Extra Time March 3

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Friday, March 3, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

PANTHER RUMBLINGS

with the Masked Panther

SAM'S happy news » While it’s been a tough couple of years

on the injury front for big Sam McKendry, there’s no doubt that off the field his life is coming together nicely. He and his wife Kirsten already have a little girl, Isla, and are now expecting their second child. The new addition to the McKendry clan will be a boy. As for the injury, the former New Zealand Test star is hoping to be back on the field before the mid-way point of the season after revelations that his ACL tear was not as bad as first feared.

» It has become quite a tradition at Pan-

thers to present players who have joined the top grade squad for the first time with their own locker name plate. This week, coach Anthony Griffin presented a name plate to rising star Dylan Edwards, who made his first grade debut last season and is now part of the full-time squad.

» Phil Gould’s never-ending battle with

the NRL continued last week, with the Panthers boss suggesting the code’s governing body is too influenced by the media and those using Facebook and Twitter. Responding to rumours about a potential ‘captain’s challenge’ being introduced to the NRL, Gould Tweeted: “They make it up. NRL totally influenced by media/social media. If enough people on social media said ‘use a round ball’, they would do it”.

» Spotted: Panthers coach Anthony Griffin doing some shopping in Myer in the Sydney CBD last weekend.

» If you really love our bearded friend

Josh Mansour, head over to The Shack in Lemongrove where you can buy a meal named after the Panthers star. The Josh Mansour Protein Power Meal includes grilled grassfed sirloin steak, chicken tenderloins, steamed green vegetables and cauliflower rice. At $26, it’s one of the most expensive items on the menu – and it doesn’t even come with ‘Sauce’! (See what we did there?). Seriously though, give it a try – it has Mansour’s tick of approval.

» It’s the battle of the pop stars as far as

the TV broadcasters go this year with Delta Goodrem becoming the face of Nine’s coverage and Jessica Mauboy doing plenty of work with Fox Sports.

Nine’s ad featuring Goodrem is impressive but one gets the feeling that the free-to-air broadcaster will struggle this year against the new Fox League channel, which launched on Monday night. While Fox comes across as being innovative and passionate about the game, much of Nine’s coverage appears the same including the very dated, very unfunny ‘Footy Show’. Nine will always win the ratings given it broadcasts to more people but it’ll be interesting to see if the launch of a 24 hour channel decreases the gap somewhat.

» What is OAK Plus? It’s been a very

common question since the branding was revealed across Penrith’s new jerseys for the 2017 season. I’m told whatever the product is, it’ll have a mid-year launch.

My tip? A milk-focused energy drink!

» A big blow to the Men of League foun-

dation with State Manager Stuart Raper calling it quits. Raper, the former coach of Cronulla, is taking up a new position with the NSWRL. Men of League started a Penrith committee two years ago, with a number of local events planned in 2017.

» Scott McRae would have to be the long-

est serving ground announcer in the NRL. When he returns to Pepper Stadium later this month for the opening game of the season against the Roosters, it will mark his 20th year on the microphone. McRae has survived the axe a couple of times, and even got through the ‘defence, one set’ era unscathed.

» You may have noticed the hair of

injured Panthers winger Dallin WateneZelezniak looking a bit long and scruffy of late. I’m told the Kiwi international will book in for a fresh hair cut on the eve of his expected return against the Roosters in Round 3.

Josh Mansour at The Shack with George Jennings

» A new rugby league video game

appears to be on the way. Fox League commentator Andrew Voss this week recorded much of the commentary for the game, which is expected to be released on both PlayStation4 and XBoxOne. Look out for it later in the year.

» Bryce Cartwright is sporting some new

ink. The talented Panther and his new girlfriend have matching tattoos, which include the time and date they got together and a special saying. They’ve only been together for a few months but the relationship seems to be going well.

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MATCH PREVIEW

on the road again PANTHERS V DRAGONS | SATURDAY, MARCH 4 • 4.30PM | KOGARAH OVAL | REFEREES: HENRY PERENARA & PETER GOUGH

PANTHERS 1

Matt Moylan (c)

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Dean Whare Waqa Blake Tyrone Peachey Peta Hiku Te Maire Martin Nathan Cleary James Tamou Peter Wallace Reagan Campbell-Gillard Bryce Cartwright Isaah Yeo Trent Merrin James Fisher-Harris 15 L Latu Tim Browne 17 Moses Leota S Aakauola 19 Dylan Edwards Mitch Rein 21 Sione Katoa

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 3, 2017

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DRAGONS

Matt Moylan

TROY DODDS @troydodds

F

or the first time in 51 seasons, the Penrith Panthers enter round one as premiership favourites.

