The Black and Gold Wire

Yikes. Having only seen a handful of Panthers games this season, all of which were victories (I was a lucky charm pre-Christmas I guess), I hadn't got a first hand look at how disjointed the team really is at the moment. Our Christmas series with the Sheffield Steelers, along with declining results, shows just how far off we are from being a title challenger.  The Yorkshire side have become the benchmark for success, as they sit rather comfortably at the top of the standings, and will do going into the new year. If that's the standard we have to reach, then we are lightyears away right now.  Although possession seemed pretty even, and Aaron Fox's side were heavily outshot in the home game, the efficiency levels were polar opposites. Players such as Marc-Oliver Vallerand, Martin Latal and (ugh) Evan Mosey, were cruising through the Panthers defence like a hot knife through butter, even when killing penalties.  As for our offence, again, mainly in the home game, were we still

As a Panthers fan, some of my fondest memories have come from the Challenge Cup, in which the club have historically thrived in.  I started supporting the club in the 2010/11 season, when the Panthers were in the thick of an all out domination of the competition. Between 2010 and 2016, Corey Neilson would guide the club to winning it 6 times in 7 attempts, a remarkable feat however you look at it.  That's what makes the current state of the competition even more frustrating.  Whilst there has been backlash for the joke of a format the league have opted for this season, I don't think it's to the extent it should be. Those who gave a group stage where 8 out of 9 teams qualify the green light, where the majority of the games meant nothing, have made a mockery of the fans.  Of course, Glasgow Clan abruptly pulling out (a completely understandable decision given their circumstances) wasn't ideal, but neither is playing 3+ dead rubber games.  It's really hindered my enthu