Despite winning through to a Preliminary Final with an 8-6 victory over Parramatta on Saturday night, Penrith’s premiership credentials have been brought into question.
Having finished second on the ladder and entering the post-season as a competition favourite, the Panthers lost their opening final to South Sydney 16-10 before just edging out the Eels in a tough semi-final slog.
Known for their expansive ball-playing and creativity at their best, Penrith have only been able to muster two tries in their opening two finals games.
With their play being unlike what we’re used to seeing from them, Matty Johns believes Ivan Cleary’s side is tiring at this late stage of the campaign.
“What I see with Penrith, is there was talk after their first final loss to Souths that they looked tired,” Johns said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“I sort of rejected that a little bit, I just thought they were down on emotion and not as ramped up as they should have been thinking they’d roll over Souths.
“But I saw that Saturday night, I saw a tired football side.”
Johns believes one of the key signs of fatigue is a lack of creativity, and he singled out two stars that aren’t playing their natural games.
“I think it manifests itself in footballers with when you start to play tired, the thing that suffers is your creativity,” Johns explained.
“Penrith are really struggling creatively at the moment, they’re a long way from being the side that were blowing sides off the park early and mid-season.
“That’s the concern for me, Isaah Yeo went from being a creative player to just taking hit-ups.
“Even to the point where the other night I thought Nathan Cleary kicked really conservatively, there was none of those big towering bombs.
“It’s a concern for Penrith.”
The Panthers will be hoping for improvement as they come up against the Storm in a highly-anticipated Preliminary Final clash this Saturday in Brisbane.
The winner will face the victor of the South Sydney versus Manly clash in the 2021 NRL Grand Final.