It is an enormous burden to carry, and as anyone who has followed rugby league long enough knows, being given the favouritism tag in February generally means very little come September.

With the Dragons tipped by many to miss the top eight this year, it is no surprise that the Panthers are considered close to sure things in this Saturday’s encounter at Kogarah Oval.

But rugby league is very rarely won on paper and a number of factors will

ensure this game is closer than the betting markets may suggest.

The first is the weather. Kogarah has copped a drenching this week and there’s a 90 per cent chance of rain on game day – far different conditions to those the Panthers faced in their pre-season trials.

Holding onto the footy will be at a premium and neither side is likely to want to throw the ball around, so you can expect a dour game with the effort of the forwards to come into focus.

And despite what the pre-season predictions may suggest, the Dragons don’t have a bad forward pack. Paul Vaughan, Russell Packer, Tyson Frizell and Joel Thompson are no slouches, and when you throw Jack de Belin and new recruit Tariq Sims into the mix, you can see that Paul McGregor’s problems don’t exist up front.

Of course there are significant question marks over St George-Illawarra’s attack

but the rain will ensure things are levelled out a little there on Saturday.

The other factor that plays a part in this encounter is the venue.

Round one always provides an upset or two and it’s often because a home team, sometimes under-rated, puts in an enormous effort to kick off the season in front of their own fans.

The game may still be worth two points no matter what the round but there’s something about the first home game of the season that gives a side an added push.

Penrith fans should also not fall victim to expecting too much too early from their highly fancied squad.

Te Maire Martin and Nathan Cleary may be the most exciting young halves partnership in the competition but they’ve actually played very little footy together and will take time to gel.

The new forward pack dynamic will also

1

Josh Dugan

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 18 20

Nene Macdonald Euan Aitken Timoteo Lafai Jason Nightingale Gareth Widdop (c) Josh McCrone Russell Packer Cameron McInnes Paul Vaughan Tyson Frizell Joel Thompson Jack de Belin Tariq Sims 15 Leeson Ah Mau Jacob Host 17 Jai Field Kurt Mann 19 Taane Milne Jake Marketo 21 Hame Sele

take a little time to work itself out with James Tamou now leading the way and Trent Merrin a year older and wiser, and seemingly very keen to take on a leadership role this season.

Ever since the draw come out late last year I’ve looked at these two opening games of the season on the road as 50/50 propositions.

Nothing should surprise anyone in round one – teams are still working on combinations and implementing what they’ve worked on at training in a real game environment.

Expect Peter Wallace to calm things down especially in the wet conditions.

I’m tipping Penrith this weekend but whatever the result, let’s remember – premierships aren’t won in March. Win or lose, take the positives and do better next week – it’s as a simple as that.

Tip: Panthers by 8

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Friday, March 3, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

FEATURE

NEW DEAL LOOMING NATHAN TAYLOR @natetaylor87

I

njured Penrith Panthers winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has revealed he’s on the verge of signing a new, multi-year deal with the club.

Currently sidelined until Round 3 following recent knee surgery, the 21-year-old Kiwi international said he wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.

“I love Penrith, I’ve been here since I was 12-years-old playing in development squads,” he told Extra Time.

“The club’s done nothing wrong by me and have always looked after my family and I. “I’m not sure when the deal will be announced as my manager is looking after it but I’m hoping sooner rather than later.”

Watene-Zelezniak will miss this weekend’s opening round clash against St George-Illawarra after a reoccurrence

of an old knee injury during recent preseason training.

The flyer is hopeful of being back in time for Penrith’s first home game against the Roosters on March 18.

“I had a little tear in my meniscus and I had to have a little clean out,” he said.

“I could’ve played this season with it but if I injured it again during a game, I could’ve been out for the whole season.

“We had some time up our sleeve, so I decided to get it fixed up now.”

Watene-Zelezniak said he’ll try to take some positives out of his delayed start to the year.

“Everything happens for a reason and it allows my body to freshen up for a long season ahead,” he said.

“I played the whole season last year and it was very long. To be able to have this time to freshen up and get ready for the year will be awesome.”

Towards the end of 2016 WateneZelezniak had the opportunity to tour

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is on the verge of re-signing with the Panthers the UK with New Zealand’s Four Nations squad.

While he only managed to get on the field for one game during the series, the talented Kiwi relished his time away overseas.

“It was an awesome experience. To be able to see places I’ve never been to before or seen in movies was really cool,” he said.

“It’s good to say I’ve been to those places now and it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

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HARD YARDS AHEAD NATHAN TAYLOR @natetaylor87

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fter a career riddled with injury, new Panthers recruit Tim Browne has a renewed lease on life at the foot of the Mountains.

