BigBlog

Things have been a bit up and down over the past few weeks. It was good to bounce back after the loss to Canberra to beat the Bulldogs. The Canberra loss hit us all pretty hard and we needed to erase that from our memories as quickly as possible. The win against the Dogs was nothing to get overly excited about, they've obviously got their fair share of troubles, but nevertheless it was important for us to get a win there.

Then of course we came up against Melbourne. What a tough task. We had a great week in preparation but unfortunately on the night I really think we shot ourselves in the foot a bit. They were just too good for us, but we certainly didn't help ourselves by the amount of penalties we gave away in the first 20 minutes.

Against such a great side like the Storm, who are very clinical in the way they play, they just make you pay for such mistakes. The amount of defence we had to do certainly took its toll and those things always come back to get you in games. Doing that amount of defence and using that energy will eventually show in some other area and that's exactly what happened. But we've got no one else to blame, we made some silly errors.

Melbourne just don't make mistakes and because of that they don't use as much energy as opposing teams. They just get through their sets, attack really well and have a great defensive pattern. It just shows the strength of the team.

Cameron Smith in his own right is a great player but the fact he has Cooper Cronk outside of him and then a super backline and a pack of forwards who are just prepared to work very hard means they are formidable and undoubtedly the team to beat in the competition.

If you're going to compete with the Storm you have to get in the arm wrestle with them but if you make mistakes and give away penalties they will just put you away.

We're off to New Zealand this weekend to meet the Warriors and there's a lot to play for for both teams. It's their last home game and a win will keep both teams' finals hopes alive, so it's an important game. A few of their players are also playing their last games for the club – Ruben Wiki, Logan Swann and Wairangi Koopu, so it will be a big game for all those reasons.

Going to NZ I'll get a good chance to catch up with some of my mates playing for the Warriors, Brent Tate and Steve Price. I've played a lot for Queensland and Australia with those blokes – and at the Broncos with Tatey – so we know each other well. Even though we're playing against each other on game day, we will still catch up and hang out a bit. We go back a long way and as professionals we can separate the actual game from our friendships.

But having said that, while we might be friends off the field, I'm sure we'll be looking to put a little bit extra in when we tackle each other. It's just the way it goes in footy. I actually told Tatey that he'd better be careful running into the middle of the park! He's an old mate and I'll be looking for him.

While I'm away in NZ, my mother-in-law has come down from Queensland to help my wife Bonnie with things. Obviously it's hard for her with three kids and being pregnant, so she can use an extra pair of hands for sure. I'm really glad that her mum's down to help out.

The NZ away trip is a bit tougher than others because of the time difference and the weather is generally not so great over there. Actually, most times I've been there it's been bad! Freezing cold and raining, so here's hoping it's okay this time. I actually spoke to Tatey however and he said it hadn't been too bad, but I'll wait and see. I'll be packing the long tags on the boots for the wet weather ("tags" is the Queensland word for "studs") just in case.

Outside of footy, I've done a few family days recently for Telstra and Mix 106.5. That's great fun and gets me out meeting the community. We have a bit of a chat with the fans, kick the footy around and all that sort of stuff. I love doing that kind of thing because I think it's important to stay in touch with the public and allow them to talk to you about the game.

Until next week,

Petero

Shocked and embarrassed. What else can I say? The game against Canberra was a shocker. The feeling after being beaten the way we were by a red-hot Canberra outfit is difficult to describe. At the end of the day, we just didn’t aim up, plain and simple.

There was a lot to play for and Canberra were obviously more committed and wanted it more than we did. I guess it’s been a very empty feeling since then. We had a three-hour bus trip after the match and I think the impact of the loss dawned on all of us.

We really let ourselves down and in particular we let our devoted supporters down. They were really behind us and wanted us to do well in that game. We could have consolidated our spot in the eight with a win there but we had a shocker.

