Of course I can’t say with certainty. But come on.
What is wrong with me being complimentary?
I’m not on my own. Most club fans I think would say the same thing. “Good on you, geez I hope my club can replicate just a small bit.”
Honestly though, I think there is little to zero chance of them doing the wrong thing.
It’s not so much a matter of cheating but having access the third party deals. But hey, if they have that access those, they are following the rules. If that’s a problem it’s a problem with the rules (seperate discussion).
But interestingly there’s a bit of a difference between the Panthers and the Roosters/Storm…the Panthers have lost plenty of quality in their run they would have liked to keep.
How often do the Roosters or Storm lose players, at or near their peak, to other clubs they would have otherwise liked to keep.
You could say the Panthers have the depth to bring in the newbies cheaper but they still lose them…
Edit: but well played Stevie, there’s no denying they are greats, and they deserve credit.