Phil Gould's arrival at the Penrith Panthers heralded the start of a new era.
It would mark the time the club at the foot of mountains would climb the NRL ladder and become a force again. What the fans didn't know at the time would be that club stalwarts Michael Gordon and more importantly Luke Lewis would be shown the door.
The poaching of Ivan Cleary from the Warriors signalled a raft of changes which has seen the club acquire a group of hard working players that have to earn their spots on performance - and not reputation.
Michael Jennings' departure leaves a massive hole in the centres, but the acquisition of Wes Naiqama and Geoff Daniela's ability to slot into the position means they can fill it.
Two former Rabbitohs in James Roberts and Josh Mansour take both wing positions, which is complemented by Dean Whare at fullback. Roberts is also a more than capable fullback, and a shift later on in the season would not come as a surprise. Gould's recruitment drive sees the club have more than enough cover, with Brad Tighe, David Simmons, Mosese Pangai, Danny Galea and Junior Tia-Kilifi all waiting in the wings.
The shifting of Lachlan Coote to five-eighth is bewildering. Coaches seem to be moving fullbacks to the playmaking positions all the time these days and it is something that does not always work. If Coote has playmaking ability, he would provide more from fullback and give the squad other options. Instead, Cleary has partnered Coote with Luke Walsh. Walsh is the seasoned veteran in this instance, and will be expected to lead the troops around. Blake Austin and Tom Humble provide the cover in these important positions.
The forward pack is made up of many hard-working graduates from the school of hard knocks. Blokes like Sika Manu, Tim Grant and Sam McKendry will lead the pack, with the mobile Lewis Brown, Cameron Ciraldo and Jeremy Latimore offering more-than-able support. Mose Masoe, Dayne Weston, Nigel Plum, Clint Newton, Ryan Simpkins, Shane Shackleton, Kyle O'Donnell and Matt Robinson offer cover for injury.
The recuitment of James Segeyaro sees the Panthers have two fine hookers at their disposal. Combined with Kevin Kingston, the strike pairing could see the Panthers charge to the top eight.
Panthers: 1. Lachlan Coote 2. Josh Mansour 3. Dean Whare 4. Wes Naiqama 5. James Roberts 6. Blake Austin 7. Luke Walsh 8. Tim Grant 9. Kevin Kingston 10. Sam McKendry 11. Sika Manu 12. Cameron Ciraldo 13. Lewis Brown Interchange 14. James Segeyaro 15. Nigel Plum 16. Jeremy Latimore 17. Nathan Smith
On the fringe: Geoff Daniela, Clint Newton, David Simmons, Brad Tighe, Mosese Pangai, Dayne Weston, Mose Masoe, Danny Galea, Junior Tia-Kilifi, Ryan Simpkins, Shane Shackleton, Tom Humble, Kyle O'Donnell
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