Panthers Contract Thread

Okay. I did some digging into Long Serving Player disounts and this is what I have discovered.

In 2003 it was introduced and the NRL stated that

Long Serving Player Allowance introduced to encourage clubs to retain players who have served a continuous period of ten years in first grade. This $100,000 allowance lifted the effective cap to $3.55m.

Then in 2006 the NRL lowered the criteria stating

Reduction in qualifying period for veteran players from 10 to 8 years under Long Serving Player Allowance.

So they donā€™t explicitly say the player has to play for one club for the 8 year period, so quite a few player should be eligible for the 2019 season onwards. Here is the current playing roster and when they debuted and when they would be eligible. Judging by this there should be about 7 eligible players. (from what I can work out) and a few players should be eligible later in their contracts. That being said, the allowance it $100,000 (I canā€™t see if it has increased over time).

Player Debut Eligble Contract Expires Eligble Now Eligible Contract
Caleb Aekins 2018 2026 2020
Waqa Blake 2015 2023 2023 :white_check_mark:
Reagan Campbell-Gillard 2015 2023 2024 :white_check_mark:
Jed Cartwright 2019 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Nathan Cleary 2016 2024 2023
Dylan Edwards 2016 2024 2020
Wayde Egan 2018 2026 2019
Kaide Ellis 2018 2026 2020
James Fisher-Harris 2016 2024 2019
Tyrell Fuimaono 2017 2025 2019
Tim Grant 2007 2015 2019 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Jack Hetherington 2018 2026 2018
Sione Katoa 2015 2023 2019
Viliame Kikau 2017 2025 2022
Moses Leota 2016 2024 2022
Jarome Luai 2018 2026 2018
Nick Lui-Toso 2020
James Maloney 2009 2017 2020 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Josh Mansour 2012 2020 2021 :white_check_mark:
Tyrone May 2017 2025 2020
Sam Mckendry 2008 2016 2019 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Trent Merrin 2009 2017 2020 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Joey Peato 2018
Tyrone Phillips 2015 2023 2018
James Tamou 2009 2017 2020 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 2014 2022 2020
Malakai Watene-Zelezniak 2017 2025 2020
Dean Whare 2010 2018 2022 :white_check_mark: :white_check_mark:
Isaah Yeo 2014 2022 2021

Hey thanks Steve. Ok, Iā€™m of the belief it was introduced for a one club player, coz Iā€™m pretty sure Steve Menzies was used as an example. That rules everyone out
bar Sam, at least short term. Happy to be corrected. Cā€™mon you forumites,
whatā€™s the go?

Iā€™m pretty sure thatā€™s right Puss. If it were me, looking at those options, I would be stacking it onto Dean Whareā€™s contract.

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itā€™s time for big Sam to make up his mind, yay or nay?

Trent Merrin has been granted an immediate release to the Leeds Rhinos.

Trent Merrin >>> Leeds Rhinos (UK Super League)

So all the toing and froing ends up just as was expected. Seems to be how things work in Pantherland these days. The story comes out, denials, more story, more denials & hey presto, just as we already had heard. We just always seem to take a convoluted path to get anywhere :slight_smile:

I actually think itā€™s all for the best & I say that with no disrespect for TM.

yeah fair enough, think of all the money weā€™ll save
to pay off the Clearyā€™s for the next 5 years. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Yes it looks like the Panthers are turning this style into an art formā€¦which i donā€™t agree with at all.
Hard to expect loyalty/honesty etc from the playing group if the Senior Management do not practise the values.

On Merrin i wish him well but something went terribly wrong with him and by default his form over the last 2 years. Whether it was Griffin or something else personal, we will never know but i wish him well in the UKā€¦hope its a great move financially but on a personal level, hope he finds what he needs.

More broadly i donā€™t see any of this as a positive for the team but we will all know soon enough.

Jack Hetherington >>> Contract ends 2021 (Re-signed)

Jarome Luai >>> Contract ends 2021 (Re-signed)

Good news on both these boys. I see Jack being a future leader of our pack - I still think that we missed an opportunity to play him in the playoff game against the sharks. Iā€™m sure he would have stirred the sharks forward up just a bit :slight_smile:

And Jarome looks well positioned to take over from Jimmy M when he finishes, perhaps at end of '20. It looks like a battle between Luai & May to be Nathanā€™s halves partner - may the best man win!

arenā€™t we a bit light- on in the centres??

Our first choice back 5 will likely be:
Edwards
DWZ
Blake
Whare
Mansour

Looks pretty good, and Iā€™m expecting a stellar 2019 from Blake. Whare is strong in defence and solid in attack at best - showed better signs late in season. Measured against the benchmark (the premiers), we lack that threat from both centres that they for example have with Mitchell and Manu.

And yes, there is a gap to the next in line, to cover injuries etc. We has some short term flexibility with our mobile backrow players able to fill-in on the edges, but we have lost one of those guys, so maybe that option is somewhat limited. I was surprised to see we let Kierghan (sp) go, as he looked quite promising. That said, we have been pretty good in recent times coming up with players that fit it well.

Maybe we have a signing coming - itā€™s been departures and extending pretty much for 2019.

I doubt it. Much of the players leaving last season was to free up cash to extend/renew contracts. To my understanding there isnā€™t much cash to pay for new players.

That being said, I think the coaching staff and management are happy with the team we have at the moment.

Yes I think you are right about it being unlikely we have new signings.

I too am happy with our first choice roster - we should be more than competitive, but I am a little concerned about depth if we have our usual bad luck with injuries. I do wish we had found a way to keep Peachey &/or CHN, particularly now as we should have some dollars from Merrin going.

Not long to wait now :smiley:

ā€œparticularly nowā€ after Merrin leaving etc etc

yes you would think so, wouldnā€™t you? :thinking:

OK, not a ā€˜big nameā€™ signing, in fact I didnā€™t recognise the name at all, but a new face - Hame Sele from STG-Ill.

Hame Sele >>> Contract ends 2019 (New Contract)

* Includes a one year extension option in clubs favour.

Liam Martin >>> Contract ends 2021 (Re-signed)

ā€¦ they ever chuffed, pleased, wrapped, happy, overjoyed or just delighted?