There isn’t really anything we can attribute a loss like that to. We trained well in the lead-up, there were no dramas, we knew it was an important game and I thought we were up for it.  I’ve been asked by a few people if the conditions played a part in our performance but the last time I checked Canberra were also playing on the same field at the same time. That’s not an excuse we can use.

We started well but then Canberra put a try on us and from then on we just seemed to go into our shell. It’s hard to explain. But to lose to that extent was totally unexpected. Our communication just broke down, defensively we were very poor and that’s the reason why they scored 70 points against us.

They just couldn’t seem to do anything wrong on the day. Every pass was sticking and every tackle was being made. It was just incredible and they played some very good football. But it was a real shame for us and I said to the boys after the game that we all have to be men enough to accept the loss and the criticism that’s going to come our way after it.  I told them that it’s going to be a test of character, both individually and as a team. We’re really going to have to fight for the play-offs now and we know we have a big challenge on our hands.

But the important thing is that this week at training, everyone was raring to get stuck in. I think we all feel fired up after such a loss. But our focus now is to put that loss behind us and we trained really well again for the game against the Bulldogs.  There’s no excuses for what happened last Sunday in Canberra but we’ve moved on and have an important game this weekend.

To be honest we just want to get back on the field and prove a few things. There is a really strong bond between the playing group at the Panthers, so we’re keen to start things afresh this week. A great thing is we’ll probably have Luke Lewis back after the nasty head gash he suffered against Manly. That will give us a boost.

We also look like getting Adam Woolnough back into the 17 and also Frank Puletua will probably be back. Maybe Paul Aiton as well, who’s been playing some great footy for Windsor.

So we’re being positive and we feel like we really owe it not only to ourselves but to our fans who I feel we really let down last weekend.  They’re so passionate and we feel bad we disappointed them so much. Basically, we’re totally focussed as a playing group and we’re keen to back on the paddock and put last week behind us.

Last Friday night was a tough game and we knew it was going to be. Manly are one of the best teams in the comp and they definitely played like they are but we really didn't help our cause in the way that we played. We trained and prepared really well for that game but they still got us. It was a disappointing night at the office, that's for sure. Things just didn't go our way.

Manly are an extremely well-drilled side, they just keep coming at you and they just took control of that game. When you've got someone as good as Matt Orford directing the traffic, they're a hard team to get on top of. All the top sides have good halves combinations and they have a good team right across the park and cover the whole field so well.

Having said that, I really felt we had turned up for that game, but I feel there was a definite change in our mood when we were called back for that forward pass early in the first half. We came out throwing a lot at them, but when that pass was called back I definitely think we went back into our shells. After that happened, Manly were able to control the ball amazingly well and I think they had it for the next 15 minutes and that really shook us up.

It took a lot of petrol out of the tank and we found it really hard to get ourselves back in the game. Against good sides, one little thing like that can make such a huge difference. After that they got some tries which we've looked back on this week and just can't believe how soft and easy they were. They were caused by really basic simple defensive errors on our behalf.

There's no doubt that the fact that Manly played the Grand Final last year has made them really determined to go that next step this year. You can sense how much they want it. They are definitely going to be hard to beat but this weekend's game against Melbourne is going to be a big test for them. It's the Grand Final replay and I know I, like all rugby league fans, will be watching keenly.

We've got the Raiders in Canberra this Sunday and that's a pretty massive game for us. It's going to be a tough one. They're fighting to get back into the eight after they lost against Brisbane and are a real quality side. They're playing some fantastic footy and I think they were pretty unlucky against the Broncos. Although the Broncos ran away with it at the end, I don't think the score was an indication of how tight that game was.

I think there are some interesting similarities between Penrith and Canberra at the moment. We've both got quite a mix of young players and older players, and a bunch of players who aren't afraid to throw the ball around.

At the Panthers we've got some great young attacking players such as Michael Jennings. The bloke has just been on fire and it's great to see him rewarded with a spot in the train-on squad for the World Cup. That's massive for him and the bloke is that quick it's amazing. Then there's blokes like Wade Graham, our young five-eighth, who's only 17 and he's playing great footy.

