Panfers too good again got to give them credit they will remember this era for a longtime . 

Stephen Crichton. He is a clutch player. We need him desperately. Anybody watching that game now understands how big a signing he is. Every time the ball was kicked he was pushing for it. Every time a run needed to be made he put his hand up. When the big moment came he demanded the ball and delivered. 

2nd behind Cleary for mine...Nailing Walsh in goal and the fend on Staggs plus the ease of the kick into goal deep in the second half were all first class. Game may have been different if the Broncos had NOT opted for short restarts...good when it comes off.

I agree completely. At 24 - 8 the Bronx had the Pamfers shot to bits and could have gone on with it, but they let the riff back into the game with the continual short dropout which obviously wasn't working.

Yes a very entertaining and enjoyable GF, both teams played well, though the Broncs made a few mistakes in the first half which they ultimately paid for.

16 points down, 18 mins to play, Luai off injured and their attack barely troubled the Broncs for the first 60 mins.

Cleary and Critter got them home exceptional performance from both players.

For the first 60 mins the Panthers attack was lacking a player like Kicks. I can't see them winning it again next season, but 3 I  a row in the NRL era is a great achievement.

Yer. Unless they have a strike edge back rower and centre in the juniors they probably miss out on four in a row next year. However I thought they would miss out this year after losing their hooker and best forward. Cleary is just ridiculously too good. 

Cleary is good but if you keep inviting Penrith back into the game, they are going to accept your offer and make you pay, just like Brisbane did.

Good summation.
Having lost key Go-To players in Kikau and now Crighton, it's hard to see them have the steely edge as they have had, but at the same time Ivan has proved to be able to adjust his team around the strengths of the next stand-out player and has the smarts in his team to use them effectively.

I know it's an early call and many still don't give him the credit he deserves but he will go down as one of the best coaches ever. 

I expect nothing short of a top 4 finish for Penrith again next year and wouldn't be surprised if they made a 5th straight GF. 

Broncos will be up there again as I reckon Flegler and Farnworth can be adequately replaced with others in the team lifting. 

I also expect improvements from Roosters and Souths and Parra probably makes finals again with more stability. Warriors and Storm will naturally feature again.

Titans are a smokey and will be fighting with Manly, Newcastle, Raiders, Cows and Sharks for a finals spot.

The rest better have a 5 year plan coz I don't see them improving much.

Panthers halves are currently the best combination in the comp.

However, Broncs finished on top in the forwards.

I'll wait for the squads to make a final  prediction, but for the semi-finalists.

Panthers top 8 maybe not top 4, but should make GF qualifier.
Broncos  - probably top 4, could make the GF and win  it.

Canberra, Parra, South's, Tits, and Manly, I have more questions than answers.

Storm, Roosters and Cows probably top 8.

For the Dogs top 8 is difficult but possible, depending on our squad and team selections.

I think Critter might play fullback and perhaps Taffee will play halfback. Both players might be very good in those positions.

I have faith in Sexton, while not elite he is a "true" No.7 and should be able to steer the troops. Hopefully we get a middle or three and that will give us some go forward and room to move. Critta at fullback I think is a positive move, and Taaffe as a spine backup. It's not up to me though, so over to you CC.

I mentioned it as an option if Critter is fullback, because Taaffe is quality and a dangerous ball runner.

Critter is class at centre, but fullback might get him more involved.

I agree middle forwards are an issue.

If we have middle forwards , halfback, fullback solved, that is most of our problems solved.

I have a feeling Taaffe will be halfback as well. Burton can do everything else and it adds a good strike weapon. Critter at fullback. Cheri at centre should be good strike. We just lack some good props. 

Yeah I think not having figured out who our best spine players are and not having strengthened our forwards (if anything we are weaker next year) I think '24 is already a write-off and we will have to wait till '25 to see us back on the way up again.

The problem with Taaffe is he spent his junior RL years playing ⅝. He wore No.7 but played as a 6.

He is a running halfback, but Hughes at the Storm is similar.

Sexton is in the mix and Taaffe is also an option at fullback.

Having watched Critter in the GF I am starting to think that he would make a good fullback. A good fullback is essential if a team wants to make the 8.

Seizer has signed with the Tigers for 2024.

Will be interesting to see how he goes.

hd, I have also heard that critta played FB in juniors and was relegated to centre because Edwards was the senior player.

Really comes down to are we a better side with Critter in centres and Taaffe at FB, or Critter at FB and Taafffe who knows where, and who at centre???…

I can’t see the halves changing to start the season…

Foxx, Critter, Kiks, Burto
Kiraz, Xerri, Preston, Sexy 
look reasonable edges…
Taaffe FB
Mann 13

Rumours from the kennel that Luai has signed with us. Might be here next year. Class player 

Good player, but would be expensive.

He isn't a  specialist halfback, moving Burto to centre would work, but we already have enough Penrith players.

I doubt that there would be much money left to sign forwards.

The Kennel has a batting average lower than Glen McGrath.

That is the other option - the edge of Foxx, Critter, Kiks, Burto looks potent,

Taaffe is a good FB with NRL experience.

In the trails I would like to see us try both options.

Critter has played some FB at NRL level and done a good job.

We don't even know which position (if any) Critter would prefer to play. Staying a centre increases his chances of playing SOO.

With Taaffe in the halves I would have Xeri and Kiraz as the centres, Wilson or Skeleton on the wing.

It does now Freddy’s not in charge… Freddy prefers his centres are 1s… or 7s…. or ummm 9s…

Hoping for some contract news soon… want to start the new season full of hope… as always… but geez we need a serviceable prop or two to ignite that hope…
Some people might say that forwards don’t matter… but they’re clueless…

Forwards don't really matter when your spine is functional. 

Right now, we don't have a functional spine and so our forwards would look rubbish even more if we had 3 x Fisher-Harris, 3 x Lindsay Collins and 3 x Pat Carrigans....

We must fix our spine now matter what. 
There's no forward stocks in the market anyway..no need to buy rubbish that's left....just wait for the mid season bargain.

Didn’t realise the word clueless had an auto tag… 

We should start the off season in November, we want the majority of the top 30 locked in.

NRL season is over, the next 2 weeks seem like an ideal time to sign players.

I don't know why the recruitment team weren't scouring the CRL during the season to see if they could find a couple of diamonds in the rough no-nonsense hard-as-nails forwards from the regional groups.

Why do you assume they weren’t???…

Oh yeah Cleal is not with us any more.... maybe they have.

Have we at least signed a couple of netballers?

Dr Marki has taken over recruitment and players need q minimum 150 IQ before they get to sit the quantum physics exam.... Smart players are essential, after all footy is rocket science.