First went Apisai Koroisau. Now it appears to be like like Jarome Luai might be a part of him, with the five-eighth on the verge of becoming a member of the previous Panthers hooker on the Tigers in 2025.
For now Penrith’s focus will stay on capturing for a fourth-straight title and sending Luai out a winner within the course of, ought to he signal on the dotted line and depart the foot of the mountains.
But within the background a three-way battle for Luai’s vacant five-eighth jumper might bubble away within the 2024 season.
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Luai and Nathan Cleary, because it stands, have already got constructed a record-breaking partnership having gained 68 of 77 NRL video games — the 88 per cent win report being the best for any halves mixture, within the Origin period, to have began at the very least 14 video games collectively.
Now Cleary, who first mixed with Luai at SG Ball in 2015, is dealing with the prospect of now not having his longtime halves companion alongside him.
It will probably be a contemporary problem for the Clive Churchill medallist with out Luai and the “sixth sense” the pair had developed through the years.
Here, foxsports.com.au appears to be like on the three contenders to interchange Luai in 2025 ought to he signal with the Tigers together with the potential targets Penrith might have a look at on the open market.
BRAD SCHNEIDER
They did it with Sean O’Sullivan after which with Jack Cogger. Have the Panthers completed it once more?
Maybe — and what makes the signing of former Raiders playmaker Brad Schneider much more thrilling is the actual fact he’s solely 22 years previous.
In different phrases, if Schneider makes essentially the most of his alternative at Penrith within the subsequent two years it might very effectively be an extended keep for the Hull KR halfback.
Schneider is one in every of many NRL gamers to make the change to the Super League, though the actual fact he did it so younger speaks volumes to how locked in he was on what he wanted at that time of his profession.
In Schneider’s case, it was an opportunity to not simply develop his sport but additionally his management in a extra distinguished function.
So, inside per week of receiving a name from his supervisor he was on the airplane to England.
“It’s probably one of the best things I’ve done,” the younger playmaker, who solely performed one NRL sport for the Raiders final season, informed NCA Newswire.
“I definitely recommend it to other players, especially as a halfback and how young I was, to go straight in the team and be a leader helped grow my confidence massively.
“I think my leadership changed more than anything.
“I was straight into a team that needed a halfback, but there were two ways I could have gone about it.
“I could have been really quiet and just been there for the ride, but I said to myself that I’m here to do a job, so I took the opportunity with both hands.”
Schneider did simply that from the outset, kicking the game-winning discipline objective in his debut for Hull KR and returns to the NRL with the form of expertise he merely wouldn’t have gotten enjoying in reserve grade for Canberra.
Of course, there may be each probability Schneider might discover himself again within the NSW Cup for the Panthers too however he has the flexibility to push for a bench utility function instantly.
Otherwise, each O’Sullivan and Cogger had been rapidly thrown into beginning roles up to now two seasons and Schneider’s time enjoying within the Super League has him effectively ready ought to harm strike once more.
“The last two halfbacks that have been here have gone on to have success at other clubs,” Schneider stated.
“And that’s down to the Panthers because their development here was great so they grew as players. That’s why I’m really keen to be here so I can learn from people like Nathan Cleary.
“I’m always shooting for the top 17, but at the moment I’m just really keen to learn from these guys and their system.
“That’s one of the things you’ve got to be open-minded to – playing anywhere in this team – and that’s something I’m more than happy to do.”
DAINE LAURIE
Laurie, who got here up by way of the grades in Penrith’s SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup groups earlier than making his NRL debut in 2020, is again on the foot of the mountains.
And if the Panthers are after a like-for-like alternative for Luai, Laurie is the plain selection.
The 24-year-old performed one sport at fullback and three off the interchange for the Panthers within the latter phases of the 2020 season earlier than suiting up at five-eighth for the Tigers in eight of his 49 video games on the membership.
Laurie, like Luai, is extra of an instinctive playmaker who can play in and out of doors of construction, with a mix of pace and fancy footwork that makes him evasive in area.
Laurie’s measurement was his largest disadvantage, no matter whether or not he was enjoying fullback or five-eighth, impacting his means to both make metres by way of contact or defend within the entrance line.
The latter would clearly be of higher concern for Penrith in the case of Laurie’s prospects because the crew’s long-term possibility within the halves, though given he has signed for only one yr the Panthers aren’t locked into something anyway.
What might be attention-grabbing is the place Laurie figures ought to he begin the season in reserve grade versus enjoying a utility function off the bench.
Trent Toelau, who gained Melbourne’s Under-20s Darren Bell medal for participant of the yr, impressed as Penrith’s first-choice halfback within the NSW Cup aspect final season.
Toelau himself might be a smoky of types if he continues to impress, having flashed his playmaking potential in 2023 and particularly his quick passing sport near the road.
