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Former Panthers in the NRL

K

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,877
I’m not sure who from the Sydney clubs would be willing to take a punt on Bryce even at a reduced deal. There’s not to many clubs out there with too much free cap space. Bryce hasn’t played decent footy for 4 years now and I tend to think physically and mentally he is done. It is a shame and hopefully there is a club prepared to give him a last opportunity.
 
K

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,877
We saw a glimpse last night of just how powerful, Jed Cartwright can be. His bombed try aside he showed glimpses of how good a player he could be if he can stay injury free. The bombed try was a little unfortunate in many ways, did everything right, just one of those freakish contacts by Hopoate to knock the ball out, should have scored, but I’m sure he’ll learn from it. He is a big, powerful unit and deceptively quick.
 
Jane Murray

Jane Murray

Bench
Messages
2,837
What a waste of talent?

Discarded NRL star Bryce Cartwright is seeking an NRL lifeline to a Sydney club.

Cartwright was released from his $450,000 contract with the Gold Coast Titans last week after he walked out on the club to return to Sydney for family reasons.

Now in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the 25-year old has pleaded for Sydney NRL clubs to take a chance on him.

When asked why teams should give him a chance, Cartwright said: “Because of the sh*t I have dished up over the last three years. There’s no way I want to do that again.

“I want to play NRL again – that hasn’t changed. I feel like I’ve still got so much more to offer. I won’t stop trying. It will come down to me proving to people that I can do it and I will do it.

“Ninety-nine per cent of people think I’m done. That’s another driving factor. It makes me want it even more. I want to prove to them that I will work my arse off.

With COVID-19 potentially cutting list sizes for 2021, Cartwright talked of the possibility of never playing in the NRL again.

“Of course, especially with coronavirus.

“I’m not too sure if there are still some questions around whether clubs will have a top 30 squad or top 25. There could be limited spots.

“I haven’t played my best footy over the last couple of years so there is a chance that I might not get picked up. But I will never question my training ethic. I work my arse off, even up there on the Gold Coast, I worked my arse off in the pre-season”.

Cartwright last played in Round 9 this year after falling out with the Titans, a far cry from the young player who was tipped for stardom at Penrith and who signed a $2 million deal with the Titans in 2018.

NRL clubs have started internal discussions on taking a chance on Cartwright, with the 25-year old expected to be avaliable for cheap.

“It’s hard to pinpoint what went wrong up there – it just wasn’t a fit,” Cartwright said.

“They (Titans) allowed me to come back to Sydney after we worked something out. It just wasn’t the right fit. I’m not too sure what the reason was.”
 
K

Kilkenny

Coach
Messages
13,877
It will be interesting to see who takes a punt on Bryce. I’m sure someone will. Not anywhere near his current $450K a season but I’m sure there may be a Sydney based club prepared to give him a two year $300K a year deal.
 
Whino

Whino

Bench
Messages
3,397
Kilkenny said:
It will be interesting to see who takes a punt on Bryce. I’m sure someone will. Not anywhere near his current $450K a season but I’m sure there may be a Sydney based club prepared to give him a two year $300K a year deal.
Click to expand...

2 year $300k a year deal might be a bit ambitious.
More like a 1 year budget buy.
 
Fangs

Fangs

Coach
Messages
13,938
Was good for Penrith. But played during a very bad period for the club under Matt Elliott. A second place finish in 2010 does little to make it feel better.

Grrat defender and not bad under the high ball from memory. Will be missed.
 
Jane Murray

Jane Murray

Bench
Messages
2,837
James Maloney may have taken his sprays and cheeky training potshots to southern France, but the champion playmaker's legacy at Penrith is still ringing loud and clear on finals eve.

Maloney's Super League move has undoubtedly helped Nathan Cleary's rise as a No.7, allowing him to take charge as the Panthers dominant half enroute to this year's minor premiership.

As one of the NRL's great winners, with titles at the Roosters and Sharks alongside NSW Origin series triumphs, Maloney's famed relaxed outlook on life lives on at Penrith.

The Panthers media session this week saw both Cleary and captain James Tamou pause mid-interview as Maloney's successor Jarome Luai threatened to send an electric scooter into orbit, while to a man Penrith were cracking jokes and skylarking throughout.

Cleary has often credited Maloney's influence on his playmaking.

And Tamou also fondly recalls the lessons Maloney delivered in leadership – through that equally famed competitive streak – before linking with Catalans.

"He reads the game so well," Tamou grinned when asked of Maloney's influence during 2019, the burly prop's first as captain of Penrith.

"Something would happen, there'd be a stoppage and he'd be telling me to get into the ref [about] something that happened three or four plays ago and l'm like 'what happened?'

Asked did he struggle with being bossed around by Maloney, Tamou's grin only grows.

"For sure, especially playing in the middle because I'd be buggered.

"But I loved him for doing that. I knew I had to keep an open mind and oversee everything that happened and take every refs call and everything like that.

