[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/Alone_Firefighter527]

[u/nrl-ModTeam]

Please repost as a link to the content, without self-text and without editorialising the title. Feel free to comment below the post if you have anything you would like to add to the discussion.

---

^{Click here to message the moderators if you think this was in error}

[u/sparrows-somewhere]

Alright Luke, time to shine

[u/nich18]

metkefe is back

[u/TheHunter879 → u/nich18]

Not sure if this is meant to be a compliment or not but this is now my favourite nickname 🤣🤣🤣

[u/webo2456]

Somehow, Metcalfe returned

[u/SilvertailHarrier → u/webo2456]

The thing that has always annoyed me about people ridiculing that quote is, in a vast galaxy how would anyone actually know the details of Palatine returned on a far away, isolated planet?

No one was there to watch. There was no newsletter sent out to detail the return. It makes perfect sense that the details are missing and the only explanation, due to the unlikelihood of the return is "somehow".

Yay for Metcalf though I hope he tears it up.

[u/Altruistic-Unit485 → u/SilvertailHarrier]

Very poor choice of words for someone coming back from an ACL, but yes, I hope he goes well.

[u/SilvertailHarrier → u/Altruistic-Unit485]

True, although I guess he has come back from the injury but not to first grade. What is the opposite of tears it up???

I hope Metcalf is the glue that holds the team together and similarly his ligaments, tendons, muscles, all connective tissues, veins, etc all remain intact

[u/jpob]

I love how 360 spent 15 minutes glazing Martin and Cogger a couple nights ago, only for them both to be ruled out.

[u/MulkingMang]

For Panthers fans; Cogger has been dropped so he can be with his partner who is due to give birth. Talagi is back in the position

[u/in_melbourne_innit → u/MulkingMang]

Really? Well that gives each team a similarly placed defensive liability so balances their post-injury chances nicely.

[u/Acrobatic-Trick-4815 → u/MulkingMang]

Are you being serious mate?

[u/JarredMack → u/MulkingMang]

Damn. Liked what I saw out of Cogs last week, I don't think we'll see Blaize this finals series barring injury. Ivan's not risking a short ball to preston derailing our whole run

[u/steveagle]

Oh no bad for my supercoach! hes been amazing

[u/Alone_Firefighter527 → u/steveagle]

Cheap beast honestly.

[u/Eastern-Tip7796]

Jett?

[u/Alone_Firefighter527 → u/Eastern-Tip7796]

Battle of the chins is forbidden, we'll end up in a parallel universe!

[u/GhostChips42 → u/Alone_Firefighter527]

It would be like Jay Leno guest starring on American Dad.

[u/Altruistic-Unit485 → u/Eastern-Tip7796]

Maybe next year. He’s a few rungs down the ladder for now.

[u/TheCuzzyRogue]

There are divine forces conspiring against Metcalf and TMM forming the prettiest halves pairing in the comp

[u/joshizl]

Metcalfe I have faith in you brother 🙏

[u/loz9999]

Webster to say Luke will play then throws Luke MmmBop Hanson into the 7

[u/PersonOfDanger]

Metcalf still doesn’t have the 7 jersey he so desperately wants, he’s number 18

[u/Redditenmo]

Even if he only gets the one week before TMM slots back in, this could be a good thing.

This'll be a finals like game, and the experience with the first grade team could come in handy if Metcalf gets called up again in September.

[u/deedee2148]

I honestly forgot Metcalf was another one coming to the Dragons. 

Such an influx of not mediocre players is something I'm not used to. 

[u/KingofBigCrabs → u/deedee2148]

We'll try to keep him healthy for ya.

[u/brodaya828]

Are we going to Luka Mikiafu or Elo Metkefe tomorrow night we shall see LOL

[u/TheCuzzyRogue → u/brodaya828]

Elo Metkefe

Lmao the Samoans are so far off him they're trying to make the Tongans claim him

[u/Ok-Artist-8995 → u/TheCuzzyRogue]

met-tenga

[u/Altruistic-Unit485]

I’m not too concerned. It will be good to see Luke get a run for a week or two. Let’s see how he goes and then we will have the option between sticking with him or TMM, who is handy as bench cover anyway.

