Well I gave them a number of weeks to get their act together but they haven’t come good.
The Panthers lost to a poor Raiders side on the weekend. I only saw the first half of the match..but still..you could see the problems the Panthers had despite their good start to the match.
The Panthers lack a couple of really hard working back rowers. They are missing having an extra ball player in the pack and have done since Scott Sattler left the club after 2003.
Sure Trent Waterhouse tries to get through a lot of work, but that should not be his job.
A player the size of Waterhouse should be used as a ball runner in the same vein as Willie Mason is used by the Bulldogs.
Waterhouse made his biggest impact on the club in this capacity. But when moved to lock and asked to get through a lot of work….he just goes missing.
This lack of work from the back row leads to soft defense out wide. Watching the Panthers in defense, its like they are playing with 11 players in the line at times. They are always scrambling, always seem to be caught short and they have to rely on an opposition mistake or a bit of luck to get them out of trouble.
Its a shame because the Panthers have some really solid building blocks for a great side.
The front row of Ben Ross, Luke Priddis and Joel Clinton are terrific. The back three of Wesser, Rooney and Lewis is as good as any in the game.
Gower is a solid halfback, Campbell is a spark of brilliance at 5/8th. But out in the centers the Panthers don’t look good and in the back row….
They need to sort out their problems NOW.