"I actually didn't realise how much of a leader I am and how many years I've played in the game.

"The captain has a lot of responsibility, that's something I had take in and I was more than willing if Ivan gave me that opportunity at the start of this year.

"But that's Jimmy. He knows the game, reads the play and that's what I still had to learn as being the captain."

"I wanted to do it again because last year wasn't so good."

In May last year when the Panthers were swimming in last place with a 2-8 losing record, critics questioned whether Tamou had it in him to lead a talented but wayward side.

Coach Ivan Cleary then shelved the captaincy chat for much of the summer, one that saw rugby league put firmly in its place for Tamou as he helped firefighting efforts around his in-law's property at Braidwood in February.

That act of leadership earned Tamou Penrith's nomination for this year's Ken Stephen Medal.

His off-season efforts meanwhile were rewarded with another crack at the captaincy, which in turn sets up a potential dream swansong before he joins Wests Tigers next season.

"With the lessons that I learnt, I knew 'ok this is what you do in these situations, this is what you do in this situation'," Tamou said.

"So I wanted that opportunity again.

"In pre-season I really made it known that I wanted to be the captain and wanted to show what lessons I'd learned and how to portray them throughout this year."

Tamou freely admits he "really didn’t want to go" after leading the Panthers 2020 turnaround.

But with his own form underlining just how many miles are left in his legs, the 31-year-old said paralleled potential at Penrith and Concord helped sway his decision.

"It wouldn't have been any other team I don't think," Tamou said.

"I would've just signed the one year [offer] from the Panthers. Ivan told me we were in a bit of trouble trying to sign the young boys... but it was also the two-year deal [from the Tigers].

"And it was their young and up and coming group at the Tigers that persuaded me. They've got a good young powerful forward pack there.

"I know the fire will be burning for them next year and I'm looking forward to it."
 
C

Crashtest

Juniors
Messages
1,193
Andrew Johns has used Liam Martin as a comparison with Bryce Cartwright in his caution to clubs about giving Cartwright another chance.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/andrew...l-career/44c7a828-2269-4412-9076-8f4fc8dc6ce5

“Everyone can see how much talent he has. You look at rugby league history in the professional era in the last 20 years, some players who have so much talent, it just doesn't do them service because they don't have to work that hard.

"They get on the field and they can do things which take your breath away, but they haven't got that hard edge about working tough and working hard."


Johns compared Cartwright's career to that of Panthers star Liam Martin, who is in contention for an Origin jersey this season as an example of talent versus work ethic.

"I look at someone like Liam Martin, there was talk that he could be a smokey for Origin," he said.

"If you put those two players together at 16-17, everyone would have been gushing at Bryce because he's so talented, but he hasn't worked as hard as Liam.

"When you work harder at a younger age, the longer your career is going to be.

"You've just got to work hard, keep working hard, and make sacrifices."
 
The_Frog

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
Fangs said:
Was good for Penrith. But played during a very bad period for the club under Matt Elliott. A second place finish in 2010 does little to make it feel better.

Grrat defender and not bad under the high ball from memory. Will be missed.
Click to expand...
Came off the bench most of 2010. Seems Elliott didn't rate him. As soon as he returned to the Cows he was a starter.
 
The_Frog

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
Crashtest said:
Andrew Johns has used Liam Martin as a comparison with Bryce Cartwright in his caution to clubs about giving Cartwright another chance.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/andrew...l-career/44c7a828-2269-4412-9076-8f4fc8dc6ce5

“Everyone can see how much talent he has. You look at rugby league history in the professional era in the last 20 years, some players who have so much talent, it just doesn't do them service because they don't have to work that hard.

"They get on the field and they can do things which take your breath away, but they haven't got that hard edge about working tough and working hard."


Johns compared Cartwright's career to that of Panthers star Liam Martin, who is in contention for an Origin jersey this season as an example of talent versus work ethic.

"I look at someone like Liam Martin, there was talk that he could be a smokey for Origin," he said.

"If you put those two players together at 16-17, everyone would have been gushing at Bryce because he's so talented, but he hasn't worked as hard as Liam.

"When you work harder at a younger age, the longer your career is going to be.

"You've just got to work hard, keep working hard, and make sacrifices."
Click to expand...

I've always thought Bryce's coaches in the junior grades didn't do him any favours. He won them games, and that was all that mattered.
 
The_Frog

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
A hat trick of posts I know, but a hat trick of tries for Adam Keighran. Last Warrior to get a hat trick was another ex-Panther, Peta Hiku.
 
Fangs

Fangs

Coach
Messages
13,938
The_Frog said:
Came off the bench most of 2010. Seems Elliott didn't rate him. As soon as he returned to the Cows he was a starter.
Click to expand...

Maybe. Maybe not. Who started? Pritchard and House I think.

Can't always fit them in the starting side.
 
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