Extra Time March 5 2026 by Western Sydney Publishing Group

Nathan Cleary at Suncorp Stadium last September. Photo: NRL Photos.

THE FINAL WORD

Ivan Cleary was probably right to dismiss any suggestions that Friday night’s showdown with Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium was anything close to a revenge mission. The media and fans build these matches up more than anyone else. What’s done is done as far as last year is concerned and as Cleary pointed out, the rings are permanently with the Broncos players now and the trophy has been engraved.

Still, there is something mouth-watering about the fact this match lands in round one – 159 days since the Broncos ended Penrith’s incredible run of Grand Final appearances that dated back to the COVID-impacted 2020 season. And while revenge may not be part of the

game plan this Friday, that Preliminary Final last September would still sting. Winning four titles before that does little to numb the pain of going out like the Panthers did.

Premiers are usually a little vulnerable in the opening weeks of a new season. The price of success is that your pre-season preparation is heavily impacted, to the point where these early games are often part of that pre-season campaign in terms of player load and training.

Add to the mix that the Broncos travelled to England to play in the World Club Challenge, and just the typical hangover that can come with being champions, and the reality is that the best time to get the defending Premiers is in the early part of the year.

That’s not to say the Broncos won’t be ready for this. If there is one thing Michael Maguire sides are, it’s prepared. He will have them in good shape for the season opener.

The word distraction may be used a fair bit around Brisbane this year.

How distracting will the Payne Haas story be, particularly given there is so many unanswered questions surrounding his decision to quit the club.

What about Adam Reynolds? As the Broncos prepare for a halfback transition, how will Reynolds’ body hold up and how much talk will there be about his ability to guide the Broncos to a Finals campaign if things start to break down?

As for Penrith, while the weight of defending a title is gone, what hasn’t disappeared is expectation. With the stocks this side has, people expect Penrith to do well. As a result teams will continue to be ‘up’ when playing the Panthers. With the slow start to last year in mind, I’m confident Penrith will be sharp in regards to this early part of the season. I expect them to

come out on Friday night and deliver the kind of performance you might expect a few weeks into the season when combinations have settled and there’s more game time in the legs. I just have a feeling the Panthers will hit the ground running almost better than any other side in the competition.

While the losses of Liam Martin and Liam Henry for this clash are a hit, the Panthers have the forward stocks to take things right up to the Broncos and have significantly improved their depth during the off-season.

A close game is likely here and the Broncos will be buoyed by a huge home crowd, but I just think the Panthers will be better prepared and will take advantage of Brisbane's busy pre-season. There will be a lot of focus on Nathan Cleary, of course, but I'm tipping Blaize Talagi to have a big game here.

Tip: Panthers by 4.

FEATURE

Garner keen to extend at Penrith

Two-time Panthers premiership winner Luke Garner would love to remain at Penrith beyond this year, but he doesn’t want to get too caught up in the emotion of possibly leaving the foot of the Mountains.

The 30-year-old arrived at the Panthers in 2023 following five seasons with the Wests Tigers. A long-time favourite of coach Ivan Cleary’s, Garner is one of the club’s most experienced players with 127 NRL games under his belt.

With his signature in demand around the league, especially with Perth and PNG set to enter the competition in the coming years, Garner has a lot to weigh up.

The likeable backrower said he doesn’t want to think too much about what’s next.

“I’m trying not to get caught up in all that type of stuff,” Garner said.

“If you worry about that too much, it can probably take away from the way you play or how you train because you’re wasting too much energy on that type of stuff.

“I just try and let my football do the talking. I’ll just be training hard, playing hard and then whatever happens, happens.”

With Scott Sorensen and Liam Henry already WA-bound next year, speculation is mounting on whether Garner could be the next Panther to enter the Bears’ den.

Garner said his number one priority is to stay right where he is at the Panthers.

“Of course, I love this place!” he said.

“Ever since I came here, ever since I walked through those doors, I’ve enjoyed coming here every day. So if

I could do that, extend here and stay for a little bit longer, it would be nice.”

With representative second-rower

Liam Martin set to miss some time due to a calf strain, Garner will start in his place for tomorrow’s night blockbuster season opener against the new Premiers, Brisbane, at Suncorp Stadium.

Garner, who travelled over to the

United States with his wife in the recent off-season, said he’s hoping for a positive start to the new year with a Panthers victory.

“It’s exciting! I think it will be a very similar atmosphere to what it was in the Prelim Final last year,” he said.

“They’ll be looking to avenge their World Club Challenge loss no doubt and I guess we’ll be looking to get one back on them from last year.

“In the past, we’ve been looked at as the hunted but now we’re back to being the hunters – even though we always considered ourselves that. We’re looking forward to getting back out there and showing that on Friday.”

The Panthers are slight underdogs against the Broncos despite naming a near full-strength side for Friday’s clash.

Garner said he’s looking forward to getting back out onto the paddock and putting his increased fitness levels to the test.

“At this club we pride ourselves on our fitness and I’ve worked really hard on that in the off-season,” he said.