Despite debuting at Canterbury way back in 2010, the 29-year-old prop has only played 84 first grade games following a raft of injuries early in his career.

With his time at the Bulldogs coming to a close courtesy of the Panthers during last year’s semi finals, Browne said the time was right for a change further west.

“I was with the Dogs for seven seasons and I was looking for a change, I didn’t want to get complacent with my footy,” he told Extra Time.

“I feel like I’m still relatively young in the sport because I was injured a lot in my early 20’s. I was looking for another opportunity and Gus and Anthony [Griffin] approached me and said there might be something for you here if you are willing to come and work your butt off.”

Browne signed a three-year deal with the Panthers, much to the surprise of the local fan base who thought the hardworking forward didn’t fit Penrith’s ‘sexy’ young line-up.

However, Browne is expected to be more than a workhorse for the club and is considered a leader among his peers.

“I just want to get on the field and rip in for this team and really earn my spot.

Hopefully I can take a few of the boys with me and inspire them if I can,” Browne said.

“There’s nothing pretty about my game, it’s all about hard work.”

Browne said he’s feeling refreshed in his new surrounds.

“The enthusiastic young blokes make you feel real fresh,” he said.

“I have a deep love for footy at the moment – I’m driven, passionate and it’s worked out great that I get to play here.”

Browne will be hoping his strong work ethic will earn him a bench spot in his debut game for the Panthers this Saturday against the Dragons.

With Penrith going into the season as premiership favourites, the same can’t be said for St George-Illawarra who are tipped to endure another tough year.

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 3, 2017

FEATURE

Tim Browne going through his paces before Penrith’s trial against Parramatta Browne said this could be a danger game for the Panthers if they believe their own hype.

“If we buy into our own media hype then

they are going to pull our pants down,” he said.

“They are a very talented side and we’ve got to be wary of that.”

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Friday, March 3, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

Panthers must realise teams will be watching their every move

JAMIE SOWARD

W

e’re on the cusp of another NRL season and my first since retiring from the game at the end of last year.

For my debut column in Extra Time, I thought I’d take you through my top eight predictions, how the Panthers will fair in 2017, as well as who I’m tipping this weekend between my two former clubs in the Dragons and Penrith.

In no particular order, my top eight for 2017 should look like this at the end of 26 rounds: Penrith, Melbourne, North Queensland, Roosters, Canberra, New Zealand, Brisbane and South Sydney.

I’ve left a few teams out like the Bulldogs and Parramatta but you can only pick eight teams and it is a hard choice with so many on the improve.

I noticed in recent weeks everyone tipping the Panthers to take out this year’s title.

I think the expectation can be welcomed by the Panthers and they should feel proud they are on everyone’s radar.

However, you don’t want to get too comfortable with it all and knowing Hook

(Anthony Griffin), he won’t allow that. For the Panthers they should aim to win three from their first four games, and they have to realise teams will be watching them.

I personally think they’ll go great – they have good depth and the key to me is Tyrone Peachey. Where do you play him?

Where’s his best fit?

If Penrith can get the balance right between playing ‘entertaining footy’ and ‘grind it out footy’, then they’ll be hard to stop.

I’m looking forward to seeing Nathan Cleary and Te Marie Martin team up in the halves for the first time this weekend.

What that young halves pairing have in their favour is veteran Peter Wallace at hooker.

Wal’s a great leader on the field and will control the ruck much like Mick Ennis did at the Sharks.

For Te Maire, he’s only played a couple of first grade games and, when I played with him, we told him to run and support and that’s what he’s good at.

I think Nathan will do the bulk of the kicking and directing of play, and we’ll see Moyza chime in when he needs to.

This Saturday afternoon my two former

clubs in the Panthers and Dragons will do battle at Kogarah.

It’s a tough environment to play at because you go there thinking one thing and then all of a sudden it’s tight with a couple of minutes to go.

The Dragons have an uncanny knack, at Kogarah, of playing within themselves

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 3, 2017

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and they always find a way to win. The only danger for Penrith will be within the team themselves. If the Panthers go in believing their own hype and don’t perform then they could come out surprise losers in Round 1.

I don’t think that happens though and I’m tipping the Panthers.

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Friday, March 3, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

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Friday, March 3, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

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There’s plenty of clubs with realistic chances of title glory

WARREN SMITH

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urning potential into premiership points – it’s what every fan hopes their team can do at the beginning of each new NRL season.

Some will have greater expectations than others, and right at the top of the pile should be Panthers supporters.

