2026 rumoured and confirmed signings

[Aliceinwonderland]

If he is mirroring Ciraldo he on the right trajectory. He has the plod player bit nailed to a T

Hopefully Peter Lang is on the money re Matty E. Good to see the young cubs doing good things.

Now is the time to pin those elite kids down to stop the 'normal' NRL leeches from sniffing around.

The club administrators need to be pro active. Who cares if we are stock piling......need to keep those ^%$# clubs away.

 

[Chins]

Hopefully Peter Lang is on the money re Matty E. Good to see the young cubs doing good things.

Now is the time to pin those elite kids down to stop the 'normal' NRL leeches from sniffing around.

The club administrators need to be pro active. Who cares if we are stock piling......need to keep those ^%$# clubs away.

I'm not sure we currently have any top line juniors outside of Casey. I'm talking top of the top level, like the Tigpies Makasini.

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

I'm not sure we currently have any top line juniors outside of Casey. I'm talking top of the top level, like the Tigpies Makasini.

I was looking and thinking about the development squads. All 4 won this weekend, and I believe the previous weekend.

Junior Reps Team Lists: Round 3

Pathways coaches have finalised their teams, with each grade preparing for their clashes against the Canberra Raiders at Raiders Belconnen in Canberra on Saturday, 21 February.

www.penrithpanthers.com.au

 

[betcats]

I'm not sure we currently have any top line juniors outside of Casey. I'm talking top of the top level, like the Tigpies Makasini.

How many clubs more than one Makisini level talent?

Our Hm is going great guns and the SG ball team look pretty good also theyve only lost one. Birve is a real talent at halfback, the kid we brought in at full back recently looks pretty good to. Ive only seen brown and Xuerub play one game each so cant comment much. Cordell Arama in matts looks like a star dominating every game in the middle.

The club never stopped producing top talent, weve just been finding it hard to keep them. Katoa and Heinz lemoto both looked like potential generational talents as does Casey.

 

[Chins]

How many clubs more than one Makisini level talent?

Our Hm is going great guns and the SG ball team look pretty good to. Birve is a real talent at halfback, the kid we brought in at full back recently looks pretty good to. Ive only brown and Xuerub play one game each so cant comment much. Cordell Arama in matts looks like a star dominating every game in the middle.

The club never stopped producing top talent, weve just been finding it hard to keep them. Katoa and Heinz lemoto both looked like potential generational talents as does Casey.

Not trying to be a downer. We'll always have strong juniors who'll become good first graders but I feel people assume we will just roll out this production line of studs continuously.
The club had an extraordinary amount of luck having our current group come through together.

 

[betcats]

Not trying to be a downer. We'll always have strong juniors who'll become good first graders but I feel people assume we will just roll out this production line of studs continuously.
The club had an extraordinary amount of luck having our current group come through together.

It still is producing, that is not the problem. Keeping them is the problem, its not luck for penrith to have gun age group every year, the luck and skill was in keeping enough of them . If you look at the rep squads such as schoolboys and the state sides they are choc full of penrith juniors, a lot of them are poached before they are 18. Jacob Halangahu by the dragons, now those two twins they just took. Melbourne has taken a couple good young forwards the last couple years, another one who just played schoolboys.

 

[hindy111]

It still is producing, that is not the problem. Keeping them is the problem, its not luck for penrith to have gun age group every year, the luck and skill was in keeping enough of them . If you look at the rep squads such as schoolboys and the state sides they are choc full of penrith juniors, a lot of them are poached before they are 18. Jacob Halangahu by the dragons, now those two twins they just took. Melbourne has taken a couple good young forwards the last couple years, another one who just played schoolboys.

I think its also developing them and to know which ones might be slow burns. Yeo for example was average his first 3yrs by memory amd then he put it together.
Penrith will keep developing but it has slown down compared to that 2018-2022 period. Most of your stars come in that time frame.
Since then Casey is the only real elite one I can think of? Before it was Edwards,Crighton,Luai,Cleary,JFH,Martin, Burton,Too,Yeo,Spencer,Leota etc,

And now it's more Jenkins,Henry,Smith types. Still very good players but not at the same level. Not generational talents and not winning you titles or guys you build a club around.

