SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 02: The Panthers celebrate with the NRL Premiership Trophy after victory in the 2022 NRL Grand Final match between the Penrith Panthers and the Parramatta Eels at Accor Stadium on October 02, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The Penrith Panthers have won two competitions on the trot, and the well-oiled machine at the foot of the mountains is showing no signs of slowing down.
While they have lost players once again ahead of 2023, it’s hardly the exodus you might expect from a team who have won back-to-back premierships in the era of tight salary caps, Origin bonuses and rising player wages.
Viliame Kikau and Apisai Koroisau – who is a far bigger departure than anyone has given credit for – will move on, but the remainder of their starting 13 who won the premiership in 2022 remains.
The crunch on their salary cap is evident though with no major stars arriving. Instead, the club are backing their own academy to get the job done, and who could blame them with players filing into first grade and fitting in seamlessly over the last couple of years.
They have added Jack Cogger, Luke Garner, Zac Hosking and Tyrone Peachey, but none scream star.
The lack of replacement for Apisai Koroisau is the biggest cause for concern in Sydney’s west, but it’s hard to doubt Ivan Cleary and his new-look crew following the twin departures of assistant coaches Cameron Ciraldo and Andrew Webster during the off-season.
But if Penrith could steal anyone without salary cap or contractual obligations to strengthen their charge at going back-to-back-to-back, who would it be?
Current squad
Eddie Blacker, Nathan Cleary, Jack Cogger, Jack Cole, Stephen Crichton, Dylan Edwards, Matthew Eisenhuth, James Fisher-Harris, Luke Garner, Liam Henry, Zac Hosking, Thomas Jenkins, Mitch Kenny, Spencer Leniu, Moses Leota, Jarome Luai, Soni Luke, Liam Martin, Taylan May, Tyrone Peachey, Jaeman Salmon, Chris Smith, Lindsay Smith, Scott Sorensen, Izack Tago, Brian To’o, Sunia Turuva, Isaah Yeo
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – AUGUST 24: Isaah Yeo of the Panthers looks on during the round 24 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Penrith Panthers at Mt Smart Stadium on August 24, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
Analysis
The Panthers, as mentioned, are incredibly stable for a side who have just won two premierships on the hop.
The only significant departures out of last year’s best 17 are Koroisau and Kikau, while the remainder of the team stays set, albeit with some banging at the door from young guns looking to break their way into first grade.
The most notable of those is Sunia Turuva, who excelled for Fiji at the Rugby League World Cup, but is unlikely to find any starting minutes ahead of current fullback Dylan Edwards, or wingers Taylan May and Brian To’o.
The centres too are set solid ahead of the 2023 campaign, with Stephen Crichton – potentially heading into his last campaign with Penrith given his contract expires at the end of the year – to be joined by young gun Izack Tago.
Tago is also a candidate to move slightly infield and fill the vacant second-row position left by Kikau, which would then free up a space in the backline for either Turuva or Thomas Jenkins, although the move of Tago out of the centres would be a risk to say the least.
The halves, as they have been during both of the premiership-winning campaigns, and the grand final run of 2020 before it, will be New South Wales Blues representative duo Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, who will be backed up by new arrival Jack Cogger and young gun Jack Cole, who moves into the Top 30 this season.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 02: Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai of the Panthers celebrate with team mates during the 2022 NRL Grand Final match between the Penrith Panthers and the Parramatta Eels at Accor Stadium on October 02, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Into the forward pack, and again, things are reasonably solid and stable for the defending premiers, with Ivan Cleary’s side primed to be amongst the favourites again.
James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota will start in the front row, while Liam Martin takes one position in the back row. Isaah Yeo rounds out the middle third as one of the best two locks in the game alongside South Sydney Rabbitohs’ gun Cameron Murray.
The two positions up for grabs as mentioned are those vacated by Kikau and Koroisau.
Luke Garner, Zac Hosking and Tyrone Peachey are all realistic options, however, expect Scott Sorensen to progress into the starting side on the edge, leaving the other trio to fight over bench spots.
