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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 3156131, member: 1899"] I'm really looking forward to the Panthers and Raiders clash. At the resumption of the season, I was sceptical of the Panthers form and thought they were just a step below the other teams. At that stage they were undefeated, but the only convincing win they'd managed was against the Warriors who are doing well just to name 17 players. It really wasn't until they put 50 on Cronulla that they started to get my attention and they've since followed that by putting 40 on Manly. For years I've been frustrated with the Panthers. They reminded me so much of Melbourne circa 2003-05 where you could see the championship qualities but they just couldn't put them together for an 80 minute performance. Even when they would go on a run like they did in 2018, usually it took a couple of key injuries and when the team would come together they would seem at odds with one another. What we're seeing now is a team that's played together for years coming into their own at the highest level and in these troubling times they've really helped each other through them. They're strong across park and play that up-tempo style that other teams struggle with. Meanwhile appeared that the Raiders physical style had caught up with them. Down on troops, they weren't challenging teams like they used to. When I think of the Raiders circa 2019, I think of a team that would find a way to create a challenge on any tackle anywhere on the field. They would turn the ball over and you'd think 'oh well, they're in trouble now' just to steal it right back and score not long after. That had disappeared out of their play until Hodgson went down and Ricky was able to light a fire underneath them and got them up against the Roosters. It was one of their greatest victories of recent memory and has set them up for a resurgence. Last week I thought they were fortunate to get away with a victory but with more hands on deck against the competition leaders I'm curious to see how they'll challenge these Panthers. Will the Panthers step up? Or can Ricky get his boys to rough them up and frustrate them out of the contest? [/QUOTE]

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