2019 Top 30

[Panther Mick]

Penrith Panthers
There has been relatively little roster movement for Penrith compared to other clubs and the side already has 29 of its top 30 spots settled for next season. Tyrone Peachey is off to the Titans, retired veterans Peter Wallace, Tim Browne are both retired while Sam McKendry is unsigned and Titan Mitch Rein drops out of Penrith's list of paid players. Corey Harawira-Naera and Christian Crichton are both Belmore-bound. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak and Tim Grant both return to the club from the Tigers, Tyrell Fuimaono joins from Souths and there are promotions to the top squad for three players internally.

2019 squad

New faces
Malakai Watene-Zelezniak (Wests Tigers – 2020), Tim Grant (Wests Tigers – 2019), Tyrell Fuimaono (Rabbitohs), Caleb Aekins, Liam Martin, Paea Pua.

Unsigned/Losses
Corey Harawira-Naera (Bulldogs), Christian Crichton (Bulldogs), Tyrone Peachey (Titans), Peter Wallace (retired), Tim Browne (retired) Mitch Rein, Sam McKendry.

Down to 2 spots again.

 

[Panther Mick]

Players in brackets have been listed for other positions they could play.
A few in the forwards who could play front and back row but for now here is a break up of the squad by position.

Fullbacks
Edwards, Aekins
(DWZ)

Wingers
DWZ, Mansour, MWZ, Phillips
(Aekins)

Centres
Blake, Whare, Fuimaono, Jed?
(DWZ) (Aekins)

Halves
Maloney, Cleary, Luai, May,

Props
RCG, Tamou, Leota, Grant, Hetherington, Pua, Lui Toso

Backrow/Lock
Yeo, Kikau, Fish, Ellis, Martin,
(Fuimaono)

Hooker
Katoa, Egan.

 

[Whino]

Could use another experienced forward.

 

[OldPanther]

If we don't have cap space there is issues.

 

[umina panther]

If we don't have cap space there is issues.

I knew we had issues when Paul Kent said we were one of the best teams at managing the cap

 

[franklin2323]

If we don't have cap space there is issues.

serious question here. Besides Mansour who else did we have to re-sign for this season?

I will leave out Moylan/Latu as they went towards Maloney.

Rumoured figures only

Merrin $700k
Bryce $500k
Peachey $300k
CHN $200k
McKendry $400k

Minimum deal is $105k. So replacing the guys above could of been done at $550k.

Of course part of Mckendry was long player but that can go to Whare or Mansour.

Leaves $1,550,000. So clearly we are paying someone overs if it has gone

 

[OldPanther]

I knew we had issues when Paul Kent said we were one of the best teams at managing the cap

Seriously f**k that guy .

serious question here. Besides Mansour who else did we have to re-sign for this season?

I will leave out Moylan/Latu as they went towards Maloney.

Rumoured figures only

Merrin $700k
Bryce $500k
Peachey $300k
CHN $200k
McKendry $400k

Minimum deal is $105k. So replacing the guys above could of been done at $550k.

Of course part of Mckendry was long player but that can go to Whare or Mansour.

Leaves $1,550,000. So clearly we are paying someone overs if it has gone

Indeed. It honestly makes no sense.

 

[Panther Mick]

Just a theory could we for 2019 be front loading contracts?
Or is it possible when Cleary, kikau, Blake etc extended long term recently did they get an upgrade for 2019 as an incentive to extend long term?

 

[TheFrog]

Just a theory could we for 2019 be front loading contracts?

Seems possible. This is what the Roosters (appear to) do, along with backloading, and they do it better than anyone. It led to poor seasons in '09 and '16, but success following shortly after each time. Why wouldn't other clubs use such a strategy since the NRL have failed to close the loophole, which they could do in a heartbeat if they wanted. Other clubs have tried it as well, with considerably less success. Bulldogs and Parra recently, and Panthers around 2010 or so, come to mind.

 

[umina panther]

Seems possible. This is what the Roosters (appear to) do, along with backloading, and they do it better than anyone. It led to poor seasons in '09 and '16, but success following shortly after each time. Why wouldn't other clubs use such a strategy since the NRL have failed to close the loophole, which they could do in a heartbeat if they wanted. Other clubs have tried it as well, with considerably less success. Bulldogs and Parra recently, and Panthers around 2010 or so, come to mind.