 

[betcats]

I think its also developing them and to know which ones might be slow burns. Yeo for example was average his first 3yrs by memory amd then he put it together.
Penrith will keep developing but it has slown down compared to that 2018-2022 period. Most of your stars come in that time frame.
Since then Casey is the only real elite one I can think of? Before it was Edwards,Crighton,Luai,Cleary,JFH,Martin, Burton,Too,Yeo,Spencer,Leota etc,

And now it's more Jenkins,Henry,Smith types. Still very good players but not at the same level. Not generational talents and not winning you titles or guys you build a club around.

It slowed as we got into our premiership period? I wonder if a young team of stars winning premierships would block others from coming through? Im not saying weve been perfect in our develpment but our catchement is still producing. The only reason it will go down is mismanagement or a drop in player numbers in the district.

A number of the best kids every year have been leaving. Our success has made them easier to poach in a number of ways, one our cap is stretched paying a generational team, two a lot of them like Katoa who were best and brightest and most likely to progress to the nrl young have left. Its not rocket science really, the best talents are being told by every man and his dog they are stuck behind dylan or nathan or leota or martin or bizza or Critta so they leave because their agents and other clubs are telling him they have a better chance at FG somewhere else.

Some of these kids havent made it to the nrl so we will see how good they really are but just off the top of my head since 2022 weve had poched Isaiah Katoa , Riley Pollard, Cameron Bamblett, Jack Attard, Roman Tuaimau, William De Courcey all played aus schoolboys. There are probably more that belong on that list those are the ones i can remember. All of those guys have nrl or dev contracts now so we will likely see them. Throw in Heinz lemoto we just loss and that is big list of top level talents to have lost in 3 seasons since 2022. Other really good kids as well, Liam Ison to the Sharks, Charbel Kheirallah to the storm.

All those kids were amongst the best of their age in our Harold matts teams most played sg ball here also. Thats all since 2022. We havent stopped producing its just been far harder to keep them.

 

[hindy111]

It slowed as we got into our premiership period? I wonder if a young team of stars winning premierships would block others from coming through? Im not saying weve been perfect in our develpment but our catchement is still producing. The only reason it will go down is mismanagement or a drop in player numbers in the district.

A number of the best kids every year have been leaving. Our success has made them easier to poach in a number of ways, one our cap is stretched paying a generational team, two a lot of them like Katoa who were best and brightest and most likely to progress to the nrl young have left. Its not rocket science really, the best talents are being told by every man and his dog they are stuck behind dylan or nathan or leota or martin or bizza or Critta so they leave because their agents and other clubs are telling him they have a better chance at FG somewhere else.

Some of these kids havent made it to the nrl so we will see how good they really are but just off the top of my head since 2022 weve had poched Riley Pollard, Cameron Bamblett, Jack Attard, Roman Tuaimau, William De Courcey all played aus schoolboys. There are probably more that belong on that list those are the ones i can remember. All of those guys have nrl or dev contracts now so we will likely see them. Throw in Heinz lemoto we just loss and that is big list of top level talents to have lost in 3 seasons since 2022. Other really good kids as well, Liam Ison to the Sharks, Charbel Kheirallah to the storm.

All those kids were amongst the best of their age in our Harold matts teams most played sg ball here also. Thats all since 2022. We havent stopped producing its just been far harder to keep them.

Good point. Even if you kept them their paths are blocked. And I assume now the club can see more room they may focus a little more heavily on junior again.

 

[betcats]

Good point. Even if you kept them their paths are blocked. And I assume now the club can see more room they may focus a little more heavily on junior again.

Yep it just not an exaggeration to say that every year since around 2022 some of the best of every age have been leaving before they even get to under 20s.

You compare that to the great junior teams we had previously that built the dynasty, i cant remember what year cleary played sg ball but the year they won under 20s we kept most of the best players from that side, Fish, cleary, luai, edwards, tyrone may was a gun in that age group so him also. The 2018 sg ball side that had burto, staines, critta, spence, all of the best of that team at least started their NRL careers here.

The 2022 sg ball premiers weve only had jesse mclean and hasset progress to the nrl for us.

 

[maple_69]

I think the key thing is how they develop from Matts to First Grade. That’s what Penrith has done well. Yeo and Edwards were never considered generational prospcts. Cleary himself was a nice prospect but no one could have predicted the player he’s become. The roles we’ve had available have been role players for the last 5 years except maybe Kenny and boy has he exceeded everyone’s wildest imaginations on how influential he could be.

it’ll be interesting to see how the club goes once again polishing prospects into elite players with some more important roles up for grabs in the next 3 years. What jump dos Smith make when we start building our structure around him rather than just being a tackle bit and hit up merchant. How does Edgar progress? How does Talagi develop.

