merrin at lock would work better.

If May is suspended, I would suggest Aitken to fullback, Peach to 5/8 (not that I’m keen on Peach at 5/8, but we don’t have many options left).

Gee it was cold with that spitting rain and wind today.

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Woo Hoo. Egan to Hooker. It’s about time.

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wasn’t much I enjoyed about today’s game Steamboat. The players have to dig themselves out of this one. Not Gould, not Ciraldo, not the board or cheerleaders.
There’s no puppets or shadows, just us fans. So we got work to do as well. U in ?

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Well that wasn’t what was needed…we have a team of impostors posing as footballers. Everything to play for and dished up that rubbish. And I truly believe we have the worst dummy half in the comp yet he continues to be picked over Egan. He is just not up to first grade standard so why do the people on big bucks don’t see that. DWZ needs to be fullback as well. It’s not rocket science…

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It was boring game played by two very boring teams. Riddled with errors and more stoppages than one person can stand. The game dragged in for what seemed like forever. the Fans in the crowd around me were certain a comeback was on the cards, but I somehow felt that wasn’t going to happen this time.

Some in the crowd were a bit excited of the fight that broke out with minutes in the clock, some joked that it was the highlight of the game, I was thinking that if I left now I can get home and start preparing dinner sooner.

Rarely I felt like I had gone to a home game and didn’t get my monies worth. Yesterday was a rare exception.

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I completely agree with you, and if I may offer an explanation (my own personal opinion), it may stem from Gould or senior management who extended Katoa’s contract earlier this year.

I don’t even know if Egan is signed for next year.

Not an excuse of course, if I think back to how our season started slipping, it had to do with Wallace’s retirement and Edwards injury.

The former should be non controversial to even the most casual observer of our club, the latter I pointed out earlier this year when Wall was out injured - Edwards was basically carrying Katoa, by making almost as many dummy half plays, as Katoa would struggle to get back into the line by the 4th tackle, and then only play in the middle of the field.

We have nothing to loose in my mind now through making team changes, as Ciraldo said in his post match interview, our starting line-up is not good enough, and we have two weeks to get it right.

Make no changes and we shall limp into the finals in 7 or 8th spot and be our first week.

If changes are successful and we win our two tough last games, we can still finish top 4, and depending on other results even top 2.

There’s no second chances from here on in, so may as well roll the dice.

The club certainly did just this with the coaching staff.

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I, like most of the crowd struggled to get into the game, even with cheering and chanting i hate to say it was kinda like “why bother when the team isn’t “.

Such a shame with the last home game of the year, biggish crowd and old boys day and all.

We played like we were outside the 8, not in the top 4.

I lamented a bit watching Wall working the backs in the pre-match warm-up, his grubbers were playing n point perfect, bobbing up on the try-line.

Pity he is now an assistant coach and not playing, we certainly miss that precision.

But we’re we fell down this week, and the first half of most games this year, is lack of doing the simple things right.

Holding the ball, hit it up straight and hard, spread it on the 4th, kick on the 5th and build pressure. Seek return sets. Defense well and limit the opposition metres.

We got none of that right yesterday, maybe I’m a little old fashioned, but building pressure and wearing the opposition out seems to work for good teams.

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That was painful - it looked to me as though the side was divided, players with tempo and others just along for the ride, no cohesion at all.

If there is a positive to come out of it, it’s something I have discovered with “free entry”, although one of my mates who I got in for 0 left with 20 to go which at full time made me jealous lol.

Oh yer, and I won on the footy doubles $100 kaching

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At least you got something out of that experience. :joy:

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