Penrith are considering a bid to lure Alex Glenn to the foot of the mountains as they desperately try to add some leadership to their young pack.
Despite Broncos coach Anthony Seibold admitting last month the club had offered Glenn a two-year contract extension, the 31-year-old remains without a deal for 2020.
Glenn was on about $400,000 this season, but has been asked to take a 50 per cent pay cut for next year.
The Panthers have made inquiries about the 259-game veteran, who has enjoyed the switch from the back row to the centres.
Penrith have also been linked to Dylan Walker, who remains without a deal at Manly, but the Panthers do not have enough room in their cap to accommodate him.
Glenn would love to remain a one-club player and get the chance to reach 300 games.
Penrith, however, have lost James Maloney to the UK Super League and know they need some calm heads in their side moving forward. Experienced hooker Api Koroisau has already signed for next year.
James Tamou and Dean Whare are the only other senior players of note at the club, which was widely expected to push for the premiership this year.
At the start of the year, Penrith were nearly $1 million over the cap for 2020, but have since moved on Waqa Blake and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, while Maloney leaves for Catalans in a few months, even though former general manager Phil Gould never expected the playmaker to fulfil the final year of his three-year contract.
The Panthers have three spots to fill on their roster and a senior centre is at the top of their hit-list.
A host of centres are expected to be available in the coming months with Melbourne expected to offer little resistance if Will Chambers and Curtis Scott strike deals elsewhere.
Tyrone Peachey played his best football at Penrith, but is on more than $500,000 a season at the Gold Coast and the Panthers cannot afford to pay him that sort of money.
Josh Morris is another top-shelf centre who returned to the Origin arena this year and, with only one year remaining on his Cronulla contract, is likely to be open to a two-year deal from a rival club. The Sharks are desperate to re-sign Jesse Ramien, but cannot do so until they move on at least one outside back.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/pa...ey-search-for-leadership-20190926-p52vah.html
Glad we are not willing to pay Walker what he is on at Manly, as we need him only as a centre. Morris, and the same with Glenn in the forwards, would be lower cost options to add experience and quality to the side.
No mention of Panthers being after a prop either. Is the JWH signing not happening?