Broncos and Panthers clash will put both club’s finals hopes on the line
After slow starts put them on the back foot, Brisbane and Penrith are running out of time to claim a spot in the eight. Which is why there is so much riding on Friday night’s clash, writes MATTY JOHNS.
This is a monster game in Brisbane as far as Penrith and Brisbane’s prospects of playing finals football.
A loss for Brisbane will see them put in a situation where they’ll need to win all of their last three games against South Sydney, Parramatta and Canterbury.
For Penrith, a loss will also put them on a razor’s edge, given their poor points differential.
It seems almost fitting these two teams should meet at this important junction given how similar their seasons have been.
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There have been moments of reprieve, but for Anthony Seibold and Ivan Cleary, it’s been a season of pressure for one reason or another.
Both clubs, with so much expectation, got caught in the barriers when the gates opened.
Penrith won just two from the first 10, the Broncos four.
In the next 10 matches the Panthers have resurrected their season, winning eight games, but the very nature of a slow start means even on a long winning run, a single loss sees the pressure reapplied.
The Broncos have shown glimpses of promise and areas of improvement, but you can see they are a team still wrestling with new coaching philosophies.
In their last 10, they’ve had five wins and a draw.
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Brisbane are an interesting team. Sometimes it’s easy to pine for the things you haven’t got.
The Broncos need an experienced playmaker, the type of playmaker who can talk a team around the park, at the end of a set of six put the ball where the opposition don’t want it go and be the type of player who is comfortable owning the wins and losses.
At the moment the Broncos don’t have that player, but during this season they’ve still tried to play a game which requires quality, experienced ball players.
Hitting points on the field, setting up for attacking shapes.
You can’t be hamstrung on your vision for how you want your team to play.
Sometimes you just need to go with what you’ve got and derive a game plan which suits the strengths of the players and the team.
Watching the Broncos last week I think that’s what Anthony Seibold is now doing.
The Broncos have a big, talented, athletic pack of forwards who are well equipped to drive up field and scatter defenders.
They also have fast little men in Anthony Milford and Jake Turpin who are excellent at challenging middle defenders in a direct manner with speed and footwork.
The more Brisbane pass the football, the less threatening they are.
This young Broncos side can win football games based on the simplicity of blunt force power from their forwards and clever, direct running from their fast, creative men.
Penrith’s early losing months were put down to the distraction of off-field matters, but the football was flawed. They lacked penetration.
They caressed the football from sideline to sideline, rarely threatening the centre field.
The dummy-half, rugby league’s most important player when it comes to penetrative football was content shovelling the ball to his left or right.
The Panthers were following the game plan as if reading music off a sheet, it lacked energy and imagination.
Youth has been good for Ivan Cleary, whenever he’s brought in a green horn, they brought the enthusiasm and impulsiveness that was missing.
It was young players like Liam Martin who led the turnaround, and since then the Panthers football has improved piece by piece.
Crucially the penetration has returned, the forwards are bending the line back and rather than climbing through the side window, the playmakers are charging through the front door that the forwards have smashed down.
The old saying is, “Forwards decide big games” but that’s assuming both sides have established playmakers.
I’ve been really impressed by young Jake Turpin, but he’s a nine playing seven, while Penrith have a State of Origin seven in Nathan Cleary.
The question for the Broncos is, can they turn forward dominance into points?
That decides the contest.
Originally published as Broncos and Panthers clash will put both club’s finals hopes on the line
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