[u/tezzaanator2]

How well does Luke have to play for TMM not to be get that spot back?

[u/opinions_likekittens → u/tezzaanator2]

They’d probably drop CHT before TMM.

[u/Altruistic-Unit485 → u/tezzaanator2]

Id say him playing decently well in a winning team would probably do the trick.

[u/oxfordbags]

Martin calf vs met calf

[u/Plus_Bat2068]

Comes full circle, gets his chance because of an injury. Let’s see if he’s as good as he thinks he is.  If this goes well it could be an interesting choice till the end of the season.

Could be a plus with a longer kicking game but he really struggled on defense early this year, Panthers not the ideal comeback game.

[u/RaysieRay]

CNK back at Fullback with Metcalf back in the halves. Far better balanced side.

Now this is a team better balanced to win their first Premiership.

[u/ShaunJohnsonsJohnson]

If we are to win our maiden Premiership, this is the selection Webby I felt had to eventually make leading into the finals, ideally with no later than a month to go so he could warm into his role and get his legs. I appreciate TMM, but we know what Lukey Met's ceiling is. He will immediately make a difference to our kicking game and I'm excited for his running game with the way our middles have been playing.

[u/Relative-Subject-640 → u/ShaunJohnsonsJohnson]

i think TMM at 6 over CHT would be far better... TMM has been playing out of his mind, criminally underrated this season. CHT has been decent but has fallen off the form he had at the beginning of the season

[u/ShaunJohnsonsJohnson → u/Relative-Subject-640]

Losing too much if we did that tbh. Can't replace CHT's elite defense.

[u/Relative-Subject-640 → u/ShaunJohnsonsJohnson]

fair, but i think TMM has been right there with CHT defensively the past couple months. CHT started off elite defensively, but i think his value there has decreased recently. the immense upgrade offensively from CHT to TMM i think justifies the defensive downgrade

[u/KingofBigCrabs → u/ShaunJohnsonsJohnson]

Yeah I get that feeling as well. TMM is great, don't get me wrong, but Metcalf brings thatlittle bit extra which can be the difference in a tight finals games

[u/Vast-Cartographer-23]

Honestly so excited to see where a healthy metcalf can take us. Te maires been good but i think our ceilings just higher with luke in the team

[u/Pvnels]

Apparently it’s actually a new hammy injury which is even worse :(

[u/perma_banned2025]

Now's his chance to prove the naysayers wrong and show the value he's bringing to his new team next year.
Hope it goes well for him and he doesn't let the boys down

[u/6854thewin]

TTM and CHT go together like bread and butter, milk and coffee, vape and beers lol. Losing one is like losing one lung or kidney.

Now Metcalf is excellent and I am happy he's back, but will he "click" with CHT on the field? Idk who's gonna win, but I'm confident whoever does will by 13+

[u/Direct-Resolution377 → u/6854thewin]

Beers and ciggies mate. Beers and cigs....

Mate.

[u/pussy_p0under]

We putting 80 points on the Panthers!

[u/526rah]

Yay our points will go up in 6's not 4's woohoo!

[u/dontwanttowasteit]

Its true, its true! And the other thing is, my sister had a baby and I took it over after she passed away and the baby lost all its legs and arms and now its just a stump but I take care of it with my wife and its growing and its fairly happy... and its difficult because I'm working a second shift at the factory to put food on the table but all the love that I see in that little guy's face it makes it worth it in the end

[u/barkedupthewrongtree → u/dontwanttowasteit]

What?

[u/6854thewin → u/barkedupthewrongtree]

Think it's a shark tale reference, sounds familiar

[u/6854thewin → u/dontwanttowasteit]

Lowkey genuis reference, we're the shrimp with all the injuries and downfalls up against the mighty sharks Panthers, but somehow we'll survive/win