Panthers, Eels have form for playoffs

PENRITH and Parramatta appear most likely to emerge from the traffic jam of five teams on 22 points trying to secure a finals berth.

The clubs, of which two are inside the eight on percentage (Cowboys and Sharks) and three outside (Eels, Panthers and Raiders) will ensure the final five rounds of the regular season are fascinating.

The yardstick for making the finals has usually been 28 points, so these clubs will need three wins from the remaining five matches to secure a place.

From 'Club 22', Parramatta and Penrith have the best form and John Cartwright, coach of 2007's new club Gold Coast Titans, believes that is the platform necessary to make the eight.

"Parramatta is definitely in red-hot form at the moment and at this time of year you're looking for sides that are consistently playing well," Cartwright, who toured with the 1990 Kangaroos, said.

The Eels are on the hottest streak from 'Club 22', winning six on the trot, while the Panthers have won four of their past six.

"You'd think they (Eels) would get one of the spots and the Panthers, too, are in really good form.

"They demolished the Warriors last Saturday and had a bit of bad luck against Manly the week before.

"I think the Panthers are starting to hit real form and not winning by chance."

The Eels, however, seem to have the toughest run home. They only have two home games and face two teams in the top four. But at least both those matches (Dragons and Broncos) are at Parramatta Stadium.

On the other hand Penrith looks to have the best run home, playing only one top four side (Bulldogs) in round 26 at Penrith. The Panthers could secure their three wins before that because they face the two bottom teams (Rabbitohs and Roosters) over the next two weeks and then the out-of-form Sharks in round 24.

But Cartwright, a veteran of 200 games for Penrith including two grand finals and a premiership in 1991, said his former club would draw on the experience of 2005 when it failed by two points, or one win, to make the eight.

"I think last year they were behind the eight ball a bit at this time trying to keep pace," Cartwright said.

"But this year they've got themselves into a position to really make a raid on the eight."

However, there's no talk at the club of Penrith being the smokey of the 2006 competition.

"How we're looking at it, and it's an old cliche, is realistically we're concentrating on this weekend only," Penrith general manager Mick Leary said.

"We've got to concentrate on ourselves and not worry about anyone else, except Souths because that's who we're playing next.

"I know it sounds like a well-used line but we can't get ahead of ourselves."

From the five in 'Club 22', only two (Cowboys and Sharks) have three home games, which is usually a help in bidding for competition points, while Canberra is the only side from the five with a bye - a certain two points, leaving it to secure just two wins.

But Canberra, like the Eels, meets two top four teams (Broncos and Storm) in its quest for those wins.

The two teams clinging by their fingernails to the eight, the Cowboys in 7th and Sharks in 8th, have a similar run home. They both have three home games and face only one top four team.
But they are both struggling. North Queensland has notched just two wins from the past eight rounds while Cronulla has lost its past five.