Anthony Griffin defends Bryce Cartwright after mixed performance in Panthers win over Eels

BRYCE Cartwright put in a mixed performance as the Panthers came from behind to end the Eels’ finals chances. His coach Anthony Griffin had an interesting take on why.

Bryce Cartwright scores a try against the Eels.

The problem for Bryce Cartwright is not that he doesn’t belong at five-eighth.

The issue is the players around him can’t keep up with the towering 21-year-old’s enormous skill set and vision for opportunity.

That was Anthony Griffin’s take on Cartwright’s performance on Sunday night after his future in the halves again emerged a topic of debate following Penrith’s 22-18 comeback win over a battle-wearied Parramatta.

With Jamie Soward gone from the club, young Te Maire Martin still out injured and Peter Wallace now playing hooker, Griffin has few alternatives but to partner Cartwright alongside teenage halfback Nathan Cleary as the Panthers try and stay alive in this year’s finals race.

Sunday’s win means the Panthers are now one of four teams locked on 20 competition points leading into this Friday night’s crucial clash against Griffin’s old club Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

Equal with the Titans (7th), Warriors (8th) and Dragons (10th) with only points differential separating the teams, Penrith now sit in ninth spot on the ladder with seven rounds remaining.

After trailing 18-6 at halftime in an opening 40 minutes where Cartwright came up with some costly errors and poor defensive reads, the talented local junior also showed great strength of character to put the disappointment behind him and come up with some vital plays in the Panthers’ second half fightback.

While Griffin was critical of his team’s overall performance and a first half completion rate poor that saw Parramatta claim a 65-35 per cent split of possession, he wasn’t about to bag Cartwright’s effort.

“I thought he did a good job,” Griffin said. “He scored a try. If (James) Fisher-Harris hangs onto that ball he gets us a match winner.

“I thought he had a good balance of running when he needed to run.

“I haven’t got a problem with him.”

Asked directly whether five-eighth was Cartwright’s best position, Griffin continued: “I don’t know.

“The beauty about Bryce Cartwright is he can play a lot of positions.

“You could put him in the front row and he’d do a job. In the back-row, at five-eighth.

“But at the moment the balance for our team is he is doing a good job (in the No 6).

“I think it is more building an education for the people around him about how to play off him.

“You saw a couple of times there those younger guys with Fisher-Harris and Waqa (Blake), they just have a little bit of trouble because he has got that ability and he is a bit ahead of everyone. “He knows what he is doing but they are not quite in sync yet.

“He would have put Waqa Blake through the right-hand side in the first half but they just overrun their assignment.

“He is doing a good job.”

But it didn’t start too well for Cartwright or the Panthers as Parramatta exposed Cartwright’s right edge on several occasions in the first half to race to an 18-6 lead.

Cartwright also came up with some costly offloads that went to ground. But after letting in four first half tries, the Panthers took advantage of a hamstring injury that ruled Michael Jennings out of the game after the break.

It forced Beau Scott into the centres and the Panthers ran in three tries down Scott’s edge of the field to claim the lead midway through the second half.

The Eels look on dejected after a Panthers try.

From there, they held on like their lives depended on it.

Backing up from Origin last Wednesday night, Josh Mansour and Matt Moylan were both great while Wallace was also outstanding.

Some clever dummy half work from Wallace set up Penrith’s only first half try for Reagan Campbell-Gillard, while Wallace’s desperate tryline tackle on Clint Gutherson denied Parramatta a late chance that could have stole the win.

“I was happy with the two points but obviously we have still got a lot of work to do,” Griffin said.

“No disrespect at all to Parramatta, they were fantastic.

“But we played for 20 minutes after (halftime) but the rest of it was pretty ordinary.”

“We are in there (in the finals hunt).

“We have given ourselves a look at it.

“It has been a tough season and we have made a lot of changes but we are still there with a look at it so there is a lot of footy there yet this year.

“We are learning how to play 80 minutes.

“Even when we were way on top there at 22-18 I don’t think we completed a set then.

“It was party time again, wanting to get there too easy.

“I don’t think it is our starts, I think it is our 80 minutes.

“The good part is we are talented, we can get ourselves in and out of trouble.

“If we were getting flogged I would be more concerned.”

PENRITH 22 (R Campbell-Gillard B Cartwright J Mansour T Peachey tries N Cleary 3 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 18 (B French 2 B Faraimo C Gutherson tries M Gordon goal) at Pepper Stadium. Referee: Alan Shortall, Ben Cummins. Crowd: 15,251.