I like the Pennies so I'm not going to pay them out,
BUT
I hope Moyza pins this up in the dressing room and rips them apart
Panthers got better value in Maloney-Moylan swap, says club legend
Christian Nicolussi12 July 2018 — 6:16pm
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Penrith have been the big winners when it comes to the James Maloney and Matt Moylan swap deal.
Maloney and his Origin mates Nathan Cleary and Tyrone Peachey will be rested from Friday night's clash against Cronulla, which doubles as Moylan's first official homecoming.
Sharks and Panthers fans debated which club would benefit the most when Moylan and Maloney switched clubs last December.
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"Of course at moment you would have to say James has been more valuable to Penrith than Matt has [to Cronulla],'' Alexander said. "I think Matt has had an injury-affected start to the year and looks to be finding his feet.
"Matt Moylan played some great football for us, and he's one of the most talented players in the competition. We saw the worth of Jimmy when Nathan was out two months and he took control of the side. Most clubs struggle when you lose your starting half, but we had a bloke step into the breach and just do the job and get it done.
"Matt Moylan is a very talented player and I rate him. I didn't want to see Matt Moylan go. When I realised it was inevitable and they said James Maloney is coming here, I was pretty happy. I don't think there are many who could replace what Matt Moylan had done for Penrith, but Jim has been pretty good."
Maloney won a premiership with the Sharks but was keen for a longer-term deal and the security on offer at Penrith, while Moylan was keen to exit his childhood club in search of a fresh start in the Shire.
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More to come: Matt Moylan will come good for the Sharks, says Greg Alexander.
Photo: AAP
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin was happy to spare his three Blues representatives from backing up 48 hours after Origin III so they all return fresh for next Friday's tough road trip to Brisbane.
Jarome Luai will play again at halfback while young Kiwi Caleb Aekins is expected to debut at fullback.
Cleary was keen to back up against Cronulla but also accepted he would need a freshen-up after his maiden Origin campaign.
Blues coach Brad Fittler said during the Nine TV commentary on Wednesday he wanted Cleary to discover his voice a little more on the field, and it was one area the 20-year-old playmaker planned to improve in the run home to the NRL finals. Cronulla and Penrith will feature in September.
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"I've stayed in my shell sometimes, and I need to assert myself being the halfback," Cleary told Fairfax Media. "This [Origin] series has given me the confidence to do that moving forward.
"Freddy has spoken to me about talking more. I'm still developing that [part of my game] and will keep working on it. I'm looking forward to knuckling down with the Penrith boys, it's been a disrupted few weeks with them, but I'm keen to go on a good run to the finals.''
www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/panthers-got-better-value-in-maloney-for-moylan-swap-says-club-legend-20180712-p4zr4z.html