Looking at Canberra, they have a lot of young guys and I think I read this week that their back rowers all only have one or two years' experience in the NRL.

They are playing some really entertaining footy and you've got to pay their coach Neil Henry for what he's done with the team.

In terms of preparation for this game, it's been the first time for a while that we've had a long turnaround so it's been really good to get over those niggly injuries. We even had a day off this week, so that was great. We actually organised a bit of a tennis tournament with the boys. A few of the boys are really good players! Michael Gorden is a star on the court, and Matt Bell is Penrith's all-rounder, there's no sport the bloke can't do. A great golfer, a good swimmer, the bloke can do it all!

Also this week all the boys headed out to a local noodle bar for lunch. We gave that a hammering, let me tell you! And being out on the streets of Penrith, we feel the mood is so good at the moment. The community really loves their league and gets behind the team.

On the home front, everything is going well. We're gearing up for our fourth baby and we're working out where we're going have it and all that sort of thing. At this stage, we think we'll have the bub up in Queensland. But it's due around World Cup time, so we'll have to see what happens. Hopefully I will be in the team so I might have to ask the coach for a bit of time off. Not many things come before football, but that's one of them for sure!

Another week, another game, but this time the result went our way. Beating the Gold Coast Titans gives us a chance to get two in a row for the first time since round 12 of the competition.

I felt like the win against the Gold Coast was very solid and certainly one I enjoyed, with the exception of my ‘falcon’. I wonder if it was better than Michael Crocker’s in Origin III?

Going into the Titans game we were expecting a tough battle after they had knocked off a full strength Roosters side the week before and we got one.

But to the credit of all the boys we came out the other side with the two points, largely thanks to the huge influence Frank Pritchard once again had on the game.

It was a huge effort as it is no secret Frank is playing hurt with a shoulder that requires surgery sooner rather than later. Frank has put the team first though and is shouldering on (excuse the pun) as we make a run at the finals.

You can see it is hurting him when he makes a big hit but he stays out there and toughs it out and it’s a huge effort that all the boys respect. He has actually been given the week off training to get right for this weekend’s game against the Tigers, where we will face a young tearaway named Daine Laurie.

In just a few games Daine has become a known hitman and a hard runner of the footy. He runs it like Karmichael Hunt, except he is twice the size.

Having seen glimpses of him I’m not necessarily salivating at the thought of tackling the dreadlocked Tiger cub, but it’s what I have to do and come game day I’ll have no qualms about taking him on.

I think that’s the general attitude when it comes to the Tigers. They don’t have the biggest forward pack in the game and last time we played them we asserted our physical dominance and got the victory. I think more of the same could see us get the same result.

The key to the Tigers is shutting down their creative and fast backline including, Robbie Farah, Brett Hodgson and Benji Marshall.

If we put the big hits on them early, they may lack their usual impact. After the game Benji had last week it’s especially important to try and take his confidence away early.

We have a tough run into the finals, taking on Manly twice and Melbourne once in our remaining seven games, so being able to get a victory this week and create a buffer between us and the Tigers, as well as the Warriors and hopefully the Raiders who may be reeling after off-field incidents this week.

While the run into the finals will be tough it will also let us know where we stand against the two top contenders.

Off the field the Panthers welcomed a new addition with Trent Waterhouse and his partner Sasha welcoming a beautiful baby girl into the world. Trent was all smiles at training yesterday and it’s good to see things going well for him on and off the field after a couple of seasons where injury has hurt the talented second rower.

I might even suggest if Trent continues in his current vein of form then a return to the rep scene could be on the cards at the end of the year.

Luke Priddis has also announced he will be joining the Dragons and I no longer look like washing cars or mowing lawns for the Panthers CEO.

I’m happy for Luke. He is fit and more than capable of producing good footy. I would have loved to have kept Luke at the club as a player and then in a coaching role, but sometimes you can’t get everything you want. With the chance to link back up with Wayne Bennett at the Dragons I am sure Luke will do well.

