They were tipped by many to be NRL grand finalists in 2017.
Young, strong, full of attacking bite and flair, with the ability to tear teams apart from anywhere on the field. The Penrith Panthers were going to take the competition by storm this year, finish off what they started in 2016.
But instead of dominating the NRL, the Panthers have floundered. They sit in ninth position with only eight wins from 17 games. They have largely flattered to deceive. Tomorrow they take on the Titans at Pepper Stadium. Victory could see them jump into the top eight, depending on how the Dragons fare against Manly.
With six more rounds left, they are still a chance of making the finals but there are no guarantees. They face the Bulldogs, the Wests Tigers, North Queensland, Canberra, the Dragons and Manly over the next month and a half. In terms of runs, it is not the most difficult.
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But sneaking into the top eight will be a stark contrast to the big expectations facing Penrith at the start of the season. With the arrival of Test prop James Tamou, many thought they would be a top four, or top two, team. One of the dominant forces. But only recently, with two victories on the trot, have they started to show what they are capable of.
Why have they failed to live up to the hype? A bad injury to hooker Peter Wallace hasn’t helped, with Wallace one of the Panthers’ key men. Neither has the constant shuffling around of Tyrone Peachey from position to position and the bench. Josh Mansour has been missing for 11 games with injury, as has livewire playmaker Bryce Cartwright, while Peta Hiku and Te Maire Martin have departed for other clubs.
Until recently, when he carved up the Warriors, Nathan Cleary may have suffered from second-year syndrome. Matt Moylan was moved from his customary fullback position to five-eighth to try and spark the side. Something, somewhere has just been off.
Englishmen Zak Hardaker spent half of the 2016 season on loan at the foot of the mountains, making 11 appearances for Penrith. He was part of the side that reached the semi-final against the Canberra last year, before returning to Super League to join Castleford.
Hardaker admits it’s hard to pin down why the Panthers have failed to show their best this season.
“It’s a difficult transition at the moment,” he told The Sportsman.
“I think he’s just trying to bring young guys through and they seem to be stepping up. It’s one of those balances that he’s trying to get right, but at the moment they’re probably not. A few boys have left. Hopefully at the back end of the season they can make a bit of a run. If those don’t make the semis this year hopefully they can rebuild and go again next year.”
2017 has not gone to plan for the Chocolate Soldiers. But Hardaker believes this year is just a blip and all is not lost. He feels Penrith are on the right track for the years ahead, even if a late finals charge is beyond them.
“The future’s real bright. The whole thing down at Penrith, they’ve got some really good kids who are only 18, 19 years old and have got a lot of years under their belt there. I think it’s a bit of a transformation at the moment, bringing in some of the young guys through. I’m still rooting for them.”
