NRL 2021: Panthers, Eels, Tigers, Bulldogs battle for western Sydney supremacy
They are the four clubs trying to win the west — but who’s really ahead, and how far behind are the rest?.
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They are the four clubs trying to win the west — but who’s really ahead, and how far behind are the rest?
Check out our analysis of the NRL’s battle for Western Sydney and how the Panthers, Eels, Tigers and Bulldogs are placed on and off the field.
WHO IS WINNING THE WEST?
WESTS TIGERS
Ladder position: 11th, five wins
Home ground: Bankwest Stadium, Stadium Australia, Leichhardt Oval, Campbelltown Stadium
Average crowds: 9526
Facilities: Broke ground on the redevelopment of Concord Oval in December, with completion expected early next year. It will include a Centre of Excellence with a high-performance gym, rehabilitation facilities and a player wellness hub.
Members: 19,490
Lower grades: Magpies are in rude health in the lower grades – the club’s NSW Cup side are second and their Jersey Flegg is undefeated after 10 rounds and three points clear of second place. Their SG Ball side made the preliminary final and the Harold Matthews team made the top four.
Juniors: For too long the rap on the Tigers juniors has been the long list of players who have left the club and become stars elsewhere – but nevertheless the joint venture has a fertile ground from which to pull the next generation. Converting those talents into top-tier NRL players must be a priority.
NRL squad: After years of rebuilds and false starts, the Tigers seem to have a much better foundation in their top squad with respected veterans such as James Tamou offsetting rising stars like Shawn Blore, Daine Laurie and Adam Doueihi.
X-factor: The Macarthur region is one of the country’s fastest-growing areas and it should be the Tigers’ bread basket. With the population set to explode, there will be tens of thousands of potential fans and an influx of juniors over the next few decades who could help transform the Tigers into a powerhouse.
PENRITH PANTHERS
Ladder position: 1st, 12 wins
Home ground: BlueBet Stadium
Average crowds: 16,229
Facilities: Part of Penrith’s transformation into an NRL powerhouse began with the opening of their training centre five years ago. The $22-million facility is still top of the line when it comes to NRL bases and is the bedrock of the Panthers’ revolution.
Members: 19,085
Lower grades: Penrith’s dominance isn’t just restricted to first grade – their NSW Cup side is top of the table, having lost just one game all season, and their Jersey Flegg team is third. Traditionally one of the powerhouses in SG Ball and Harold Matthews, Penrith missed the finals in SG Ball but made the preliminary final in Matts.
Juniors: All but three of the club’s top 17 made their NRL debut with the club. With former Panthers such as Daine Laurie starring elsewhere, Penrith has so much talent coming through they simply don’t have room to fit them all in.
NRL squad: There’s a reason Penrith are runaway premiership favourites and provided the backbone of the Blues Origin side: star power and depth across the park, with Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai leading the way. That star power is priceless in the hyper-competitive Western Sydney market.
X-factor: With their centre of excellence, junior nursery and on-field domination, the Panthers have built an empire. If they win the premiership this season, and become the first western Sydney side to secure the Provan-Summons Trophy since 2005, they’ll rival the Roosters as a destination where players might accept less money to play knowing they’ll be consistently contending for titles.
CANTERBURY BULLDOGS
Ladder position: 16th, one win
Home ground: Stadium Australia
Average crowds: 11,670
Facilities: Canterbury’s redevelopment of Belmore Oval, once the club’s traditional home ground, has worked a treat with top-notch facilities while retaining the to their community. The annual NRL matches at the ground are a season highlight.
Members: 16,308
Lower grades: Linked up with Mounties as their feeder club in NSW Cup and are sitting mid-table, while their Jersey Flegg side are in the top four. They missed the finals in Harold Matthews (ninth) and finished fifth in SG Ball before being eliminated by eventual premiers Canberra.
Juniors: It’s been a lean few winters with local talent but members of the club’s 2018 SG Ball side, who lost the grand final to Penrith, are beginning to filter through to the top grade. Halfback Jake Averillo and backrower Jackson Topine appear the most impressive of the young crop thus far. Centre Paul Alamooti was a star in SG Ball this year and has re-signed until the end of 2023.
NRL squad: New coach Trent Barrett is adamant his team is not short on effort, but they’re going to miss the finals for the fifth year in a row, their longest drought since the 1960s. There’s building blocks here – such as English prop Luke Thompson, Averillo and big-money wing recruit Nick Cotric – but the club is short on talent and wooden spoon favourites.
X-factor: Despite their recent struggles, recruitment has not been a problem. Cotric and Thompson were both poached and they’ll be joined in 2022 by Matt Burton, Josh Addo-Carr and Brent Naden. It’s proof the blue and white jersey still has credibility despite the poor results.
