NRL 2021: Paul Momirovski to keep Brent Naden out of Penrith Panthers side

At his fourth club in three years, Panthers recruit Paul Momirovski is ready to stake his claim at Penrith.

Paul Momirovski won’t give up his centre spot without a fight.

Paul Momirovski has been bounced around clubs like a pinball but the young centre is ready to stake his claim at Penrith and it could come at the expense of his close mate, Brent Naden.

Momirovski will make his Penrith debut at right centre against North Queensland on Saturday night, beating Tyrone May to the spot.

Naden is serving a four-week club ban after the centre failed a drug test after Penrith’s 26-20 grand final loss and received a month suspension under the WADA rules.

If Momirovski impresses in the opening month, Naden, who is off contract, could struggle to get back into the Ivan Cleary’s top-17 and damage his chances at an extension with the club or a new deal with a rival.

But the 24-year-old Momirovski isn’t expecting the fight for the position to cause any awkwardness with Naden.

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Brent Naden has been banned by coach Ivan Cleary for a month.

“We have a good relationship, we get along really well,” Momirovski told The Daily Telegraph.

“Brent and I played football growing up, we played in a couple of representative teams together in the NSW Cup.

“Through school we played in a team together and spent a week up in Cairns. I’ve known Brent for a while and we have played against each other a lot too. “

Momirovski only has 19 NRL games under his belt - and is already on his fourth club, owns one of the more unique careers in the game.

Over the last three years Momirovski has collected some of the more unique moments of rugby league history.

In only his second NRL game, Momirovski scored the match-sealing try for the Roosters against South Sydney in the preliminary final.

That same try was also the last to be scored at the Sydney Football Stadium before it was torn down. Momirovski, who replaced a suspended Latrell Mitchell in the final, was forced to watch the Roosters win the comp a week later from the sidelines.

Paul Momirovski celebrates scoring a try during the preliminary final against South Sydney.

A year after joining the Wests Tigers in 2019, Momirovski made history again when he and Melbourne’s Harry Grant became the first players to be part of a player swap in the NRL.

Grant went on to be named the Dally M Rookie of Year while Momirovski was hampered by a finger injury and missed selection in Craig Bellamy’s grand final-winning side in 2020.

But after a whirlwind journey, Momirovski finally feels “settled” at the foot of the mountains under Cleary, who signed him to a two-year deal at the Tigers during his time as the club’s coach.

“It’s good to finally be somewhere where I feel settled with a good bunch of guys and a great coaching staff,” Momirovski said.

“I think the whole process has been exciting, coming from the year I had last year, being away on the Sunshine Coast [with Melbourne].

“It’s nice to finally feel settled somewhere. I feel comfortable here.”

Cleary has again shown faith in Momirovski, signing him on a two year deal at the Panthers until the end of 2022.

Paul Momirovski won’t give up his centre spot without a fight. Digital image by Gregg Porteous, NRL Photos

Until now, Momirovski has only ever been coached by premiership winners from Trent Robinson at the Roosters, Michael Maguire at Tigers, who won a title with South Sydney in 2014, and then by Craig Bellamy at Melbourne last season.

Momirovski believes Cleary now carries himself with a sense of assurance and confidence that will see the coach join the elite club of premiership winners sooner rather than later.

“He has this calming presence about him Ivan, you just get the sense that he knows what he is doing,” Momirovski said.

“He signed me at the Tigers when he was coach so it’s good to finally link up again. “I’ve been coached by some pretty amazing coaches and Ivan is another one to add to that list.”

Why Panthers have an edge over the rest of the NRL

From his NRL debut to stealing a starting spot in season 2021, the big moments have had a funny way of creeping up on boom rookie Charlie Staines.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has catapulted Staines into the starting side this season after veteran winger Josh Mansour was released from the final year of his deal to join South Sydney.

Cleary told Mansour his plans of playing Staines ahead of him in the starting side two days after Penrith’s 20-26 grand final loss to Melbourne.

The news came as a shock to Staines.

“No I didn‘t really know too much of what was going on. So it was a shock to hear about the talk that Ivan had with Mansour,” Staines revealed.

Charlie Staines is set to line-up alongside Paul Momirovksi. Picture: Jonathan Ng

But it isn’t the first surprise Cleary has sprung a surprise on the rising flyer.