A starting second rower is certainly a slight weakness for Penrith though given Sorensen’s impact off the bench – not to say he couldn’t start, but him starting certainly weakens their overall depth.
At hooker, Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke will be asked to take over from Koroisau – a tall order to say the least given just how important Koroisau has been to Penrith.
PENRITH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 19: Nathan Cleary of the Panthers (R) celebrates with Mitchell Kenny (L) after scoring a try during the round 18 NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Panthers Stadium on July 19, 2019 in Penrith, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Options to steal
Option 1: Damien Cook (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Damien Cook, over the last five years, has been one of the best hookers in the game. That you simply can’t argue with.
He has been taken over as the best now by a handful of others, but what he may have lost in speed and ability to make things happen, he has made up for in consistency, defensive ability and rugby league IQ.
He reads the game exceptionally well even at the worst of times, and while he has been accused of being a flat track bully at times, he still turns up in defence, provides great service and is a player most teams would love to have playing for them rather than against.
DAMIEN COOK
Hooker
Rabbitohs
2022 SEASON AVG
43.2
Tackles Made
0.3
Tries
0.4
LB Assists
Option 2: David Fifita (Gold Coast Titans)
Kikau did have times when he would go off the boil, but that is going to happen to any player who plays the game like he does – at a million miles an hour and always looking to flatten opposition defensive lines.
If there is a player who could benefit from moving into the Penrith system though, it’s Fifita.
Drifting in and out of games on the Gold Coast, the wrecking ball’s potential is limitless, but his actual production on-field so far in his career has been somewhat stunted by his constant refusal to play consistently.
A star though, Fifita running outside of the likes of Cleary, Luai and Dylan Edwards is scary to think about.
DAVID FIFITA
Second-row
Titans
2022 SEASON AVG
22
Tackles Made
0.4
Tries
4.2
Tackle Breaks
Option 3: Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
Grant has the potential to be the game’s best dummy half.
He isn’t there yet – that’s because Koroisau sits ahead of him – but his selection in the Australian Rugby League World Cup side ahead of Damien Cook shows exactly what those at the top echelons of the game see in Grant.
Melbourne Storm authorities obviously see similar after locking him into a monster long-term contract extension at the club.
He would replace Koroisau almost perfectly, as if a younger version of the experienced Tigers-bound hooker, and this one just makes sense.
HARRY GRANT
Hooker
Storm
2022 SEASON AVG
37.3
Tackles Made
0.3
Tries
0.6
LB Assists
Option 4: Isaiah Papali’i (Wests Tigers)
Papali’i making the move to the Wests Tigers will be one of the key storylines to follow throughout the 2023 campaign.
He was almost an outcast during his time at the New Zealand Warriors before being taken on a basement buy at the Parramatta Eels.
He has since excelled in blue and gold to become one of the best in his position in the game, but will now need to try and replicate that in a new environment, but more than that, a team who are struggling – and badly so.
That said, a move to Penrith for a player like Papali’i is a virtual like for like replacement to Kikau. Into a winning culture, and with a wrecking-ball like running style, he would be an excellent option to line up for the Panthers.
ISAIAH PAPALI’I
Lock
Eels
2022 SEASON AVG
1.3
Offloads
0.4
Tries
0.2
Try Assists
The verdict
While a second row replacement for Kikau would be of utmost importance for the club, Sorensen was excellent for much of the 2022 campaign and will now be keen to show off his talents in a starting capacity.
Kenny and Luke have both shown talent during their time in the NRL, but replacing Koroisau won’t be a straightforward task. There are only a very select few dummy halves up to anything near his level, and he was so, so important to Penrith’s charge at back-to-back premierships.
That means this is a race between two – Cook and Grant.
Cook has more experience, but Grant has arguably been the better player over the last 24 months, so we will suggest he is the dream recruit for the men from the foot of the mountains.
Harry Grant.
Source:: ZeroTackle
