Nathan Brown tips title for Penrith Panthers in next 3-4 years

NATHAN Brown is convinced Penrith’s window to win a premiership is about to open. He’s just not convinced they have the maturity to pull it off just yet.

NATHAN Brown is convinced Penrith’s window to win a premiership is about to open.

He’s just not convinced they have the maturity to pull it off yet.

“They have a lot of football players in their team,” the Knights coach said. “A lot of guys who naturally play the game really well.

“Just looking at them, I would have thought they are going to open a window to win a premiership over this next three or four-year period.

“But the thing is whether they are mature enough yet to take the Storm on in a high-pressure game or could they take a North Queensland — sides that are full of Origin players that have been there and won grand finals.”

It’s a question that won’t be answered until they are tested in the heat of a sudden-death finals battle if they make the eight.

Nathan Cleary cops one in the mouth from Knights Sione Mata’utia. Picture: Peter Lorimer

It wasn’t answered at Hunter Stadium against the Knights despite how dominant the 42-6 scoreline appears on paper.

For as good as Penrith’s ­execution was in scoring six ­second-half tries to break a 6-all halftime deadlock, they did it against a Newcastle side that Brown accused of “giving up” in the final 40.

The ease of some of the Panthers’ tries left Brown lamenting one of their poorest performances of a dismal season.

“In the second half, I thought there was a time there where we actually gave up,” Brown said.

“I’ll defend the boys to the hill tops but today was a bit of a backbreaker for us with what we did in the second half.

“There are times during the year where we have been physically beat up and you can except a score blows out.

“I think the fans are entitled to be disappointed. Today wasn’t anywhere near what we have to be to build a club and to make the club successful again.”

Panthers coach Anthony Griffin was happy to take home the two points after a weekend of upset results that have ever so slightly strengthened his side’s hold on seventh spot.

“We dug a bit of a hole for ourselves at times with our discipline with the ball,” Griffin said. “But across the game, I thought we had a real good energy and our defence for 80 minutes was as good as it’s been all year. It was nice to get it done up here.”

Given the weight of first-half possession that favoured the Knights, Griffin was relieved to be on level terms at the break.

“We would have been in trouble if we had come in six or 10 points down, so to be six-all, it was pleasing that was the score,” he said.

Skipper Matt Moylan said the first-half performance would not cut it in the finals.

“The performance in the first half isn’t going to test a side later in the year,” he said.

“We gave too many opportunities away and in the back end of the year in those crunch games, you can’t give sides that many opportunities.”

The two sides traded tries in a first half in which the Knights dominated possession but lacked any real polish in attack.

But from the moment Moylan speared through a huge hole off a Peter Wallace pass early in the second half, the danger signs were out.

Penrith wingers Josh Mansour and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak finished with doubles, while centres Waqa Blake and Tyrone Peachey also scored.

Originally published as Nathan Brown tips title for Penrith Panthers in next 3-4 years