Staines, who has re-signed with Penrith until the end of season 2023, only had 48 hours to come to terms with the reality of realising his NRL dream.

The short notice hardly put a dent in Staines’ confidence.

Playing at centre, Staines scored four tries in his debut match against the Cronulla Sharks in round nine last year.

“I didn’t even expect to be playing that week that I had my debut. Ivan just pulled me into the hallway on Thursday arvo before that game and said ‘mate, you’ll be playing this week’,” Staines said.

“So I thought ‘righto’ I have two days to prepare for it.

Charlie Staines scored four tries on debut.

“All I did was get out there to try and take a few carries but then all of a sudden I’d scored a few tries. It was unreal. It was crazy.”

Staines is set to form a new right hand edge combination alongside Paul Momirovski with Brent Naden banned for four matches.

Naden tested positive for cocaine after the grand final and has since finished a backdated month-long ban under the WADA rules.

“I’d seen Paul at the Storm, and he went pretty well. I’m keen to maybe play alongside him,” Staines said.

“He’s a really classy player. He’s a strong ball runner but he also has speed and footwork and nice silky hands.

“Hopefully he puts me away for a few tries this year.”

But Penrith’s right edge isn’t the only new combination coach Cleary will be fielding this season.

Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o are hoping they too can creep up on the competition.

Brian To'o will combine with Stephen Crichton on the left edge. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The duo will line-up alongside Jarome Luai and Viliame Kikau on the left side of the field.

To’o told The Daily Telegraph the bond built playing junior football alongside Crichton will have a similar impact on the team to Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai’s connection in the halves.

Cleary and Luai built a familiarity in each other’s game coming through Penrith’s junior ranks, which has helped make their NRL combination almost unstoppable in season 2020.

“We’ve always spoken about ‘imagine if we played alongside each other in first grade’. When he made his debut in the under 20s and then when he made his debut in the NRL we played on the same side together,” To’o said.

“Just having that tight bond off the field will be special on the field.

“We’ve been trying to make-up a little handshake for the left side.

“But just individually, with me and Critta [Crichton] we’ve been working through some combinations.

“Stephen is a good ball runner and a good finisher. But it is exactly like Nathan and Jarome, a tight mateship off the field, makes you even better on the field.”

PANTHERS DITCH THE FOOTY FOR A PAINT BRUSH

The creative juices were flowing at Penrith training on Monday afternoon but the pinot, thankfully for coach Ivan Cleary, was not.

The Panthers have teamed up with Pinot & Picasso, a business that runs paint and sip franchises all over Australia, to help raise money for Heroes with Ability.

Normally, budding artists will enjoy a glass of pinot while they create their masterpieces but with a gruelling training session scheduled for today Cleary made sure there was not a single drop of red wine in sight.

Player Nathan Cleary painting during training at the Penrith Panthers Centre of Excellence in Penrith. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“No, pinot. It’s probably why they are concentrating so hard,” Cleary said with a laugh.

“We were hoping it’s the sort of team building exercise too where their competitive instincts will come out … and I think by how seriously they are taking it, I think they have.”

Cleary and his son Nathan are proud ambassadors for Heroes with Ability, a charity that provides inclusive sports programs for people with a disability.

“We’re also doing it to raise money for a worthwhile charity. Nathan and I were made ambassadors last year and we’re humbled by that,” Cleary said.

Panthers players with their paintings during training at the Penrith Panthers Centre of Excellence in Penrith. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I’ve known the guys who run the charity for a few years now and I’ve watched them put so much energy into people with disabilities the opportunity to play touch footy. If we can help them in any way we will.”

While all players were asked to paint a panther’s paw, the coach was expecting livewire five-eighth Jarome Luai to impress as the most artistic of the group.

“I would probably say Jarome. He can sing, he can play guitar, he has an artistic side to him. Just watching him he’s pretty focused in there,” Cleary said.

Player Jarome Luai painting at the Penrith Panthers Centre of Excellence in Penrith. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Stephen Crichton’s impression of a panther paw scored the most votes among the players but his new edge partner Brian To’o voted elsewhere.

“I would say Api would be the best at it. He was sitting right next to me. All the other boys were full rushing through it but he was taking his time, finessing it. He wasn’t mucking around,” To’o said.

All the paintings from the top 17, including the likes of Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Isaiah Yeo, Stephen Crichton and James Fisher-Harris will be available to bid on via the Panthers shop website.