NRL 2023: Mitchell Pearce talks to top Rooster, Panthers will struggle to sign Stephen Crichton
Could a surprise return to the NRL be on the cards for Mitchell Pearce? Check out Phil Rothfield’s highlights and lowlights .
Samoa’s victory over England has created a major recruitment problem for the Penrith Panthers.
The price tag on their outstanding centre/fullback Stephen Crichton has gone through the roof.
Crichton, Brian T’o, Spencer Leniu and Scott Sorensen are all off contract next year.
It is a fact that successful teams that win premierships can’t keep all their stars.
The Panthers have already invested heavily in Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards and Liam Martin.
It’s why Billy Kikau and Api Koroisau are at their new clubs next year, the Bulldogs and the Wests Tigers.
Realistically the Panthers probably can’t go higher than $600,000 for Crichton in that roster.
That is way short of what other clubs will be prepared to pay, especially as he can be a fullback.
Crichton is a big game player. He’s shown that in grand finals and against the Poms in the semi-final.
He kicked the winning field goal and repeated his 2021 grand final performance with a runaway intercept try that was the difference in the end.
This guy is an exceptional player.
He has two premiership and just 22 and he’s now in a World Cup final.
He’s almost a million-dollar player at another club.
The Dolphins have already made inquiries because they still need a fullback.
Obviously Crichton would prefer to stay with the Panthers where success is almost guaranteed over the next 10 years.
But over five years, a club like the Newcastle Knights could offer him $300,000-a-season more than the Panthers because of their salary cap pressure.
Crichton is now in a position to talk to rival clubs.
He will return from England in 10 days to sit down with his agent to look at opportunities.
There will be plenty of them.
🇼🇸 This is it - the moment Stephen Crichton sent Samoa to the men's Rugby League World Cup 2021 final!#RLWC2021#ENGSAMpic.twitter.com/D7p20W3YhM
— Rugby League World Cup 2021 (@RLWC2021) November 12, 2022
HIGHLIGHT
Samoa’s remarkable victory over the Poms at the World Cup in the biggest boost for international rugby league ever. The likes of Nathan Cleary and Latrell Mitchell will need to bring their A games if the Kangaroos are to win the final.
HIGHLIGHT II
A magnificent 4-0 win by the Matildas over the World’s No 2 ranked side Sweden at AAMI Park in front of a crowd of 22,000. It gives us great hope for the World Cup in Australia next year.
LOWLIGHT
One of the darkest days in Australian rugby union history with a woeful Wallabies team losing to Italy for the first time in almost 40 years. The Italians are rated a $501 chance to win next year’s Rugby World Cup along with the likes of Namibia and Romania.
SPOTTED
Mitchell Pearce having breakfast with Roosters supremo Nick Politis last week in Rushcutters Bay. What chance they spoke about the veteran halfback having one final season at the Chooks in 2024 as Number 14 off the bench? Pearce has one year to go on his Catalans contract.
SPOTTED
Souths legends Bobby McCarthy, Mike Cleary and John Sutton with chief executive Blake Solly on Rabbitohs cruise to Eden and back over the weekend with 800 of their members as part of the club’s sponsorship deal with P&O.
SPOTTED
Ex Kiwis Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Brad Takairangi in the crowd at Elland Road cheering for New Zealand against the Kangaroos.
HANDY SIGNING
Channel 9 has big plans for broadcaster and host Jim Wilson, who stood down from 2GB last week. He is in the process of doing a deal with the network. Nine has the rights to the Australian Open tennis, the Ashes in England next year and the rugby World Cup. Wilson covered 10 Australian Opens for his previous employer, Channel 7.
DRIVE WITH CHRIS
Channel 9’s Chris O’Keefe will be revealed as Jim Wilson’s replacement on 2GB on Monday. Married to Fox Sports star Yvonne Sampson, poor Chris is an absolutely fanatical St George-Illawarra fan so get used to him being grumpy on Mondays in drivetime in the footy season.
Parramatta legend: ‘24 Panthers don’t have a hope against ‘83 Eels
Penrith have claimed their place in the rugby league record books, but Parramatta great Ray Price has rejected suggestions they’ve gone past his Eels, claiming they had “every position and we every tactic covered”. WHO IS BETTER? VOTE NOW.
Kangaroos selection shocks: NRL legends’ Test careers appear over
Mal Meninga has dropped a major selection bombshell by overlooking both James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga for Kangaroos selection, with the list of surprise omissions and debutants not ending there. See the full squad.