The talk of the Roosters rorting the cap is more than talk. I've spoken to players at the club who openly joke about it

 

[herbert henry1908]

Players in brackets have been listed for other positions they could play.
A few in the forwards who could play front and back row but for now here is a break up of the squad by position.

Fullbacks
Edwards, Aekins
(DWZ)

Wingers
DWZ, Mansour, MWZ, Phillips
(Aekins)

Centres
Blake, Whare, Fuimaono, Jed?
(DWZ)

Halves
Maloney, Cleary, Luai, May,

Props
RCG, Tamou, Leota, Grant, Hetherington, Pua, Lui Toso

Backrow/Lock
Yeo, Kikau, Fish, Ellis, Martin,
(Fuimaono)

Hooker
Katoa, Egan.

I have left Merrin out so we have 2 spots left to fill be next year. McKendry also left out.

Aekins can play centre too.

 

[Matthew Ellis]

Imo Ratu Shawn Blore or Andy Saunders should be there ahead of Paea Pau.

 

[franklin2323]

Imo Ratu Shawn Blore or Andy Saunders should be there ahead of Paea Pau.

Blore should be development squad for a season or 2. Paea is the perfect example of a guy well down the order who's spot should be taken by an older head

 

[Flashstep]

I don’t think our cap is a issue tbh, I guarantee we have 1.5 mill in reserve if not more but I also think Gould is keeping it in reserve just in case more of our juniors breakout into the nrl scene very quickly and their price demands skyrocket, the club might think because of our juniors it’s better to invest in them then trying to bring in big money players and tbh I don’t really blame them considering the 3 biggest earners in our club (Merrin, Tamou, Maloney) haven’t really played up to what they are being paid (Maloney has been good but he’s not getting any younger)

If that’s the case I wonder why we don’t go back to our old recruiting strategy where we picked up other clubs’ discards for cheap, some of our best players have come from this strategy (Segz, Mansour, Whare, Soward, Wallace, Peachey) just to name a few.

I think most of us agree we need more than just juniors in our team but it seems the club is going in a different direction.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I don't think Peachey or Segeyaro were ever discards....

 

[Kilkenny]

The NRL Salary Cap for season 2019 is apparently 9.6M but let's make it 10M for simplicity sake.

There is a formula that has been tossed around in media and other circles which suggests a healthy and well managed salary cap allows for:

The top 10 contracted players account for approximately 50% say $5M.
The middle 10 contracted players approximately 30% say $3m
The lesser 10 contracted players make up approximately 20% or $2M.

Looking at our current top 29 players contracted for 2019 there are at least 13 players who would be on contracts in excess of $300,000-00. A handful would be on more than $500,000-00.

Panthers don't pay any player the minimum wage of $105,000-00 even the lowest paid contracted players are paid in excess of the minimum amount.

You don't have to be a mathmatician to do the sums and be able to identify we are spending all of our cap in 2019.

No doubt if Trent Merrin decides to stay it will not effect our cap for next season but he has been given advance notice that it is unlikely there will be a deal for him at the end of his current contract and therefore it may be in his best interests to leave now, secure a longer deal for the same money or perhaps better money than he is on now. Freeing Trent will give us the breathing space to bring in the likes of Blore & Chricton so it makes good business sense.

Despite the misgivings Hethrington, Ellis and Lui Toso will be good value in 2019 and if Trent is to move on well they will more than cover his absence at a reduced cost in the short term.

We don't have any issues with our salary cap it is being managed very well even if we don't have the $1.5M war chest the pixies would have you believe we are under our cap.

 

[franklin2323]

The NRL Salary Cap for season 2019 is apparently 9.6M but let's make it 10M for simplicity sake.

There is a formula that has been tossed around in media and other circles which suggests a healthy and well managed salary cap allows for:

The top 10 contracted players account for approximately 50% say $5M.
The middle 10 contracted players approximately 30% say $3m
The lesser 10 contracted players make up approximately 20% or $2M.

Looking at our current top 29 players contracted for 2019 there are at least 13 players who would be on contracts in excess of $300,000-00. A handful would be on more than $500,000-00.

Panthers don't pay any player the minimum wage of $105,000-00 even the lowest paid contracted players are paid in excess of the minimum amount.

You don't have to be a mathmatician to do the sums and be able to identify we are spending all of our cap in 2019.

