PETER Wallace's manager has lifted the lid on the playmaker's shock decision to leave Penrith, claiming the Broncos recruit was unwanted by the Panthers and told: "You better go."
As Wallace prepares to face his former club today in Brisbane's season-opener at Suncorp Stadium, player agent Allan Gainey said the Panthers showed no interest in retaining the Penrith junior despite strong overtures from the Broncos.
But Panthers recruitment chief Mick Leary denied snubbing Wallace, saying the club simply could not compete with Brisbane's offer.
The Panthers subsequently suffered a double body blow, losing chief playmaker Craig Gower to rugby just weeks after Wallace accepted the Broncos deal, understood to be worth $180,000 a season.
With Wallace now revelling at Red Hill, Gainey said the Panthers made no attempt to retain the talented playmaker, who sunk the Broncos with a booming 42-metre field goal in extra-time last season.
"It's hard to believe this – but Peter didn't attract a single offer from Penrith," Gainey said.
"They didn't make an offer before the Broncos showed interest and when we told them of the Broncos offer, they said: 'You better go'.
"I just don't think Peter was in the coach's plans. Matt Elliott (Penrith coach) seemed to have his eye on Todd Carney (just re-signed to Elliott's former club Canberra) and Josh McCrone, a young kid coming through the ranks.
"Jarrod Sammut was there as well, so Peter had little choice but to move on.
"The irony is Penrith could have got him for a lot less than the Broncos paid. Peter was very disappointed initially, but the move to Brisbane has been great for him."
Leary said Penrith didn't have the funds to make Wallace a palatable offer – and only found room under the salary cap to sign Petero Civoniceva when Gower requested a release to play rugby in France.
"We didn't make Peter an offer but it had nothing to do with us not wanting him. At the time, we didn't have the money under the salary cap," Leary said.
"We only signed Petero when Craig (Gower) approached us and asked for a release. Had Craig stayed, we wouldn't have been in a position to approach Petero.
"There's no problem with Peter. He received a good offer from the Broncos and we wish him all the best."
Gainey said Wallace had also not forgotten the shock of being dumped to Premier League in the wake of his decision to sign with Brisbane.
"He was told there were deficiencies in his game one week, then the next week they said: 'We're going to make some changes because we know you're not going to be here'.
"In the end, Peter worked his way back (into the NRL) and proved them wrong."
Gainey also revealed Broncos coach Bennett had been a virtual father figure to Wallace since his arrival at Red Hill.
The 22-year-old, who will wear the Broncos No.7 jumper today inside Darren Lockyer, has never met his father and doesn't know of his whereabouts.
"Peter hasn't got a father so Wayne Bennett has been a father figure for him," Gainey said
