Ivan Cleary is open to playing Blaize Talagi and Jack Cole in the same starting side as he urges patience with Penrith’s star recruit.
The Panthers’ most hotly anticipated external signing in five years as NRL heavyweights, the 19-year-old Talagi had been expected to start the season, replacing Wests Tigers signing Jarome Luai at five-eighth.
Instead, coach Cleary has opted not to risk Talagi starting against Cronulla in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT), as the former Eel bounces back from off-season shoulder surgery.
An understudy to Luai and star halfback Nathan Cleary last season, Cole starts at five-eighth for his 11th NRL game following an impressive summer.
Blaize Talagi. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
“Jack’s been a man in waiting for a few years. He filled in well last year for the games he played,” said coach Cleary.
“We see him as the best chance for us to win tomorrow.”
Talagi is in Vegas with the Panthers as a reserve.
He is still adapting to their four-time premiership-winning systems following a pre-season interrupted by injury and Samoa’s Test tour of England.
If his new five-eighth impresses to begin the season, Cleary can “totally” see a world where his prized recruit and Cole play in the same team later this season.
Talagi started in every backline position bar halfback across 20 games in his rookie 2024 season at Parramatta, and also featured from the bench.
“Blaize’s time will come. He’s only a young man,” Cleary said.
“He’s got to work out our system a bit and he’s just coming off a shoulder reco. His time will come.”
The Panthers have become accustomed to losing key talent in each year of their premiership dominance, but are up against their greatest challenge yet in 2025.
Luai, star prop James Fisher-Harris and winger Sunia Turuva will all be missing from the four-time reigning premiers’ line-up at Allegiant Stadium.
The Panthers’ personnel changes have left most pundits to tip Melbourne as premiership favourites this season, and that suits Cleary just fine.
“All you can really do each year is look at a team’s roster and that’s how you make your predictions. I’m quite happy not to be favourites,” he said.
Te Maire Martin in his Broncos days. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Warriors seek stability in post-Johnson era
Te Maire Martin looms as the Warriors’ odd man out this NRL season as Andrew Webster targets stability in the halves for the post-Shaun Johnson era.
Replacing Johnson is an unenviable task for the Warriors, who will look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season when they face Canberra in Las Vegas.
Club legend Johnson started in the Warriors’ halves for 224 games – more than 30 per cent of every NRL fixture the club has ever played.
There are plenty options ahead of round one though, with highly touted Luke Metcalf always looking likely to snare one halves spot after overcoming a tough run of injuries.
Next to him, Webster has chosen Chanel Harris-Tavita to start for the game at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (AEDT), with the more-experienced Martin as 18th man.
New recruit Tanah Boyd, another halves option, missed selection in the extended squad to travel to Vegas.
The Warriors used five different halves pairings in a disappointing 2024 season with injuries forcing varying combinations to the extent when none played for more than six consecutive games.
Webster is eager for some stability this year and won’t experiment with his halves combination in the quest to find the optimal replacements for Johnson.
That could leave Martin out in the cold, despite some pre-season predictions he would partner Metcalf.
NRL tipping is BACK on The Roar for 2025! Get your tips in here.
“I don’t think you mess around with your halves,” Webster said at the ritzy Las Vegas Hilton.
“If Te Maire forces his way into the team or there’s an injury or poor form, that’d be great for Te Maire. But you want continuity there, for sure.”
The rigours of a 27-round season have left Webster confident Martin will see an NRL field at some point this year.
After Vegas, the Warriors have trips to Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Wollongong across the first 10 rounds alone.
As the coach sees it bodies are bound to wear out and players are bound to tire.
“You only mess around with (your halves) if there’s either poor form consistently or there’s injuries. We don’t plan on changing it,” he said.
“I’ve no doubt (Martin) will play football at some stage. Te Maire’s a world-class player so we’re very lucky in that sense.
“It’s going to take a whole squad to win this thing.”
Andrew Webster. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Leg injuries have restricted Metcalf to only 19 games in the two years since leaving Cronulla to join the Warriors.
Co-captain Mitch Barnett has been impressed by his combination with Harris-Tavita.
“They’ve got a lot of natural chemistry on the field together. They’re confident. I’m just looking forward to seeing how they go,” the forward said.
“Hopefully with Metcalf he can string some luck together and stay on the field.”
Webster memorably told the media prior to arrival in Vegas he would enjoy himself in Sin City more than his disciplined playing squad.
But after some nights on the town earlier in the week, the 43-year-old has been left longing for home comforts.
“I’m ready to go home, I just want to win and get out of here. Everything’s so bright and at you the whole time,” he said.
“I’m getting old, I’m a bit boring.”
© AAP
