Penrith Panthers have what it takes but need to stay injury-free

MATTHEW JOHNS SCOUTING REPORT: If you ask me if the Panthers will make the eight, my initial response is to say yes. Injury, more than anything, is what hurt Penrith last year.

IF you ask me if the Panthers will make the eight, my initial response is to say yes. Injury, more than anything, hurt Penrith last year and they have some youngsters who are top-drawer talents.

But who do I leave out of my eight to accommodate Penrith?

Therein lies the difficulty with trying to predict a season in which the difference between finishing fourth and just missing the eight could be a few close losses.

The Panthers will hope for less casualties this season.

And it’s hard to get a true gauge on Anthony Griffin as a coach. While he had success at under 20 level, his NRL record is only average. In four seasons at the Broncos, Griffin had a winning rate of 53 per cent. That’s pretty good at some clubs but below expectations for Brisbane.

There’s some great talent for Griffin to work with. Matt Moylan is the star and central to the Panthers’ success. He has been compared to Darren Lockyer, and the comparison is deserved.

And just like Lockyer, the question is whether Moylan will play his best in the No.6 role or at fullback.

The halves combination of Jamie Soward and Peter Wallace has lots of experience and individually they are fine footballers. But with the game being sped up, I don’t know if that combination has enough cut and thrust.

Griffin may look to slip Moylan in at No.6 and put Dallin Watene- Zelezniak at fullback, or leave Moylan there and give young signing Te Maire Martin a chance in the halves.

The Panthers need James Segeyaro to have the sort of season he had in 2014. New recruits Peta Hiku and Trent Merrin will be great buys for the club, adding some steel and strikepower.

Penrith still appear as though they are assembling their best squad. They could very well make a great run in another 12 months.

Panther's Bryce Cartwright is ready to step up in 2016.

BEST 13

1 Matt Moylan 2 Josh Mansour 3 Dean Whare 4 Peta Hiku 5 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 6 Jamie Soward 7 Peter Wallace 8 Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9 James Segeyaro 10 Sam McKendry 11 Elijah Taylor 12 Bryce Cartwright 13 Trent Merrin. Interchange: 14 Isaah Yeo 15 Suaia Matagi 16 Jeremy Latimore 17 Tyrone Peachey.

INS

Trent Merrin (St George Illawarra Dragons), Zach Dockar-Clay (Parramatta Eels), Benjamin Garcia (Catalan Dragons), Andrew Heffernan (Canberra Raiders), Viliame Kikau (North Queensland Cowboys), Te Maire Martin (Wests Tigers), Sitaleki Akauola (Wests Tigers), Suaia Matagi (Sydney Roosters), Josh Hall (AFL Gold Coast Suns), Peta Hiku (Manly Sea Eagles)

OUTS

Lewis Brown (Manly Sea Eagles), Brent Kite (retirement), Apisai Koroisau (Manly Sea Eagles), Nigel Plum (retirement), Kieran Moss (Parramatta Eels), Sika Manu (Hull), David Simmons (retirement), Shaun Spence (retirement), Ben Murdoch-Masila (Salford), Adam Docker (retired), Isaac John (released), Sam Anderson (released), Jamal Idris (released)

DRAW

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