Coach Ivan Cleary doesn’t foresee any challenges in retaining both Dylan Edwards and Jarome Luai beyond 2024 as rival clubs once again look to capitalise on Penrith’s premiership success.
Edwards’ four-try masterclass against Manly last week strengthened his representative credentials and potential to earn a pay-rise on the open market.
In career-best form, the fullback comes off contract at the end of next season, the same time as State of Origin five-eighth Jarome Luai.
Both can negotiate with other NRL clubs from November 1, leaving Penrith to prepare for another balancing act at the contract table.
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Penrith have resigned themselves to losing talent every season, with Viliame Kikau, Api Koroisau, Matt Burton and Kurt Capewell all earning increases for bringing premiership experience to rival clubs.
(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu will do the same at the end of this season.
“It still hurts,” Cleary said, “when you think of guys leaving and guys about to leave.”
Penrith have yet to open formal contract discussions with Edwards or Luai but asked how confident he was of Penrith’s ability to keep the pair, Cleary did not need to think hard.
“Very,” the coach said. “Those two guys are integral parts of our team, have been for a long time.
“I’d certainly like to think that they would be moving forward.”
The Panthers have managed to tie Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Brian To’o, James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota to long-term deals, capitalising on their long-standing bonds as Penrith juniors and connection to the club’s winning culture.
“The guys that have stayed, that’s definitely been a part of the reason,” Cleary said. “They all value the camaraderie and the team that we have here, their families are settled and that kind of thing. That all comes into it.”
Edwards has long been a favourite of Cleary’s and while the coach conceded he could bank a bigger pay-cheque with a rival he can’t fathom the fullback leaving.
“I don’t see him in any jersey other than a Panthers one,” he said. “He suits us really well. We’re obviously going to do our best to keep him.”
James Tedesco’s status as NSW State of Origin and Australian captain has so far prevented Edwards from playing representative football while teammates Luai, Cleary, To’o, Yeo and Liam Martin have all become Origin staples.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The fullback shied away from questions about his NSW credentials after last week’s win, but Cleary believes higher honours are awaiting Edwards.
“Something like that is going to happen for him one day, I reckon, if he just keeps on being who he is and playing the way he does each week,” he said.
“He could definitely handle that level. His game would be perfectly suited to it. He’s behind a pretty good one (Tedesco) there.”
Martin could return from a four-week injury lay-off against Newcastle on Saturday, having been named in the reserves on Tuesday.
Fifita sets sights on regaining Maroons jersey
David Fifita wants to regain a Queensland Origin jersey and lead Gold Coast back to NRL finals footy by developing his combination with returning Titans No.6 Kieran Foran.
The star second-rower lines up against his former club Brisbane on Saturday night after following his strong start to the season by securing his future with a two-year contract extension until the end of 2025.
Fifita was overlooked by coach Billy Slater last year due to injuries and patchy form and the Maroons coach has indicated Eels forward J’maine Hopgood is someone he’s considering as a fresh face in his pack when he selects his Origin I team next month.
“J’maine is one guy who has jumped out of the ground,” Slater told The Courier Mail. “I have been aware of what he has been doing in the NSW Cup the last few years and sometimes you can be out of sight, out of mind not playing first grade.
“But when you are in an environment like the Panthers and living and breathing that success and professionalism around guys like Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo, you are rubbing shoulders with the best every day. He is reaping the rewards and making the most of it at Parramatta.
David Fifita. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The 23-year-old Fifita, who had been linked to a possible return to Brisbane, said he was relieved to have got his deal out of the way.
“The longer I waited the more noise was going to be there and it was only going to be louder,” Fifita told AAP. “It was good to get it off my chest and now I can just worry about getting the results we want as a group here at the Titans. I am happy to be here for another two years.
“(Finals) is where we want to get to. We all know what we can do as a group and we spoke about it behind the scenes before pre-season.”
The Titans played finals in 2021 but were way off the pace last year. Fifita last played State of Origin in 2021 and he aims to add to his five appearances for Queensland using advice Maroons coach Billy Slater gave him in pre-season.
“That is the goal,” Fifita said. “We had a chat before the season in round one, myself and a few other boys in the team, about what it takes to put on that jersey and what you have to do.
“We had lunch (with Slater) and caught up with him. I know what I need to do.”
Fifita has been moved to the left side of the field for Gold Coast this year to maximise his attacking weaponry outside Foran, who returns to the side after missing last week’s 20-18 win over St George Illawarra with a calf strain.
“Kieran has done heaps for my game. It’s great running off him,” Fifita said. “I moved onto the left side at the last minute just before round one without doing anything there in the pre-season there, but I prefer it on the left side.
“That is where I first played at the Broncos when I came into the NRL. Hopefully Foz (Foran) and I can keep our combination going.”
Fifita is averaging 161m per game in 2023, a better return than at any stage of his career and far superior to the 112m he averaged last year.
Foran said he was “really enjoying having a guy like Dave running outside me”.
“He is such an enormous talent. I think he has got so much growth to go in his game but his first month of footy has been outstanding,” Foran said. “He has shown us and everyone else the sort of footballer he is. I just want him to continue to bring that each and every week.”
Warriors wary of offside trap
There’s a fine line in the NRL between perfect line speed, passive defence, or simply being offside.
The problem for the Warriors right now is that they can’t seem to find where it is in the first 20 or so minutes of their games this season.
Despite winning four out six, they know full well that if they don’t address the issue soon it will cost them dearly.
“You need to get line speed to control the ruck early on in games,” second-rower Bayley Sironen told media.
“But it can’t be at the expense of giving away penalties. The refs are there, we know where the 10 metres is, so there’s no excuse.
“We need to move as a team as soon as the ball is cleared from the ruck and be honest with ourselves.”
Warriors veteran Shaun Johnson. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The Warriors’ gift of field position to Newcastle last weekend once again led to another concession of early points. This time there was no miracle comeback, like the one they pulled off against Cronulla, going down 34-24 at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Coach Andrew Webster flirted with mentioning the refereeing around offsides, but stuck hard to saying that it was something that was within the Warriors’ control.
“It’s marginal,” he said. “We get the wide view in the coach’s box so we can see where they’re standing. You could argue that it’s touch and go but we’re not like that, we have to be honest with ourselves and say they’re giving us an opportunity to penalise us, so let’s not do that.
“We’re doing line speed drills, we have a referee at training and if someone goes early then we keep them accountable. If you want to be elite, you have to get the line speed and stay onside.”
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