Fans deserve a better explanation over Bryce Cartwright’s shock switch from Panthers to Titans
THERE is an egg in the air following Bryce Cartwright’s move from Penrith to Gold Coast. As to whose face it lands on, time will tell.
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THERE is an egg in the air following Bryce Cartwright’s move from Penrith to the Gold Coast. As to whose face it lands on, time will tell.
Phil Gould and Garth Brennan have come out and said all the right things publicly following Cartwright’s shock switch.
But while they might come across as the best of mates who would do anything for each other and the young player involved, one of them will end up wearing the egg over this.
Cartwright is the second gun junior to walk out on Penrith in a matter of months following Matt Moylan’s exit to Cronulla.
It was just over a year ago Cartwright and Moylan extended their contracts until the end of 2021.
At that point the club seemed convinced the pair would be crucial to Penrith’s future.
Chief executive Brian Fletcher said back in September, 2016: “There is plenty of blue sky ahead for the Panthers and I’m confident we’ve put ourselves in a position to hopefully win a premiership within the next three years”.
INSIDE STORY: Why Cartwright had to leave
Now both players are gone but the club still insists everything is hunky dory despite the constant talk of player unrest.
Fletcher said on Sunday he did not want to comment about Cartwright’s exit but admitted it was a player-requested release.
Reminded of his comments about winning a title in three years, Fletcher said: “As I said, I’ve got no comment”.
Penrith did put out a delicately worded statement on Saturday night in which Gould said: “It is obviously disappointing to be releasing a player like Bryce Cartwright, however, we appreciate his desire to seek such a change”.
When Gould sacked Ivan Cleary two years back, Gould claimed Cleary was “tired” and needed a break.
Surely it is time for Gould to come clean to Penrith fans about what is going on behind closed doors.
The other problem for Penrith is what is going on in relation to Nathan Cleary’s future.
We were also told on Sunday that there is still no movement despite the fact Fletcher said six months ago the club had started negotiations to extend the young halfback’s deal.
Cleary is contracted until the end of 2019 but will be free to negotiate with rival clubs from November.
The word is Cleary is in no rush to make a decision before then.
If Penrith lose Cleary on the back of Cartwright and Moylan it will be a disaster for the club which hangs its hat on developing local juniors.
No doubt Cartwright has had some personal issues but the way Brennan talked him up suggested he thinks he’s backed a certainty.
Brennan has now staked his reputation on proving Cartwright is worth almost $3 million over four years.
Gold Coast chief executive Graham Annesley said on the weekend that he was prepared to back Brennan’s judgment because “the coach has a lot of experience (with Cartwright) and is absolutely confident Bryce is of good character and will be a solid addition to our squad”.
The question that still needs answering is if Brennan is so confident of getting Cartwright into line on the Gold Coast, why couldn’t he do it during the six years they worked together at Penrith?
Brennan admitted Cartwright had lost his way over the past 12 months, but now plans to turn the 23-year-old around in his first year as an NRL coach at a club located smack bang in the middle of party central.
Go figure.
Over the years the Gold Coast hasn’t exactly proven an ideal destination for players with off-field issues.
Then you take into account what happened at the club last year, where lack of leadership was one of the most obvious problems.
Any way you look at it, this is a massive gamble for everyone involved.