Our forwards laid no platform tonight - our backs didn't lose us this game.
They had no ball and when they did, there was no space.
That's a worry because it was the best forward pack we could put on the field.
We never really got into that game.
After the Merrin sin bin, it was all Penrith until half-time. We were absorbing the pressure well and got it to a point where we were going set for set.
After half-time, we were murdered with penalties and a sin-bin. By the time we absorbed all that pressure, and with the clock running down, we had to try and play catch up. Unfortunately, the passes weren't sticking and the Penrith defence was well organised.
It was a carbon copy of the Melbourne game. The difference is, even though we copped heaps of penalties, Melbourne kept dropping the ball which kept us in the game. Penrith didn't drop the ball in the second half (if they did, it was 10m from our line) and we had no penalties to get us out of our end.
It was just one of those nights where penalties, dropped ball and the other team holding onto the ball and making their tackles suffocated us out of the game.
We did well to hang in there like we did.
Well said. Yet I don't get why their forward pack would automatically dominate ours.
Penrith have:
8 Trent Merrin, 9 Sione Katoa, 10 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 11 Corey Harawira-Naera, 12 Isaah Yeo, 13 James Fisher-Harris
Interchange: 14 Wayde Egan, 15 Jack Hetherington, 16 Viliame Kikau, 17 James Tamou
we have:
8 Russell Packer ©, 9 Elijah Taylor, 10 Ben Matulino, 11 Chris Lawrence, 12 Robbie Rochow, 13 Matthew Eisenhuth
Interchange: 14 Alex Twal, 15 Jacob Liddle, 17 Sauaso Sue, 19 Chris McQueen
Ok the Panthers have three huge names in Merrin, Tamou and RCG. We have a fair few names, Packer, Matalino with a few good juniors coming through.
Why were we just run over like this?