Jesse Ramien won’t be fooled by Panther cubs after facing gun duo in U20s grand final
NEW Zealand were ambushed by Penrith’s baby-faced halves combination but Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien says the Sharks won’t make the same mistake.
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NEW Zealand were ambushed by Penrith’s baby-faced halves combination but Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien says the Sharks won’t make the same mistake.
Panthers coach Anthony Griffin has named Jarome Luai and Tyrone May in the starting side, with New South Wales Blues pair Nathan Cleary and James Maloney included on an extended bench for Friday night’s clash against the Sharks.
But Ramien says regardless of who takes the field, his side will be prepared. That’s because Ramien knows first-hand how dangerous Luai and May can be when they click.
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He experienced it first-hand playing for the Manly Sea Eagles against the Panthers in the 2015 under-20s grand final.
Five cubs from that side will line-up for Penrith on Friday night. Dylan Edwards would have made it six players, but the fullback is out for the season with a serious shoulder injury.
“I actually played against that Penrith side that won the grandfinal in the 20s,” he said.
“So there was that game I played against them in but I have played against them coming right through actually.
“I look back it now and realise what a good side they had, most of their players in that side [in 2015] are paying first grade now or are on the fringe of playing first grade and it’s pretty amazing.”
Sharks hooker Jayden Brailey also rose through the junior ranks at the same time as the likes of boom forwards Moses Leota, James Fisher-Harris and Corey Harawira-Naera.
“Obviously everyone saw how enthusiastic they all were last week,” Brailey said.
“I’ve versed a lot of those guys coming up through the system, like Fisher-Harris and Tyrone May. They went through the same system as I did and whenever I came up against them they have always been the best, up near the top of the table.”
He says there is no room for complacency on Friday night, especially since a win will take them one step closer to leapfrogging the Panthers on the ladder in the mad scarmble to an all-important top four spot.
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“As a team we are not taking them lightly, they played with a lot of energy and it goes to show it doesn’t matter who is out they can step up to the challenge and play some good footy,” Brailey said.
Laui was electric against the Warriors in the number seven jumper and Brailey says his side will treat him the same respect as they would Cleary or Maloney.
The fill-in halfback scored two tries and set up another as he helped orchestrate one the biggest upsets of the season.
“The Warriors didn’t expect him to come out the way he did,” Brailey said.
“We’ll watch some video on him and not take him lightly by any means. We’ll treat him like the NRL player he is because he played outstanding last week.”
The Sharks welcome back forward Wade Graham after he had surgery to repair a fracture to his cheekbone sustained against Brisbane in round 15.
Fullback Josh Dugan was slated to return this week after he succumbed to a stress factor in his foot.
But he won’t be rushed back into the side with Maroons flyer Valentine Holmes named to back-up after Wednesday’s Origin game three at Suncorp Stadium.
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Originally published as Jesse Ramien won’t be fooled by Panther cubs after facing gun duo in U20s grand final
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