The long-term playing future of Nathan Cleary is unlikely to be resolved any time soon after the Penrith halfback confirmed he will defer contract talks until the end of the 2018 season. The confirmation comes in the wake of recent comments made by Phil Gould AM, on radio sports program “The Big Sports Breakfast,” where the Panthers Executive GM revealed he would not pursue Cleary for a new deal and that it was up to Nathan to re-commence contract talks. Cleary, who was atten

By his own admission James Tamou’s first season as a Panther was an inconsistent one. The former Cowboys prop came to Penrith with plenty of fanfare given he was the club’s star recruit. But despite being one of three players to have played every games for the Panthers last season, his form was notably down on what he was able to produce previously for North Queensland. Looking back on 2017, Tamou admits the move from Townsville to Penrith was a tougher challenge than he expe

Panthers hooker Peter Wallace has declared his interest in taking over from the recently departed Matt Moylan as Penrith captain again in 2018, despite being unclear as to whether he will play on after next season. Moylan's departure has opened the door for several candidates to take over as captain of Penrith's NRL team, including Trent Merrin, Isaah Yeo and even Reagan Campbell-Gillard. But while a compelling case can be made for each candidate, Peter Wallace is the man mos

Halfback and skipper Darren Nicholls has capped a stellar season with a man-of-the-match performance to guide the Panthers to a 20-12 grand final upset win over minor premiers, Wyong Roos at Leichhardt Oval last Sunday. “Dez” as the Penrith skipper is affectionately known as, set up two tries and had a hand in two more, in a win that now sees the pre-season competition favorites head to ANZ Stadium this Sunday to take on everyone’s second favorite team, the PNG Hunters in the

He may have played just four games to date in the Intrust Super Premiership, but Mason Cerruto says he is just grateful to coach Garth Brennan for bringing him back into the fold in a nick of time to play a major role in Penrith’s grand final success. Having defeated the NZ Warriors in week one of the finals, Brennan nonetheless made the tough decision to replace Tom Eisenhuth with the Camden junior for their preliminary final clash with the Bulldogs before holding his spot t

A guarded Garth Brennan at this stage remains committed to Penrith in 2018 in the wake of his third lower grades title in five years after his young Panthers side defeated minor premiers Wyong 20-12 in last Sunday’s Intrust Super Premiership decider. Since joining the club from Newcastle in 2012, Brennan has been involved in finals footy in all six years, with title wins in both Holden Cup (2013) and Intrust Super Premiership titles (2014, 2017). Brennan now takes his team to

Spare a thought for Dean Whare. Having missed a large chunk of 2015 and almost the entire 2016 season to injury after injury, the Kiwi international was just starting to reassert himself in his favored position at right centre when Whare faced further time off the field having suffered a facial fracture in Penrith’s loss to Souths. The centre, having earlier in the season re-signed with the club for four more years with an option for a fifth, could do no more then watch on as

Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary says tonight's clash hopefully will finally represent the chance to play against one of his boyhood idols, Benji Marshall. Despite being named at halfback, Marshall is no certainty given his indifferent form for the Broncos in last week’s qualifying clash against the Roosters, with Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett under pressure to change things up, especially with key fullback Darius Boyd (hamstring) ruled out of tonight's clash. But Cleary believ

Coach Anthony Griffin denied the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of absent skipper Matt Moylan was a distraction, as he prepares to take a somewhat under-strength Penrith outfit into tonight's sudden-death finals clash with Manly at Allianz Stadium, despite being bolstered by the early return from injury of fullback Dylan Edwards. Griffin also denied suggestions of a rift between he and his star player, instead continuing to push with Phil Gould's explanation earli

Panthers coach Anthony Griffin has defended ongoing doubts over the validity of Penrith's seven game unbeaten streak. Griffin, who turned 51 yesterday, is hoping that his young side can deliver the perfect gift with a club equaling record eighth consecutive win that will seal a back-to-back spot in the finals for the first time since 2003-04. The Panthers have beaten just two top eight teams all season and have not a current top five team at all in 2017. But while Penrith's 1

