[2021] GF Panthers v Rabbitohs - Game Day Thread

Congratulations to Souths, they stuck in there for the full 80

My congrats goes to the whole Panther team, well done boys

To the coaching staff, all ancillary people, the magnificent sponsors and the great fans

You have entered the pantheon of legends at our club and in our community

Enjoy every moment boys

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Good game from Souths, they kept pushing us until the end.

How good is it to be the champions!!!

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:mega: Panther Pride Man of the Match voting is now open here.

Best part of the night - the look on Bennett’s face. That’ll help me sleep.

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Enjoy your night everyone. The hangovers will be worth it!!!
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

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Great night for all of us. The only Panther I feel sorry for is Matt Burton. He is currently on the mountain top of joy and exuberance. Only to be heading to the valley of death next year…

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I think i first joined this forum back in 2013. Our team was pretty bad, but we had signs of improving. We thought Moylan and DWZ would take us to a premiership. Didnt work out. Then we saw Nathan and the NYC gang flogging teams by 70 and we dared to dream. 5 years later, after some ups and downs with plenty of scandals and fanfare in between, we’re Premiers.

Absolutely incredible effort from so many at the club. Amazing to think that Ivan joined to rebuild, then ended up guiding us to our 3rd premiership. Aided by players like Cameron Ciraldo and Peter Wallace. If you had told me Cameron Ciraldo would have been an integral part of us winning a comp in 2012 i would have told you that you were dreaming!!!

Just so happy, and relieved that the “can they do it” squad and “ivan cant coach” goons can finally put a sock in it.

Incredible scenes in Mount Druitt and Penrith tonight. Can’t wait for the club to set up a covid safe premiership party for us to attend!

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Not exactly a ‘classic’ but a grim determination by both sides kept us there to the end. Our pathway to the big dance blunted our natural exuberance and there’d be a few bodies out there thoroughly deserving of a long rest. Congrats to all the players and staff that together created another slice of history for a wonderful club and amidst this pandemic paralysis gave us reason to smile, sit back and exclaim … you bloody beauty !!! :sunglasses:

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So much to say about the effort by the entire squad and perhaps we may hear about the injuries we actually carried into the game last night and i think there were a few and Cleary (Ivan) had enormous courage to take those who were injured into the game

It was touched on but it will be sad to see Burton , Capewell and Naden leave us and i am sure there will be some reflection from the 3 over the next few days and weeks about leaving a Premiership winning club.
I wish them and all others leaving us great success in their new clubs.

Congrats also must go to Dave Oneil for the huge call in getting rid of Gould and bringing Ivan back to the club to partner with Nathan to deliver the Premiership.

Congrats to Ivan and i hope this inspires him to guide us to what many of us diehards had always imagined, the creation and building of a club, team who can be challenging each and every year for the title.
Its naive to believe we can win every year but clubs like Storm,Roosters and Broncos created clubs where success was part of its DNA, its up to Ivan to begin this process and cement himself as one of the greats.

On the team we will be left with a squad of young talented , experienced players where they must now demand success and build on their last 2 years

First of course is to enjoy what has been a remarkable year where the team performed at an elite level for almost every game and importantly when they didn’t, they responded in the only way a great team can.
Thanks to all contributors on this site, your posts have been great to read along with the moderators and Steve for continuing to hold this place out as a site for debate, incite, opinions and jesting but all done on a site respecting each other for their comments and opinions

Have a great summer fellow supporters, savour the victory and look forward to 2022 and all that holds.

Lastly its been 2 years the likes of which i hope i will never see again but suspect we may with Covid intervening in everyones lives whether it is in business or the personal area.

Puts a lot of things in perspective and the mighty Panthers have been a bright light in a time of darkness.

I hope everyone and their families stay well and see you all again next year.

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Congrats to everyone that follows this amazing club…it certainly is a rollercoaster ride. And to Kent and Hooper, get that one up ya…

LP

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Burton will probably need to go to a re-education camp over summer, to learn how to become a scumdog. Valley of Death to be sure.

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Reminds me of 1991, when a bunch of ‘unwashed Westies’ (the ones that Gene Miles called ‘a bunch of no-names’) stood tall and showed the fashionable East that heart and soul count more than money.

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Call me biased but how on earth was Kikau penalised after Arrow headbutted his bicep?

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Not just penalised but immediately put on report! Hard to rationalise after last weeks Munster on Jerome’s episode.

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It’s actually hard to put into words the way I felt last night & again today.

So happy for all the Panther fans & so proud of the boys.

From the final siren in last years GF, I just hoped we got the chance again this year, and despite all the trials & tribulations we did it!!!