Toelau is on a train-and-trial deal for 2024 and if he maintains the beginning halfback spot it might depart Jack Cole and Laurie combating it out for the five-eighth jumper.
Cole might shift to the centres as he did at sure factors within the 2023 season however that might imply denying him helpful expertise enjoying within the halves, ought to the 20-year-old be a part of Penrith’s future plan within the halves.
Laurie is clearly versatile himself and will effectively find yourself figuring elsewhere within the backline too, particularly with the lack of Stephen Crichton seeing Sunia Turuva and Taylan May tackle extra distinguished roles in Penrith’s first-grade aspect in 2024.
JACK COLE
The undeniable fact that Penrith will have the ability to maintain Luai for one more yr earlier than he probably heads to the Tigers provides the membership an additional season to see what they’ve in Cole.
The versatile 20-year-old, who was upgraded to Penrith’s NRL squad initially of 2023, is an Orange CYMS junior and will effectively turn into the newest success story out of the membership’s nation contingent.
Cole has taken an extended street — each figuratively and actually — to place himself within the place for this type of alternative, having typically made the six-hour spherical journey from Orange to Penrith to affix his teammates on a Friday afternoon for coaching whereas coming by way of the grades.
All of that’s to say that Cole might be the newest rising star to emerge from Penrith’s manufacturing line, having quick improved since his first full season with the membership in 2019 whereas enjoying within the Harold Matthews Cup.
Cole was chosen for NSW’s Under-19s aspect in 2022 and capped off his standout season with an NRL debut in opposition to the Cowboys, later additionally named Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year.
Cole performed a key function in Penrith’s premiership-winning Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup groups too, ultimately making the transition to extra of a full-time function in reserve grade in 2023.
There Cole, who initially performed fullback in junior soccer earlier than making the change to the halves when he arrived at Penrith, additionally hung out within the centres.
Sound acquainted? Dubbo product and now Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton adopted the same path and shares many similarities with Cole.
Both Cole and Burton by no means appeared too fazed or caught up within the second whereas coming by way of the grades, taking the proper possibility even when it isn’t essentially the flashiest play.
Cole can also be a powerful defender and runner, which makes him an interesting possibility each within the centres and at five-eighth alongside Cleary, who clearly has a powerful operating sport of his personal however is greater than able to taking up nearly all of the kicking duties.
Even if the Panthers don’t suppose Cole is sort of prepared to interchange Luai instantly it isn’t like they should rush him in anyway.
The shrewd signings of O’Sullivan and Cogger lately show Penrith can at all times fill the void within the short-term whereas giving a participant like Cole a bit extra time to develop his sport in reserve grade.
But yet another yr could also be all Cole wants anyway, particularly given the best way he has grown in confidence enjoying in a NSW Cup crew at Penrith that is filled with first grade expertise.
ANY OPTIONS ON THE MARKET?
While the Panthers have a lot to work with in Schneider, Laurie and Cole, they might additionally go to the open market to fill the void at five-eighth.
After all, all three gamers are nonetheless fairly younger and so it wouldn’t shock to see Penrith search for a extra skilled possibility within the 2024 season, even when that participant wasn’t locked in for a beginning function instantly.
A have a look at gamers off-contract on the finish of 2024 doesn’t present an entire lot of choices although — at the very least in the case of constant, confirmed commodities within the NRL.
Of course, each Ezra Mam and Tom Dearden are two of the largest free brokers to observe however Mam already appears to be like set to re-sign with Brisbane whereas Dearden will doubtless spark a bidding conflict.
Penrith although don’t appear to be the form of crew that needs or wants to interact in one thing like that and it unlikely the Panthers would have the ability to anyway given the cash tied to a few of their different larger names.
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Should Luai be a part of the Tigers you would need to suppose that raises some questions over Adam Doueihi’s future on the membership, with the five-eighth off-contract on the finish of 2024.
Doueihi although suffered a 3rd ACL tear earlier this yr so any crew curious about his companies would first wish to see how the 24-year-old appears to be like when he’s again on the sector earlier than making any gives.
Newcastle’s Tyson Gamble might be one other attention-grabbing title to observe, particularly if new recruit Cogger usurps him for a beginning function subsequent season.
As for youthful choices with loads of upside, it’s arduous to look previous Gold Coast halfback Tom Weaver, who had his first style of the NRL this yr.
Gold Coast’s long-term backbone nonetheless stays considerably of a thriller and the arrival of Des Hasler might solely shake issues up additional.
And lastly, whereas not off-contract till the top of the 2025 season, might the Panthers look to reunite with O’Sullivan ought to the Dolphins make a splash for a marquee halfback in some unspecified time in the future?
O’Sullivan himself remains to be solely 25 years previous and has already had success on the foot of the mountains with the identical core group.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