 

[maple_69]

I think the key thing is how they develop from Matts to First Grade. That’s what Penrith has done well. Yeo and Edwards were never considered generational prospcts. Cleary himself was a nice prospect but no one could have predicted the player he’s become. The roles we’ve had available have been role players for the last 5 years except maybe Kenny and boy has he exceeded everyone’s wildest imaginations on how influential he could be.

it’ll be interesting to see how the club goes once again polishing prospects into elite players with some more important roles up for grabs in the next 3 years. What jump dos Smith make when we start building our structure around him rather than just being a tackle bit and hit up merchant. How does Edgar progress? How does Talagi develop.

 

[betcats]

I think the key thing is how they develop from Matts to First Grade. That’s what Penrith has done well. Yeo and Edwards were never considered generational prospcts. Cleary himself was a nice prospect but no one could have predicted the player he’s become. The roles we’ve had available have been role players for the last 5 years except maybe Kenny and boy has he exceeded everyone’s wildest imaginations on how influential he could be.

it’ll be interesting to see how the club goes once again polishing prospects into elite players with some more important roles up for grabs in the next 3 years. What jump dos Smith make when we start building our structure around him rather than just being a tackle bit and hit up merchant. How does Edgar progress? How does Talagi develop.

What worries me is not whether or not we have the talent pool because of course we do, and we know how to manage it based on the fact we have just been so successful off the back of our production. What really worries me is that many of our best, in particular the forwards, took years of first grade before the moved into the elite class of players.

Fish, Yeo, Leota, the engine room of our dynasty were not instant hits, they were seen as nothing special two years into their first grade career. We need to start getting guys who will be important to us in 2 or 3 seasons into the rotation soon over the next season. We cant park young forwards in cup and expect them to keep developing.

 

[maple_69]

I think the key thing is how they develop from Matts to First Grade. That’s what Penrith has done well. Yeo and Edwards were never considered generational prospcts. Cleary himself was a nice prospect but no one could have predicted the player he’s become. The roles we’ve had available have been role players for the last 5 years except maybe Kenny and boy has he exceeded everyone’s wildest imaginations on how influential he could be.

it’ll be interesting to see how the club goes once again polishing prospects into elite players with some more important roles up for grabs in the next 3 years. What jump dos Smith make when we start building our structure around him rather than just being a tackle bit and hit up merchant. How does Edgar progress? How does Talagi develop.

 

[soc123_au]

What worries me is not whether or not we have the talent pool because of course we do, and we know how to manage it based on the fact we have just been so successful off the back of our production. What really worries me is that many of our best, in particular the forwards, took years of first grade before the moved into the elite class of players.

Fish, Yeo, Leota, the engine room of our dynasty were not instant hits, they were seen as nothing special two years into their first grade career. We need to start getting guys who will be important to us in 2 or 3 seasons into the rotation soon over the next season. We cant park young forwards in cup and expect them to keep developing.

Smith may tick that box, the development cycle is in line, no guarantee he is up to that level obviously. Aside from him you are pretty much on the money. Any other possibles have gone or are going elsewhere before they get those few years to find their way in the top grade.

 

[betcats]

Smith may tick that box, the development cycle is in line, no guarantee he is up to that level obviously. Aside from him you are pretty much on the money. Any other possibles have gone or are going elsewhere before they get those few years to find their way in the top grade.

Yep that is why the coaching staff IMO need to consider Sorros place int he squad this year. I really hope they are open to Phillips/Patea/Clarke/Armstrong or someone else taking Sorros bench spot. We've got a bunch potential NRL forwards in the 20-22 age bracket. If one or more of them start excelling in Cup they need to get a chance in the NRL, and if they do ok they need to get semi consistent minutes.

We cant park them in cup like Hasset, Lipowicz, and Geyer and give them a game here and there over a few years.

 

[Whino]

Ivan Cleary won’t coach the PNG Chiefs. They can forget about Nathan, too​

Four-time premiership winner Ivan Cleary has told confidantes he will not coach the PNG Chiefs – which is all but certain to end the new NRL franchise’s hopes of also signing his son, star halfback Nathan Cleary.
The Chiefs, who are due to enter the competition in 2028, have made appointing a head coach a top priority. Officials have sounded out Cleary to gauge his interest, but they can now officially scrap him from their short-list of candidates.

