If any further proof was needed that the 2014 Penrith Panthers are a very different outfit to the teams of the previous few years, you only needed to watch the nail-biting one-point loss to the Melbourne Storm last weekend.
After comfortably beating Newcastle in the opening round, the Panthers produced a stunning performance against the Storm, with just a little bit of luck going against them in the end. Again it was Peter Wallace who provided the calm, steady head for the Panthers.
The Panthers return home this weekend to take on a Canterbury side that is very much an unknown quantity.
They were awful in round one against Brisbane and the scoreline flattered them – they simply didn’t have any spark in attack and clearly missed the enthusiasm of Ben Barba at fullback.
Last weekend they easily demolished an injury-ravaged Cronulla, but the Sharks are facing a range of issues and don’t necessarily offer the best form line.
Saturday afternoon’s game at Sportingbet Stadium will be telling for both sides.
For the Panthers, their mental toughness will be tested after the heartbreak of the 18-17 loss to the Storm.
For the Bulldogs, they need to prove that last weekend’s win over Cronulla wasn’t just taking advantage of a side decimated by injuries to key players like Todd Carney and Luke Lewis.
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler knows Penrith will be a real test for his team. At his post-match press conference following the win over Cronulla on Monday night, Hasler labelled the Panthers “the form team of the competition” after the opening rounds.
“We’re going to have to play very well against them,” he said.
The key for the Bulldogs lies with halfback Trent Hodkinson, who had a standout game against the Sharks with a personal tally of 18 points.
He was heavily involved in the contest and really ensured Cronulla never found their way into the game.
The challenge for Hodkinson and his opposite number this weekend, Peter Wallace, is to win the battle early.
Neither halfback stands tall on the NRL mountain and both have plenty to prove this season, but the player who best controls this game in the opening 20 minutes may well lay the platform for what the following hour provides.
The Dogs are a confidence team – when their heads are down, they struggle to get back into matches. The Panthers on the other hand simply don’t give up and just kept coming at the Storm even when it appeared everything was against them.
The battle of the two forward packs looks enticing, too – in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a fair few bruises in the sheds afterwards given the grunt up front for both sides.
Expect the ‘bash brothers’ in Nigel Plum and Adam Docker to relish the opportunity against players like Frank Pritchard, James Graham and Tony Williams. The return of Tim Grant – who has plenty to prove with rumours about his future refusing to go away – will be a big boost for Penrith.
Whilst the battle up front and the mental contest between the halves will be crucial in this game, I really think this is the match that we could see Jamal Idris spring to life in Panthers colours.
Against one of his former clubs, Idris looks to have the measure of his opposite number in Josh Morris when it comes to sheer strength. Idris showed great skill in his partnership with Kevin Naiqama last weekend and no matter who he has alongside him this week, don’t be surprised to see them cross for a couple of four-pointers.
Whilst the Bulldogs’ performance on Monday night is a bit of a worry given the confidence they would have taken from it, the short turnaround time and their lack of spark in key positions points to the Panthers overpowering them in the end.
Tip: Panthers by 12
