‘He’s going to be a monster’: Casey McLean earns high praise from JFH

Good judges already knew about Casey McLean before his four tries for New Zealand on debut. But now everyone in the NRL knows how good he’ll be for Penrith next year.

James Fisher-Harris may have left Penrith but he’s still excited about their young crop of stars, with the powerhouse prop declaring Casey McLean is “going to be a monster” after the teenager scored four tries on debut for the Kiwis.

Sunday night’s effort capped a dream few months for the 18-year-old who made his NRL debut for the Panthers and scored three tries from seven matches and then watched on from the sidelines as they won their fourth title in a row.

But he’s unlikely to miss too many games going forward, with McLean set to win a starting spot now that Sunia Turuva is no longer at the club.

His performance against PNG will give Panthers coach Ivan Cleary plenty to think about, with the exciting outside back opening the scoring after four minutes before he crossed three times in a stunning burst after halftime.

Casey McLean announced himself as a future superstar with four tries on debut for New Zealand. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“As an 18-year-old, he’s got the world at his feet,” Fisher-Harris said after the game.

“Four tries on debut is just unheard of.

“He’s got a really good head on him for his age and he’s going to be a monster.”

McLean wasn’t the only youngster to impress during the Pacific Championships, with Tongan halfback Isaiya Katoa cementing his status as the most exciting playmaker in the game.

Katoa, 20, has been a standout for the Dolphins over the past two seasons, with his poise under pressure impressing plenty of good judges.

He played an integral part in helping Tonga reach the Pacific Cup final with a clutch field goal in their win over New Zealand, while his work on the inside helped Sione Katoa open the scoring against Australia on Sunday.

Tonga qualified for the Pacific Cup final thanks to a clutch Isaiya Katoa field goal. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Kristian Woolf hasn’t decided whether he will remain Tongan coach now that he’s replacing Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins, but Katoa could influence his next move given he gets to watch him every day at training.

The halfback still has things to work on, with a few of his kicks not executed properly, but he will only improve over time, with the youngster already earning the respect of inspirational Tongan forwards Addin Fonua-Blake and Jason Taumalolo.

“He hasn’t got everything right and he’s a really hard marker on himself, but he’s kept going at the game. He’s been one of our main players and he’s certainly been our key playmaker,” Woolf said.

“We need him to play footy and we need him to roll the dice sometimes. There are a few plays that he didn’t execute that I’m sure he’ll be disappointed with, but I’m really proud that he kept going after the game and having a crack.

Katoa lost his starting spot at the Dolphins at the end of the season, but looms as their most important player going forward. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“If he doesn’t do that then we’re not in the contest.

“He’s developed really well. He’s a 20-year-old and we’ve got to remember that. He’s got his best footy ahead of him and he’s only going to get better from this.

“I really like the way that he’s grown up through this tournament. I’ve seen him really mature and I’ve seen him really believe that he’s a guy who can come into this team and command players like Jason and Addin with what he wants to do.

“They’ve got enormous respect for him, and I think this tournament has been good for him in terms of giving him a really good starting point for what he’ll do next year.”