Cleary is off contract at the Panthers at the end of 2027, and while he remains unsure about his next move – and whether he will coach on at all – sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the 54-year-old had no appetite to head up the Chiefs.
The Clearys extended their Penrith deals last April, more than 18 months before they became free agents. The Panthers have already begun ‘Operation Keep Clearys’ to convince the pair to commit to long-term deals.
Ivan’s decision to rebuff the Chiefs’ advances, however, does not necessarily mean Nathan is off limits. But knowing his father is no longer in the frame for the PNG role will no doubt play a role in Nathan’s next move.


Nathan told this masthead earlier this month he was in no hurry to make a call on his future, and said it would be silly to remove anything off the negotiating table, including an unlikely switch to rugby.
“At the end of the day, I love where I’m at right now; to me, I haven’t really thought too much about my future because I still have two years to run on my contract,” Cleary told this masthead.
“I understand people will start to talk about it, but it’s not in my mind at all – it still seems so far away.”

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ivan-cleary-won-t-coach-the-png-chiefs-they-can-forget-about-nathan-too-20260221-p5o4ax.html&ved=2ahUKEwjz2qify-6SAxWd4DgGHfIiPBQQxfQBKAB6BAgKEAE&usg=AOvVaw1y93HU1HR1w3xjqdlfraZi

 

[soc123_au]

Yep that is why the coaching staff IMO need to consider Sorros place int he squad this year. I really hope they are open to Phillips/Patea/Clarke/Armstrong or someone else taking Sorros bench spot. We've got a bunch potential NRL forwards in the 20-22 age bracket. If one or more of them start excelling in Cup they need to get a chance in the NRL, and if they do ok they need to get semi consistent minutes.

We cant park them in cup like Hasset, Lipowicz, and Geyer and give them a game here and there over a few years.

It's been understandable previously, but this year it's time. Hasset I think should have been given more of a look, the one shot he got he looked pretty good. Mav although never got a decent chunk of time never really did much with the chances he had, if his name was Mav Jones he probably doesn't get a game.

Maybe the way is Sorro on ice unless really needed, and less minutes for Yeo and spell Martin when he needs it, but tell him to fire up when he is playing. Tago into backrow could work well as he already has plenty of NRL experience, so the time needed to find his way should be quicker. Have to do something there as he isn't one our best back 5 right now anyway.

Has Garner's future been sorted yet? I really rate him, but if he is gone next year then he might need to join Sorro in the less game time club as well.

 

[Oldpanther86]

It's been understandable previously, but this year it's time. Hasset I think should have been given more of a look, the one shot he got he looked pretty good. Mav although never got a decent chunk of time never really did much with the chances he had, if his name was Mav Jones he probably doesn't get a game.

Maybe the way is Sorro on ice unless really needed, and less minutes for Yeo and spell Martin when he needs it, but tell him to fire up when he is playing. Tago into backrow could work well as he already has plenty of NRL experience, so the time needed to find his way should be quicker. Have to do something there as he isn't one our best back 5 right now anyway.

Has Garner's future been sorted yet? I really rate him, but if he is gone next year then he might need to join Sorro in the less game time club as well.

Stuff like this might also help the fade outs. These guys aren't invincible early 20s anymore.

 

[betcats]

It's been understandable previously, but this year it's time. Hasset I think should have been given more of a look, the one shot he got he looked pretty good. Mav although never got a decent chunk of time never really did much with the chances he had, if his name was Mav Jones he probably doesn't get a game.

Maybe the way is Sorro on ice unless really needed, and less minutes for Yeo and spell Martin when he needs it, but tell him to fire up when he is playing. Tago into backrow could work well as he already has plenty of NRL experience, so the time needed to find his way should be quicker. Have to do something there as he isn't one our best back 5 right now anyway.

Has Garner's future been sorted yet? I really rate him, but if he is gone next year then he might need to join Sorro in the less game time club as well.

Not sure its sorted but he has said he wont be here. But yeah i was no to fussed with him potentially leaving this year or next because hes already 30. We are going to have to let some players go sooner then we want or risk a falling off a cliff in 2 or 3 years.