Penrith Panthers 2015 Preview

Penrith's 2014 season re-affirmed that under the stewardship of Phil Gould & reigning Dally M Coach Of The Year Ivan Cleary, the Panthers continue to be a club going in the right direction both on & off the field but in 2015 the question now is can the Panthers go one step further and make it to the big dance and possibly even win it?

No doubt the Panthers come into the 2015 season full of confidence gained from that run into the 2014 finals series where they won games despite having up to 11-12 front-line players unavailable at any given point and if they can keep the likes of Peachey, Cartwright, Taylor & Wallace among others injury-free, a third premiership for the club might not be out of the question.

What might be an issue for the Panthers in 2015 might be their disrupted pre-season preparation which has seen quite a number of players battling to be either available for Round 1 selection or appropriately match-fit given the high number of players requiring either off-season surgery or recovering from season-ending injury. It wouldn't surprise if the Panthers start to the 2015 season mirrors that of 2014's inconsistent start.

Astute recruitment and retention along with the re-focus on developing from within has allowed Penrith to improve its position on the NRL from 15th to 4th in just 2 years. The Panthers have enjoyed recent success in the lower grades having won the Holden Cup in 2013 and the NSW Cup in 2014, significantly with many talented youngsters from these sides having made their NRL debuts such as Isaah Yeo, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Bryce Cartwright. In 2015 the likes of George and Robert Jennings, Waqa Blake and Reagan Campbell-Gillard could join them in making their NRL debuts.

Given the emergence of these rising stars, the Panthers, unlike their 2014 aggressive recruitment drive, have been considerably quieter with the most notable additions being South Sydney's premiership winning hooker/half Apisai Koroisau and rugged Cronulla Sharks back-rower Tupou Sopoaga. Other handy additions include Adrian Davis (Redcliffe) and Rodney Coates (Mounties). This emergence of home-grown talent will continue to ensure fierce competition for spots in the top grade despite the plethora of fringe players who have left the club in 2015 headed by Tim Grant, along with the retirement of Kevin Kingston.

WHY THEY'LL WIN IT
Its "spine" which for a number of years has been Penrith's Achilles heel but is now recognised as one of the best in the NRL spear-headed by genuine match-winners in Matt Moylan, Jamie Soward and James Segeyaro and aided by the experienced Peter Wallace. Despite the incredible injury toll last year, Penrith's success was largely built on being able to keep Moylan, Soward and Segeyaro on the field and come into 2015 much the better having now built that combination up in 2014 and provided they all remain injury-free, the Panthers will win more games than they will lose.

WHY THEY WON'T
For two thirds of the 2014 season, the Panthers were deemed to be title pretenders despite leading the competition on the back of what was perceived to be a very soft draw that favoured their results. In 2015, the draw looks much tougher on paper as the Panthers will face fellow 2014 top 4 teams Souths, Sydney & Manly twice instead of Cronulla, St George Illawarra & the New Zealand Warriors, three teams that didn't make the top eight in 2014. Of their 9 games played against top 8 opponents, the Panthers won just 4 & given the extra 3 games against top 8 teams in 2015 the Panthers will need to improve that record just to maintain their status as a top 4 team.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Matt Moylan
Having not missed a NRL game in 2014, Moylan's stellar season saw him earn selection in the Australian Four Nations squad and is seen as a front runner for the NSW Blues fullback spot, vacated as a result of Jarryd Hayne's decision to seek a NFL contract. Already compared to Darren Lockyer, the expectation to perform to those same lofty levels in 2015 will be immense.

ROOKIE TO WATCH
Reagan Campbell-Gillard
The Junior Kangaroo & Fijian international prop, having won both the Holden Cup & NSW Cup in consecutive years, is primed to take the next step & debut in the NRL in 2015 especially now that Tim Grant has made the move to South Sydney. Campbell-Gillard can play big minutes, has a high work-rate in both attack and defence and is surprisingly agile given his size.

PLAYER MOVEMENT
GAINS - Ben Murdoch-Masila (mid-season Wests Tigers), Apisai Koroisau (South Sydney), Tupou Sopoaga (Cronulla), Rodney Coates (Mounties), Adrian Davis (Redcliffe)
LOSSES - Tim Grant (South Sydney), Kevin Kingston (retired), Kevin Naiqama (Wests Tigers), Matt Robinson (Gold Coast), Kierran Moseley (Gold Coast), Ryan Simpkins (Gold Coast), Wes Naiqama (London Broncos), Tom Humble (Townsville), Luke Capewell (Redcliffe), Anthony Cherrington (Redcliffe), Eto Nabuli (St George-Illawarra), Vaipuna Tia-Kilifi (Northern Pride)

BEST LINE-UP
1. Matt Moylan
2. Josh Mansour
3. Jamal Idris
4. Dean Whare
5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
6. Jamie Soward
7. Peter Wallace
8. Brent Kite
9. James Segeyaro
10. Nigel Plum
11. Bryce Cartwright
12. Tyrone Peachey
13. Elijah Taylor
Interchange: 14. Sam McKendry 15. Jeremy Latimore 16. Adam Docker 17. Lewis Brown