Much has been made of Griffin's selection calls in 2017. The decision to drop Te Maire Martin. The decision to eventually move Matt Moylan to five-eighth. The decision to play Reagan Campbell-Gillard off the bench. And of course the decision to drop Moylan, Waqa Blake and Peta Hiku to the Intrust Super Premiership for a week after breaking curfew in Melbourne. But the decision to rely on Sione Katoa and possibly Tyrone May instead of Mitch Rein to oppose inform Canberra rake

The Panthers are on a NRL season equaling six match unbeaten streak. But it’s fair to say that despite their unbeaten run, the side also hasn’t played to its full potential in that time either. While Penrith have dominated teams in the second half, having outscored the opposition 82-36 in that six game run, it’s been a far different story in the first half where the Panthers have led at the break only on three occasions with a 60-48 for and against advantage. Wrong options an

It’s been a roller coaster ride for Waqa Blake in 2017. The return from injury of Kiwi internationals Dean Whare and Peta Hiku at season’s start pushed Blake back out to the wing. A stint in the Intrust Super Premiership then followed after Blake was one of three Panthers who broke curfew in Melbourne. Then with Tyrone Peachey's switch back to the bench midway through the season, Blake, who has been accustomed to playing out at right centre, soon found himself playing inside

Penrith have been boosted by news that captain Matt Moylan has passed his fitness test and will take his place for tonight's pivotal match against Paul Green's injury depleted yet ever resilient North Queensland Cowboys side. Moylan's return from a hamstring injury that has seen him miss three of Penrith's five consecutive wins is timely given the Panthers' tough run in to the finals, despite having reclaimed a spot in the top eight with last week's at times unconvincing 28-1

After Round 17, the Panthers' season was well and truly at the crossroads. A four-game winning streak just a fortnight earlier seemed a world away as the pre-season competition favorites had just surrendered meekly at the hands of South Sydney leaving Griffin's men staring down the barrel of missing out on finals footy, four points adrift of eighth place. But fast forward to today and the Panthers for the second time this season have dusted themselves and have clawed their ba

Questions were asked as how the loss of Penrith’s influential lock-forward, Trent Merrin until at least Round 25, would impact on Penrith’s tight run into the finals. Having started the season slowly, the Australian test forward had regained his form only to succumb to a knee injury in Penrith’s Round 19 win over the NZ Warriors. But as often the case, such injuries have a silver lining. In this instance, the injury has allowed Panthers enforcer, Reagan Campbell-Gillard to

Viliame Kikau scored on debut in Penrith’s Round Two win over the Wests Tigers. As did Corey Harawira-Naera two rounds later in Penrith’s big home win over Newcastle. And so did Penrith's latest NRL debutant Tyrone May, who scored on debut three rounds back that helped the Panthers defeat the New Zealand Warriors. His NRL opportunities might look limited to covering for the on-going absence of regular five-eighth and skipper Matt Moylan (hamstring). But the latest member of t

Panthers coach Anthony Griffin has made the call to drop in-form replacement hooker Mitch Rein for the returning Peter Wallace, for this afternoon's crucial clash with the Gold Coast Titans at Pepper Stadium. In five appearances in Wallace's absence due to a groin injury suffered a day out from being announced as NSW's Origin hooker for game one, Rein has been instrumental in Penrith winning four of those games during that period. The ex-Dragon rake arguably has been the more

Penrith’s recent win over Manly was important in many respects, including ending a nine-game losing streak against top-eight opposition, stretching back to last season’s semi-final loss to Canberra. It also meant the preseason competition favorites avoided the potential embarrassment of having not defeated top-eight opposition during the regular season for the first time since 1980. But perhaps most importantly of all, the win may have just heralded a welcome return to form o

Penrith fans might be heralding the decision to at long last move Matt Moylan into the halves as the moment their anticipated season finally kicked started with the Panthers still a hope of making the finals after overcoming a 2-7 start to win six of their last eight. But the decision to elevate Dylan Edwards as the player to replace Moylan at fullback that has arguably reaped even bigger benefits for the club, providing that James Tedesco style of game that even Moylan as fu