Penrith coach Anthony Griffin says the Panthers should not have been premiership favourites

PENRITH coach Anthony Griffin says the people who tipped the Panthers for the premiership this year “have got no idea about football”.

Anthony Griffin and Phil Gould watch on during the Penrith Panthers training session at Penrith Panthers league academy, Penrith. Picture: Gregg Porteous

ANTHONY Griffin has passionately defended Penrith’s season, declaring anyone who tipped the Panthers to win this year’s premiership “have got no idea about football”.

Griffin and his players have been copping it for most of the season given the high expectations that followed their run to the finals in 2016.

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Currently ninth on the NRL ladder ahead of Saturday’s important clash with in-form Manly, the Panthers still need to win at least six of their remaining nine games to make the play-offs.

Griffin admitted he was “terribly disappointed” with the 42-14 smashing by South Sydney last weekend, but that is not to say he is unrealistic about where the club is at.

Griffin says the roster is still building.

“When I got here in October 2015 they had just played off for the wooden spoon against Newcastle, albeit with a lot of injuries that year,” Griffin told The Daily Telegraph.

“That is not a criticism or a statement about anyone that was here before.

“That is just where the club was. And for the first 12 or 14 rounds (last year) we fiddled around trying to find a new identity for the team.

“We found that and all of a sudden won eight out of nine games.

“So we go from that to now everyone thinks we should win a premiership every year.

“The people that put that expectation on the side, whether they are punters or tipsters, have got no idea about football.

Penrith have not lived up the hype this season.

“All of a sudden you show some potential at the back end of last year with some young guys that are capable of doing something and everyone wants to build a high rise out of an underground car park.”

Griffin also said the club has come far under Phil Gould’s leadership in respect to development and recruitment, as well as facilities off the field.

Before the loss to Souths, Penrith had won four of their last five games.

“Sure, you can be frustrated on any given Sunday,” he said.

“Like the weekend I was terribly disappointed (losing to Souths) because that is not our attitude or the way we play.

“But if you’re frustrated because you thought, ‘oh shit, we should be winning a comp by now’, you have got no idea what you are talking about.

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“I don’t like losing as much as the next guy but there is a bigger picture.

“We are developing a really good group of players. This time last year we were in the same situation.

“It was a struggle for the first half of the year but we got a really good group of young players together and we finished really strongly.”

Penrith’s hopes haven’t been helped by the fact their spine has also been rebuilt this year.

Fullback Dylan Edwards is only seven games into his NRL career while Matt Moylan moved into the halves and Mitch Rein took over from the injured Peter Wallace at hooker.

“We have had a lot of changes to our 9, 7, 6 and 1 this year,” Griffin said.

“Nathan Cleary is the only one that has been there since the start of the year.

South Sydney put a frightful beating on Penrith last week.

“I think as a club we are building really nicely.

“What other people’s perceptions are, I can’t control that, and we can’t control that.

“If you want an honest comment I am being honest with you.

“(The team) are going along well.

“They are exactly what they should be.

“They are talented, they are inconsistent, they are tough, they are learning hard lessons, and we are doing it together.

“This year hasn’t been on a week-to-week basis the way we wanted it to happen.

“But we are building a really good group of people here and a strong club.”