I feel wherever we finish in the top 8 its where we deserve to be.
Considering the season we have had to qualify for the finals with 2 weeks to go is impressive in itself.
I know the record about not finishing in the Top 4, that no team finishing outside it has won the premiership in the modern era… but in saying that no team had won 4 consecutive premierships in the modern era to. If any team can break the hoodoo like the Panthers.
Right now we just need to work on not shooting ourselves in the foot… we lost the last two games by beating ourselves in the second half with errors and penalties.
2 teams in the top 4 haven’t been able to put us away in regular time.
We sort that out… we will be a force in the finals.
I’m not too worried, we have more gears left in us. You don’t win the comp in round 25 and by showing off your actual ability just gives the opposition a guide on how to handle you. When the time is right we will throw her into 5th gear and slam on the accelerator.
Just on that last play, it highlights what an absolute idiotic rule “tackled in the air” is. Once the ball bounces, it is open season, what changes, he is still technically in the air…..unfortunately with the game today, players are too scared to do anything wrong. Jed Stuart should have been SMASHED back into his in goal, we however through our arms out……sorry sir i didn’ touch him…..then they scored
I’m not too worried either. We took the top 2 teams to Golden Point, and have beaten the other 5 teams currently in the 8 the last time we met them.
The only thing that concerns me is if we don’t give some players a rest over the next 2 weeks. Most of the team look like they need it, especially Edwards & Tago. A week off (preferably against the Dragons) might be all they need to freshen up & give us a serious shot at the 5peat.
No matter what, after the resurgence from the team this year - including the last four premierships of course - we can have confidence that Ivan and his team are doing everything they can to prepare for the finals.
Regardless of who ends up taking the title, it will be fascinating to see how this roller coaster of a season pans out.
Watching those games, even though the team took both games to GP, the Panthers looked to be playing in second gear. Now that we are locked into the finals, it makes sense to stay in second gear, and then go into turbo mode for the finals.
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