The Eels have been beaten to the punch to sign the teenage son of Parramatta legend Nathan Hindmarsh
Phil Rothfield
@BuzzRothfield
11 min read
May 25, 2025 - 12:02PM
News Sport Network
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...77d3628bf892a10143f28fe32297ffb4?amp#comments
The teenage son of Parramatta legend Nathan Hindmarsh has been snapped up by arch rivals the Penrith Panthers, beating the Eels to the punch.
Buster Hindmarsh, 17, is a rangy second-rower — much leaner than his dad — who has signed for two years with the Panthers.
“Penrith gave us an invitation to go and check out their facilities and they were really impressive,” Nathan said.
“The Bulldogs did the same thing. The Dogs were very close, too. They’ve got a great set up.
“He was keen on the Bears too, where he played SG Ball this year, but we decided the Panthers were the best option at this stage of his career.
“They’ve got such a great record bringing kids through and looking after them so professionally.”
Buster Hindmarsh with his dad and Parramatta Eels league legend Nathan.
It will be upsetting for Eels fans in that Nathan Hindmarsh is such a club legend.
The family has a rich history at Parramatta where Nathan played 330 NRL games for the club and his brother Ian played 164 matches.
“It was a bit weird when he came home the other day in the full Penrith kit,” Hindmarsh said.
“But we’ll get used to it.
Nathan Hindmarsh and his kids (L-R) Rowdie (9) Buster (10) and Archie (12) pictured in their sports gear at their Glenhaven home, Sydney in 2018. Picture by Damian Shaw
“He loves the game and he’s very happy to get the opportunity with the Panthers.
“This is just the start. He knows he’s still got a lot of hard work ahead if he’s to play NRL.”
Penrith CEO Matt Cameron has high hopes for the youngster.
“He’s a beautiful young kid,” Cameron said.
“Our pathways manager Lee Hopkins has been tracking him for a little while.
“We’re really pleased he’s chosen to come here.
“We’ll get him into the building and get him started and see how he goes.”