Speaking of the Dragons all I can say is I bet Jason Ryles was shocked to be sent off. Rylesy is a tough bloke and to be sent off for kicking in a scrum is rubbish. It happens in lots of scrums, the two boys up front were just playing and to be sent off is pretty average.

Having said that I don’t agree with Nathan Brown when he says the “game is getting soft”. From where I sit it is still tough.

Back at home Bonnie has had some more scans and with everything going well we are planning out when to have the baby. The current plan is to have our fourth child in Queensland between test matches.

Fortunately in the past we have been able to induce the births so I am there for them.

The other kids are all going up an age group in Gymnastics and I am realising they are growing up because they don’t want us right there with them. I guess my cartwheels (if you can call them that) have become a bit embarrassing.

Petero

I wrote last week “the man I see as the main danger is Kurt Gidley” and I was certainly right about that. The only problem was we failed to control Gidley at all and he, along with the rest of the Knights side, made us pay.

The result was really disappointing as we had played well the previous week against the Eels and I think a big difference was our level of intensity. Against the Eels we had a lot of it and made sure our tackles were effective and hard while against the Knights they were not.

We also may have been guilty of taking the foot off the pedal after dominating the opening minutes of the game and once Gidley sliced through for the Knights first try I don’t think we really recovered.

The Knights really put pressure on Wade Graham’s  kicking game. Some of the shots on him looked late and we needed to protect him better.

In what was a disappointing night for the club as we could have really pushed our claims for the top eight with a win instead of being back in the pack.

I thought Trent Waterhouse was superb for us. Trent has been playing some very good footy since his return from injury and he is a class player who we are happy to have in the forward pack. He won the Player’s Player award from the game after a huge effort.

We now have to aim up this Saturday night when we take on the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Park. It won’t be an easy game as the Titans draw a lot of support at home and love playing there.

They will also be on a high after what was an impressive victory over the Sydney Roosters last Friday night. The fact they did it without Scott Prince, Luke Bailey and Mark Minichiello makes it even bigger.

They seem to have a lot of young talent who are very capable of coming into their side, such as Jordan Rapana, who scored two tries in an excellent debut game. They also don’t appear to be fazed in the slightest about coming into first grade or playing in a side devoid of three genuine stars. In Nathan Friend they have a very wily hooker and we will have to be careful the little guy doesn’t steal the type of metres around the ruck like Gidley did last week.

It’s the same with our youngsters including Lachlan Coote, Wade Graham and Masada Iosefa. The kids these days seem to have a bit more experience and confidence when they come into first grade.

I remember how nervous I was before my first grade debut, but those nerves don’t seem to be such a problem with the next generation.

I think it’s a good thing for them. As long as the kids are picked when they are ready and not beforehand then they can excel at an early age and it seems to be all the rage at the moment to blood youngsters, either through necessity or to just give them a chance.

Although you still have to be careful they don’t get burned out as the week-in-week-out intensity is at a higher level in the NRL, but that is up to the coaches.

Today Mark Gasnier announced he is going to the French Rugby Union to play and in doing so has made himself the third big name, after Craig Gower and Luke Rooney, to head to France and it looks to be the start of a trend.

With the money on offer it may not just be a trend for established stars to go. It may be a trend some youngsters also pick up on and that could really hurt our game.

I was always swayed to stay because I put rep jerseys at the top of my list, and they still are, but with Gaz going obviously there are others who don’t feel that way.

One thing is for sure, the NRL and CEOs need to sit down and work out how to keep players in the NRL.

Back at home Bonnie is doing very well with the pregnancy and we are both beginning to realise a fourth child will be a new challenge, but we feel we are ready for it.

On that note Trent Waterhouse is expecting his first, so I look forward to welcoming him to the land of little sleep.

Outside of footy all the Panthers boys went for some Lawn Bowls at Balmain last Saturday and once the competitive juices started flowing there were some wagers placed. Happily I came out with an extra $100 in my pocket.

Petero