jane the pain
Bench
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I love the fact that Ivan won’t talk to the Murdoch press, but they are so desperate to write about us that they effectively regurgitate a pod cast as if it was an interview.
Oh I didn't realise that. Thanks.
Hopefully he takes a few angry pills as well. He needs a bit more aggression in his game.How 50 eggs a week and cold showers have Mark Geyer’s son set for Panthers debut
A protein-rich diet of eggs, Weet-Bix, toast, steak, rice and shakes is helping one Panthers player with a famous surname close in on his NRL dream.www.smh.com.au
He does.
Eggsactly.
Surely he is eggsagerating50 a week is eggstreme.
www.foxsports.com.au
I wonder what other positions has Brad been trained in?Was a no-brainer’: Penrith recruit primed for top 17 spot amid halves battle after whirlwind year
Panthers recruit Brad Schneider says a shock stint in the Super League was “one of the best things I’ve ever done”, with the former Raiders playmaker eyeing off a positional switch as he looks to win a spot in the 17 for round 1.
There have been countless examples of NRL playmakers finishing their careers overseas, but Schneider is part of a growing trend of younger halves who have headed to the Super League to develop their games before returning home with a new mindset.
It worked for guys like Blake Green and Jackson Hastings, and now Schneider is ready to start the second chapter of his NRL journey after 12 games across three seasons for Canberra before his rapid move north.
The 22-year-old played one game for the Raiders this year – a shock win over Brisbane – but went back to reserve grade before he got a call that he didn’t think he’d receive for another decade.
“My manager got a call from Hull in July saying they needed a halfback. I was in shock when he told me but a week later I was on the plane to England,” Schneider said, revealing that was the first time he’d been to the UK.
“I didn’t really have any time to think about it. It was pretty much him saying that I’ve got a good opportunity over there, and I thought it would be a good chance for me to go over there and see what happens.”
What happened was a whirlwind few months that featured a Challenge Cup final appearance for Hull KR in just his fourth game and then a semi-final loss to eventual Super League champions Wigan.
The stint lasted just 12 games, but Schneider said he learnt plenty and encouraged other young halves to make the move if they’re struggling for opportunities in the NRL.
“I always said I wanted to go over to England and play over there, and to do it so early in my career has been a massive benefit,” he said.
“It’s probably one of the best things I’ve done.
“I definitely recommend it to other players, especially as a halfback and how young I was, to go straight in the team and be a leader helped grow my confidence massively.
“I think my leadership changed more than anything.
“I was straight into a team that needed a halfback, but there were two ways I could have gone about it.
“I could have been really quiet and just been there for the ride, but I said to myself that I’m here to do a job, so I took the opportunity with both hands.”
Schneider had no immediate plans to return to Australia for the 2024 season, but the chance to work with Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai was too good to ignore.
“I was just playing football over there and my manager told me that there were a few clubs back home that were looking at me, but we were about to play the Challenge Cup grand final so I was more focused on that,” he said.
“He said that the Panthers were interested, and once they came to the table, I was pretty much sold straight away.
“They’ve been doing so well for the past five years and they’re at the top of the game, so it was a no-brainer to come here.”
Nothing has been promised to him, with Schneider keen to impress during what will be a torturous pre-season out west.
But he knows there are opportunities to work his way into the 17 having seen Sean O’Sullivan and Jack Cogger make the most of their chances to earn contracts elsewhere.
Schneider has signed a two-year-deal and will likely battle with Daine Laurie and Soni Luke for the bench utility spot, while he knows there will be opportunities to start with Cleary and Luai set to feature in rep sides.
“The last two halfbacks that have been here have gone on to have success at other clubs,” he said.
“And that’s down to the Panthers because their development here was great so they grew as players. That’s why I’m really keen to be here so I can learn from people like Nathan Cleary.
“I’m always shooting for the top 17, but at the moment I’m just really keen to learn from these guys and their system.
“That’s one of the things you’ve got to be open-minded to – playing anywhere in this team – and that’s something I’m more than happy to do.”
‘Was a no-brainer’: Penrith recruit primed for top 17 spot amid halves battle after whirlwind year
‘I was in shock’: How Penrith recruit’s career gamble sparked ‘no-brainer’ call
Eggscellent.
Can we calm down with the puns; this is getting beyond a yolk…
Who came 1st, chicken or the egg?
Is there any truth to the rumour that the Chicken only crossed the road to get away from Mavrik?
Doubtful he's never shown any aggression on the field
