Elliott admits Panthers need to do more - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Elliott admits Panthers need to do more

By David Beniuk 03/08/2010 06:22:57 PM Comments (0)

After months of questions about Penrith's reliance on kicks to score tries, coach Matt Elliott has conceded the Panthers' attack needs to find another dimension.

Elliott has consistently defended the mountain of tries coming from the boot of halfback Luke Walsh, who tops the NRL's try assists list.

The second-placed Panthers have for much of the season been the competition's leading tryscorers and currently average 4.3 per match, a shade below South Sydney and the Sydney Roosters' 4.4.

They average 24.9 points per game, equal best with the Roosters.

"I'm openly defensive about it because I just got sick of being asked the same question," Elliott told AAP on Tuesday.

But he admitted change was needed, even after Penrith righted their ship with a win over North Queensland last Friday after three straight losses.

"We need to add some things to our attack," he said.

"We're just a little predictable and we need to unlock a couple of our key assets and we're not doing that just at the moment.

"(The kick's) only got us to where we've got to, it's not going to get us to where we need to get to.

"It was certainly part of the journey and our kicking potency is not something that we want to lose, it's something that we want to add to.

"If we don't improve, if we keep playing the same way that we have done, even when we won four in a row, we're not going to achieve what we set out to achieve."

Penrith have the third best defence in the NRL, behind St George Illawarra and Melbourne, but Elliott is also looking for improvement there.

"Large slices of our defence have been consistently good," he said.

"With our defence it's not what we have to add to it, it's what we have to remove from it.

"We've come up with individuals making dud decisions outside our structure and it's cost us."

Meanwhile, the Panthers are confident of completing a deal with New Zealand international Frank Pritchard soon, having already locked up Michael Jennings and Michael Gordon.

Elliott said it was just a case of finalising "all the little nuances that go with it".

"I'd like to think that it's sorted out pretty soon," he said.

Forward Daine Laurie has returned to football with NSW Cup side Windsor after a break from his duties with the Panthers for family reasons.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

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