PARRAMATTA EELS
Ladder position: 3rd, 10 wins
Home ground: Bankwest Stadium
Average crowds: 20,832
Facilities: In the process of revamping Kellyville facilities with a plan to have their own centre of excellence as well as five full-sized playing fields.
Members: 31,015
Lower grades: Their reserve-grade side are in the top four and have had some strong youngsters come through this season, but the Flegg side is struggling in eighth. Their SG Ball side just missed the finals but the Harold Matthews team made it all the way to the grand final before losing to Manly.
Juniors: For a while Parramatta had trouble converting their junior stars into consistent, NRL footballers, but that’s changed in recent years. Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore and Oregon Kaufusi have all come through the club’s system in recent years and Jakob Arthur, Will Penisini, Sean Russell and David Hollis aren’t far off becoming regulars in the big time.
NRL squad: Have had a consistent nucleus for several seasons and that looks to continue with the recent re-signing of Mitchell Moses, Nathan Brown and Ryan Matterson. The final challenge for the group is to prove they’re true premiership contenders – the Eels have the longest current title drought in the NRL and an entire generation of fans have no memories of the club’s glory days in the 1980s.
X-factor: It’s not right to call Parramatta a sleeping giant anymore — the club has been rebuilt superbly after the chaos that engulfed them during the salary cap scandal in 2016 left blood on the boardroom floor. But the Eels are one of the most popular clubs in the league. Their 31,015 members is the most of any club and their average attendance is second only to Brisbane. In recent years, Parramatta have begun to translate that support into economic and development success. Don’t be surprised if we talk about the Eels as one of the competition’s blue bloods in 10 years’ time.
TIGERS YOUNG GUN OPENS UP ON BROWN BATTLE
Shawn Blore says it was “the best thing he’s ever done” but the West Tigers young gun is sick of talking about his heated debut against Parramatta enforcer Nathan Brown.
After their explosive first meeting last year, Brown and Blore will lock horns again on Sunday for another western Sydney battle.
An 18-year-old Blore stood up to one of the NRL’s hardmen in his first-grade debut in an epic running battle through the round 11 game last year. He later described his last shot on Brown as “the best tackle I’ve ever made”.
But this week he was tight-lipped on Sunday’s rematch.
“I don’t want to talk too much about Browny – I’m a bit sick of it, and he’s probably the same,” said Blore, now 20.
“But I debuted against them, and had all my family there, it was such a good night. And every time I see Parra on the calendar, I can’t wait for it.”
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Brown was keen to do his talking on the field, but no doubt the aggressive Eel will try to give Blore a little bit extra when they cross paths in the centre of Bankwest Stadium.
“Whatever happened last year happened last year,” Brown said — and he wasn’t referring to his Eels’ 10-point winning margin. “I don’t really want to talk about it.
“It’s always a good game, especially at home. We haven’t been too good at home this year and we’ve been disappointed with our last few games at Bankwest and we want to fix that.
“We have to come out with the right attitude, especially given how well the Tigers have been playing.”
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Penrith are the standard bearers in the battle for hearts, minds and wallets in western Sydney in 2021, but the Eels aren’t far behind.
The Tigers are keen to make up some ground and after three wins in four starts they’re every chance of knocking over the Eels for the first time since 2018.
“Parra are a good challenge for us, the last two times we played them they beat us but I feel like we could have won those games,” Blore said.
“We’re taking some good steps forward and I really feel like we can beat them. There’s a lot of belief in these sheds.”
But the larger battle for Western Sydney is far greater than anything that happens on Sunday.
The Golden West is the game’s most fertile territory and as one of the fastest-growing regions in the country there’s a bevy of potential fans, players and sponsors that will be there for the taking in years to come.
When the Eels, Tigers, Bulldogs and Panthers meet, battle lines are drawn, and Parramatta have taken great strides forward in recent years.
The recent re-signings of Brown, Ryan Matterson and Mitchell Moses ensure their team will be staying together for at least a few more years as they chase their first premiership since 1986.
“The crowd always comes out to Bankwest and we have to make sure we go out there and give the crowd what they want to see,” Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson said.
“You get up for these games, local derbies. Our fans hate them, their fans hate us, so it’s always fun.
“You always get a bit of treatment and that’s the fun of footy – the best players can leave that behind.
“As a team and as an organisation we’re in a really good spot. Brad (Arthur) leads the way and all the players follow, this is one of the best teams we’ve had in a long time and everyone wants to be a part of it.”
“When people want to be a part of something, it always pushes you the right way.”
The Tigers, ironically the last western Sydney team to win a premiership – in 2005 – have struggled for on-field success but have the most upside of the four teams, while Canterbury could drop off the other three if they don’t turn things around soon.
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