Last week we saw the stories of how our team came together from all over, each story a personal triumph for each of them, their families & friends & the Panther system. And now we learn of the past few weeks as players battled their injuries, the impact of brutal finals games, the refusal to let their club & their teammates down to take out the trophy.

Truly proud to be a Panther!!!

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I am still kind of in shock today, but waking up to be premiers is a special morning.

No one let us down last night, I was even cheering when May came on the field - happy to see some fresh legs.

To’o and Edwards magnificence at the back with both 240m+ in running, near perfect defense, and playing with injuries to (moon) boot!

From the front Fish and Leota just did what they do best, making 10-15m per carry, bashing the defense.

Our outside forwards all did there job yet again with dominating defence. Martin somehow was reported as been the 3 quickest man on the field, such was his speed off the defensive line. Great to see Kikau find form, farewell to Capewell, and Sorensen was outstanding as ever, so glad he’s with us next year.

Api did what Api does, not a complete standout like Simmons or Priddis, but effective non the less.

I didn’t think I would be saying this, but Momo can hold his head high, with a fantastic defensive game again. Yes he can’t pass the ball, but players can’t get past him either.

Farewell Burto, see you again in 2-3 years maybe. You put in a star performance like we know you are. Bet you didn’t think you’d score first in a winning grand final playing centre, and winning dally m centre of the year. Wish you all the best, as you will need it playing next to an average at best half, and behind a beaten pack.

Crighton- the wing probably was not where you thought you’d play, but you have not faulted in the position. Great intercept try (that was do or die as if he’d missed Souths would have scored), I have been impressed with your ever increasing running metres.

To those who helped get us here, Kenny, Staines, TPJ, Eisenhuth, Tago, May, Smith, Hopgood, Naden etc I salute you. A premiership like this can only be won by a team, and you all have given for the team when called upon. Some of you leave us this year, best of luck, Others are young and will get to play more next year and beyond. Some of you are our stars of the future.

And now to the big 3 - Yeo, Cleary and Luai

Yeo has had his best season and captained a grand final winning team, his running, his ball playing, his organisation and vision has made him the complete player. I will call it now - Future Kangaroos captain.

Cleary - hope the Clive Churchill makes up for missing out on the Dally M. To think your best years are ahead of you is scary. You have silenced the doubters.

Luai- you brought your A game last night and we won off the back of it. Again you can only get better.

Thank you to the coaches; Cleary, Ciraldo and Wallace. You have all brought your skills and intellect to help us win. Very gutsy call with playing the injured players (especially Edwards), but boy oh boy has it payed off.

And lastly, thank you to the fans and all the members of this site, it’s what makes a team a team, a club a community, and a sport a religion. The contributions you make no matter how big or small, all contribute to our clubs success.

91-03-21 has a nice ring to it. Speaking of rings, how good was To’o proposing to his partner after the match!

One very happy panther right now

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That’s an excellent and comprehensive summation, SHF. Thanks. And for a contrast to the ‘Rabbitohs are so wonderful’ tripe dished up by Ch 9, this is a good article - NRL grand final redemption earns Penrith Panthers their official title of rugby league's best - ABC News.

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Just listening to the post match wrap-up this morning really puts into perspective this achievement.

Ivan just laid out how hard it was doing it ‘the hard way’. Players going into the finals series with niggling injuries and just recovering from injuries. Got beat up in Week 1 of the finals and then had to go back and play two elimination finals against two quality sides desperate to stay in the race.

They were battered in bruised, Ivan admitted that 5 or 6 of them shouldn’t of even lined up in the Grand Final, but they just wanted it so bad… and that desire would override any pain and injury they were suffering from, they had to dig deep, and that they did.

After the run into the Grand Final Souths had, I expected them to be fresh and really work on wearing down the Panthers to a grind, but it seems the opposite happened. The Panthers wore them down, denied them field position and made them come up with bad decisions.

I will be watching this one all this week, that’s for sure.

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I think Brandy summed up how most of us felt last night.

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Long time lurker here - what a game! Was phenomenal to be at the game although I’m not sure how the emotions and ticker survived.

Despite being outnumbered probably 3 to 1 as a minimum, the Panther fans gave good support last night. Not sure how it appeared on 9s coverage, but the atmosphere was fantastic.

I have to say, huge props to Romey and Capes for taking time out after the game to spend time with the fans. Firstly to Capewell - he must have had by far the slowest lap around the ground. I’m not sure there was a single supporter (rabbitoh or panthers) he didn’t shake the hand of, hug, get a selfie or have a brief chat with - and not just the panthers supporter bay.

Then Romey came back out and did the same as well - well after the majority of the stadium had emptied. Such genuine top blokes.

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