Cleary’s warning for rivals, Dragons eager to deliver prop again to spice up pack, Sharks duo set to depart
Penrith’s NRL rivals have been placed on discover as coach Ivan Cleary insists the resurgent four-time reigning premiers can nonetheless enhance.
After a dismal 1-5 begin to the season, the Panthers have grow to be one of many NRL’s kind groups on a seven-game profitable streak that has rocketed them into fifth place on the ladder.
Penrith’s defence seems again to its miserly finest, conceding solely 10 factors on common throughout their profitable run, with massive names Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards excellent in latest weeks.
However even after final week’s complete 36-2 defeat of Wests Tigers, Cleary stated the Panthers nonetheless have enchancment in them.
“I’m very proud of the best way issues are going. I feel even during the last seven weeks, our performances have continued to develop. (However) I really feel like there’s extra in us as nicely,” he stated forward of Saturday’s conflict with Gold Coast.
“I nonetheless don’t assume we’ve discovered that cohesion we’re in search of.”
Cleary stated inexperienced palms Casey McLean, Tom Jenkins and Blaize Talagi had all begun to search out chemistry on the left edge following the Panthers’ powerful begin to the yr.
None of that trio have been common first graders on the Panthers earlier than this season.
“These guys performed throughout this complete interval. That’s actually helped them,” Cleary stated.
“Now if we will get ‘Yeoy’ (Isaah Yeo) and ‘Nat’ and ‘Dyl’ and people guys all working along with each side of the sector and middles as nicely, we should always solely get higher and we have to.
“It’s thrilling instances forward.”
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. (Photograph by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Photographs)
The Panthers coach nonetheless felt as if his facet have been underdogs regardless of salvaging their season and shaping as unlikely contenders for a top-four end.
“We’ve come from the underside and we’re nonetheless within the backside of the eight so we nonetheless really feel like we’re looking,” Cleary stated.
Cleary insisted the Panthers wouldn’t underestimate Sixteenth-placed Titans, who return to the Gold Coast on the again of an upset defeat of top-four hopefuls the Warriors.
“I truly like watching the Titans play, they’ve received some actual game-breakers,” stated Cleary.
“They’re a very good crew, they in all probability ought to’ve received extra video games. Hopefully it’s not this week.”
Dragons eye off Kerr with Klemmer going
St George Illawarra need to deliver Josh Kerr again to the membership from the Dolphins to bolster the expertise ranges of their pack for 2026.
With Jack de Belin off to the Eels, David Klemmer prone to end his profession within the Tremendous League and Michael Molo following his brother Frank out the exit, NewsCorp has reported the Dragons have recognized Kerr as an skilled center ahead who can provide loads of worth.
Kerr left the Dragons halfway by the 2023 season after enjoying 68 matches on the membership and has racked up one other 42 in Redcliffe however is off contract on the finish of the yr.
The Indigenous All-Stars front-rower was a part of Queensland’s prolonged Origin squad this yr and would add much-needed muscle to the center ahead rotation if he returns to Wollongong.
Sifa Talakai. (Photograph by Brett Hemmings/Getty Photographs)
Cronulla’s Braden Hamlin-Uele and Siosifa Talakai is also on the transfer after being advised they’re free to barter elsewhere regardless of having one other season on their contracts.
The veteran duo are unlikely to be re-signed by the membership past their present offers in order that they have been given the choice of attempting to lock down a lengthier contract elsewhere.
Shaq Mitchell is alo looking out for a brand new membership with South Sydney not providing him a brand new deal whereas former Manly prodigy Josh Schuster may have performed his final NRL sport with the Rabbitohs opting to not maintain him on the roster after his comeback season ended early when he determined to take a break from the sport.
with AAP
