There is no definite about it. Development also applies to 20 year olds. Kikau was not a first grade player when he arrived. We spent a year developing him into one. He didn't even join the Cowboys until he was 19, before that he was playing Union at school.
The reason I am comfortable in claiming him as a local product is simply this. So many players play in u20's at clubs and never make it into first grade. The drop out rate is massive and that also includes junior rep players. He was turned into a first grade player at Penrith. Development is a skill that can apply at all ages and doesn't need a kid to have come from Cambridge Park. Yeo, Burton, Staines and many others from outside the local district get to be NRL players because of the work done by the club. The club has every right to claim them when they have put the work in to get them up to standard.
There was no guarantee Kiikau would have made it at the Cowboys. He was a big unfit player who might have sunk without trace without the work done by the club to build his stamina. As Gus said, they even played him out of position just to build his fitness and skill even when they knew it wasn't good for the team. That said, the Cowboys did play a part in his development as well but he was in danger of just being another big Fijian who couldn't make the step up when it mattered.
Anyhow, it doesn't matter how you classify him, if the club only produced 14 of the 17 players on Friday night it is still remarkable. 15 out of 17, 14 out of 17 meh, let's not worry about arguing about it. Just consider how amazing it is when we consider this team that played in the last round of 2012 before Gus arrived.
Coote, Simmons, Vaivai, Tighe, Purtell; Burns, Walsh; McKendry, Kingston, Civoniceva (C), Waterhouse, Smith, Lewis. Int: Seluini, Plum, Grant, Austin.
There was a grand total of 7 juniors. Coote, McKendry, Waterhouse, Lewis, Seluini, Grant and Austin. Only Waterhouse and Lewis are good enough to play in this team now. McKendry might make the bench.
Then consider the hunger and attitude of the team we saw running around last night. A team proud to be Panthers and fighting over every inch of ground. An attitude present in them that starts with development at junior level. It is just awesome to watch.