No doubt if Trent Merrin decides to stay it will not effect our cap for next season but he has been given advance notice that it is unlikely there will be a deal for him at the end of his current contract and therefore it may be in his best interests to leave now, secure a longer deal for the same money or perhaps better money than he is on now. Freeing Trent will give us the breathing space to bring in the likes of Blore & Chricton so it makes good business sense.

Despite the misgivings Hethrington, Ellis and Lui Toso will be good value in 2019 and if Trent is to move on well they will more than cover his absence at a reduced cost in the short term.

We don't have any issues with our salary cap it is being managed very well even if we don't have the $1.5M war chest the pixies would have you believe we are under our cap.

You yourself have said our roster is lacking in a few areas. So how is not paying minimum wage a good business decision?

If it wasn't Gus you'd see the fault in it

 

[herbert henry1908]

I don’t think our cap is a issue tbh, I guarantee we have 1.5 mill in reserve if not more but I also think Gould is keeping it in reserve just in case more of our juniors breakout into the nrl scene very quickly and their price demands skyrocket, the club might think because of our juniors it’s better to invest in them then trying to bring in big money players and tbh I don’t really blame them considering the 3 biggest earners in our club (Merrin, Tamou, Maloney) haven’t really played up to what they are being paid (Maloney has been good but he’s not getting any younger)

If that’s the case I wonder why we don’t go back to our old recruiting strategy where we picked up other clubs’ discards for cheap, some of our best players have come from this strategy (Segz, Mansour, Whare, Soward, Wallace, Peachey) just to name a few.

I think most of us agree we need more than just juniors in our team but it seems the club is going in a different direction.

We don’t need to bring in big money players, just solid, experienced players.

If we’re not doing that the balance of the squad is wrong. (As you suggest)


It’s weird because it’ runs totally counter to Gould’s praise of some of the other teams, he also made a concession ch9 that he’d built the squad too young. Yet he seems to go right back to the strategy of youth, youth, youth.

 

[franklin2323]

We don’t need to bring in big money players, just solid, experienced players.

If we’re not doing that the balance of the squad is wrong. (As you suggest)


It’s weird because it’ runs totally counter to Gould’s praise of some of the other teams, he also made a concession ch9 that he’d built the squad too young. Yet he seems to go right back to the strategy of youth, youth, youth.

I have said before. Outside of hooker our team is set and is pretty good.

The drop to backup in all positions except fullback is too big.

Instead of guys like Pua etc. I would of gone for guys like Fensom, Tagatese etc. Not to nessarily make the top team but help when injuries hit

 

[mxlegend99]

The NRL Salary Cap for season 2019 is apparently 9.6M but let's make it 10M for simplicity sake.

There is a formula that has been tossed around in media and other circles which suggests a healthy and well managed salary cap allows for:

The top 10 contracted players account for approximately 50% say $5M.
The middle 10 contracted players approximately 30% say $3m
The lesser 10 contracted players make up approximately 20% or $2M.

Looking at our current top 29 players contracted for 2019 there are at least 13 players who would be on contracts in excess of $300,000-00. A handful would be on more than $500,000-00.

Panthers don't pay any player the minimum wage of $105,000-00 even the lowest paid contracted players are paid in excess of the minimum amount.

You don't have to be a mathmatician to do the sums and be able to identify we are spending all of our cap in 2019.

No doubt if Trent Merrin decides to stay it will not effect our cap for next season but he has been given advance notice that it is unlikely there will be a deal for him at the end of his current contract and therefore it may be in his best interests to leave now, secure a longer deal for the same money or perhaps better money than he is on now. Freeing Trent will give us the breathing space to bring in the likes of Blore & Chricton so it makes good business sense.

Despite the misgivings Hethrington, Ellis and Lui Toso will be good value in 2019 and if Trent is to move on well they will more than cover his absence at a reduced cost in the short term.

We don't have any issues with our salary cap it is being managed very well even if we don't have the $1.5M war chest the pixies would have you believe we are under our cap.

No way do I agree with that. Since last year we've had the following players play NRL andland leave:

1. Moylan
2. Crichton
3. Peachey
4. Hiku
5. Oldfjeld
6. TMM
7. Wallace
8. Mckendry
9. Rein
10. Latu
11. Akauolo
12. CHN
13. Cartwright

Mez possibly joining the list. Which is fine. But we need to be bringing experience in aswell.

If we dont have a single guy on the minimum wage we are wasting money. Its that simple. Some of the guys in 2018 and 2019 shouldnt be in an NRL top squad... why would we pay names filling a roster more then we need to?