Heading into 2017 they know they have a team that has the attacking ability to blow other outfits off the park.

There’s a ridiculous amount of skill in so many of their best 17 players, and if they can bring a defensive resolve to their work this season there’s no reason why it couldn’t be party time in Penrith come early October.

The team that ended the Panthers’ challenge last season, Canberra, will have similar thoughts as the competition gets underway.

No team scored more points than the Raiders in 2016, and after going so close to qualifying for the Grand Final, nobody who has a fondness for lime green clothing is expecting anything other than a red-hot tilt at this year’s title.

You’d expect Melbourne and Brisbane to

do what they seemingly always do – put themselves in a position to win another premiership – and anything less than a top eight finish for either of them would be a major surprise.

While ever Johnathan Thurston (pictured) is lacing up his boots for the Cowboys it’s hard to imagine the North Queenslanders missing out on a finals berth, and if the Roosters manage to make headlines for the right reasons this season, then they also have more than enough ability at their disposal to be a huge factor in the race for the trophy.

If we put all six of those clubs down for a finals appearance it leaves just two spots to be filled from the other 10 teams. It’s at this point where the crystal ball gets somewhat cloudy.

The Sharks were tremendous in taking the title last year, but having lost key players in Michael Ennis and Ben Barba, their chances of repeating as premiers have taken a hit.

Can the Warriors produce their best football on a more regular basis with Kieran Foran and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the line-up?

Will the Bulldogs prove the critics wrong

and show they have the attacking ability to match the top teams? Whichever way it all works out – and after a long hot summer – it’s great to have rugby league back!

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 3, 2017

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Extra Time Issue Number 001 PRINTED BY Spotpress Pty Ltd / PRODUCED BY The Western Weekender EDITOR Troy Dodds / 4722 2998 / troy.dodds@westernweekender.com.au

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an import that left his mark TROY DODDS @troydodds

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hese days we see Sam Burgess and James Graham as the biggest English imports in the game, but back in the 1970s Penrith secured a major coup by bringing Bill Ashurst to Australia.

Ashurst had played with Wigan from 1968 until 1973, and joined the Panthers for the 1974 season.

Ashurst was one of the finest players in England, and came to the Panthers with fellow English international Mike Stephenson. It was big news for the Panthers, and for rugby league in Australia, that two players of such profile would head to the western suburbs of Sydney in the prime of their careers.

Ashurst’s transfer fee was a record for the time – a whopping $27,700.

A second-rower with class and skill, Ashurst was an immediate hit with Panthers fans.

Even though he would only play three seasons with Penrith – leaving suddenly before the 1977 season kicked off – Ashurst left his mark, and in 2006 was named in the club’s Team of Legends.

Former Panthers Chairman, Don Feltis, notes just what a special achievement that was given his short time with the club.

“For someone to have played just the 46 games with our club and to make the Team of Legends just goes to show what an outstanding player he was,” Feltis told Extra Time.

“Back when he played with the Panthers a second row forward chip kicking over the opposition, running around regaining possession and scoring was a very rare achievement. Bill Ashurst did that a

number of times. He could turn a game in a matter of minutes. He was one of the most gifted players I had the pleasure of seeing play.”

In the Panthers Men In Black book, Ashurst speaks of his time at the Panthers.

“I have wonderful memories of Penrith... the beautiful home we lived in, the super view of the Blue Mountains and the great friends we made during our four years there,” he said.

So, why did Ashurst leave at the start of 1977?

That’s still one of the biggest unanswered questions in Penrith’s history.

“With regard to why and the way I left the club, I would like to keep them personal but I would like to come back to the club one day – finances permitting – to apologise for the way it was done,” Ashurst said in Men in Black.

“I went through a very emotional time in my marriage. My wife had come home

the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 3, 2017

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Bill Ashurst with the kids and I just felt trapped and lost without them.”

Ashurst now lives in England.

Time has ensured that his name is no longer on everyone’s lips at Penrith, but whenever anyone talks about the old days, there’s no doubt that Bill Ashurst’s name gets a mention.

WW24517

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Friday, March 3, 2017 « the western weekender • extra time

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tr ivia 1. Who did the Panthers lose to in the Auckland Nines Grand Final?

2. Who is the ground announcer celebrating 20 years at Penrith Stadium this year? (pictured) 3. Who is the current CEO of the Panthers?

4. Which team will the Panthers play in Bathurst this year?

5. Which former Bulldog has joined the Panthers this year?

ANSWERS: 1. Roosters; 2. Scott McRae; 3. Brian Fletcher; 4. Canberra; 5. Tim Browne

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the western weekender • extra time » Friday, March 3, 2017

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47

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