“I tried to improve all aspects of my game over the past few months. I know I’m not the perfect player and there’s still plenty to work on, so I’ve just been chipping away on that every week.”

Luke Garner can’t wait for the 2026 NRL season to get underway.

Photo: Melinda Jane.

NATHAN TAYLOR

FEATURE

Still got plenty to offer

Every rugby league career has an expiry date. No matter how good you are or how many premierships you’ve collected along the way, eventually it’ll be time for you to hang up the boots and move on.

For Penrith’s Dylan Edwards, he knows how the rugby league cycle works. But champions never go down without a fight and that’s why the 30-year-old, with more than 170 games to his name, is ready to take his game to another level as local whippersnappers like Jaxen Edgar hunt his jersey.

Speaking with Extra Time this week, Edwards said he’s “feeling good and excited” ahead of his 11th season in the NRL and that competition for spots is healthy at any footy club.

“You know someone is nipping at your heels the whole time regardless of where you are or what position you’re playing,” he said.

“There’s quite a bit of youth in this squad, which is good, and everyone is just driving each other every day, so that’s hopefully going to steel us before the season.”

On the topic of 20-year-old Edgar, who made his NRL debut late last year, Edwards was full of praise for the South Penrith local, declaring he’s going to be “one to watch” in the future.

“He’s full of energy. He’s got immense talent. He’s super fit,” Edwards said.

“I’ve been helping him with little nuances to his game, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. I think he’s got all the attacking flair

already and he’s definitely becoming a better defender too.”

Despite other players breathing down his neck, Ivan Cleary has named Edwards at fullback for Friday night’s revenge match against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

Edwards said he’s looking forward to facing the Premiers first up and that the side has taken plenty of lessons out of the loss to them in September last year.

“We had to address some things that we missed in the Prelim. We’ve watched back certain pieces where we’ve definitely missed the mark and it gives you food for thought,” he admitted.

“It just drives home what the coach has been trying to tell us over the off-season.”

Friday night’s game at Suncorp Stadium will also be a reunion of sorts, with Edwards battling his opposite number in Reece Walsh for the first time since the pair toured England for The Ashes.

Edwards said he enjoyed his experience in the UK despite not getting any playing time with the Kangaroos.

“It was exciting being part of that Ashes Tour and then my family came over and we were able to do a little bit of a holiday in Europe afterwards,” he said.

“Our job [as Emus], when you find out you’re not playing, is just to prepare the actual side the best you can and I think the coaches were happy with how we prepared the team, which is a bonus.”

And as for what Edwards thought of Walsh during their month together on the road in

chilly England?

“I just think whatever he does in the game he doesn’t live in that moment – whether it’s good or bad. He just plays each play as it comes and

that’s a special skill to have,” Edwards said. “Reece can turn the game on its head in the blink of an eye. He’s a special player to watch that’s for sure.”

Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards chats to the media on Wednesday. Photo: Melinda Jane.

NATHAN TAYLOR

Shake-up to Pantherettes

Cheerleader shake-up: The Panthers have partnered with Entourage Entertainment to manage the Pantherettes this season. The company is run by Melissa Gelonese, who has a significant resume in the cheer space in Australia and particularly the NRL. I've heard throughout the off-season of rumblings around what shape the Pantherettes would take this year, and some movement in who would manage the squad. In the end, things have been cut pretty fine – with auditions only scheduled for March 11, just a couple of weeks out from the first home game at CommBank Stadium.

Cup coach a mystery: Penrith play their first NSW Cup match of the season on the weekend, but they still haven’t formally announced a coach. Even when issuing the team list on Tuesday for Saturday’s clash with the Bears, no coach was named by the club. The big rumour is that Matt Eisenhuth, still contracted as a top 30 player but not named in any team line-ups this weekend, will take the reigns of the Cup side and finish up his playing career. But for now, the club is remaining pretty tight-lipped about who is holding the clipboard.

Building the west: Work continues to build the new Western Grandstand at Penrith Stadium, which is obviously a more detailed project than the Eastern Grandstand, which now soars above Penrith Park. This photo taken earlier this week shows the progress on the Western Stand, which will feature all of the stadium’s corporate seating, media facilities and about 4,800 seats for members.

Former Panther in hot water: It's been revealed that former Panther Daine Laurie was charged by police after he was allegedly caught with 0.37 grams of cocaine last September. Police later dropped the charges, and issued him a fine instead under new laws introduced by the State Government. But while the issue was quickly resolved, what has raised eyebrows at the NRL is why they were never told about it. They've been in discussions with Penrith this

Penrith at the time, has signed with Canberra for the 2026 season.

Spotted: Panthers legend Mark Geyer having the time of his life in Las Vegas. The one-time party king had never been to the famous strip. “I'll need a liver transplant when I’m home,” he said this week.

Stadium deal: While it's obvious the Panthers will play out of the new-look Penrith Stadium from next year, there's still no deal in place with Venues NSW and the State Government. It’s one of the first big tasks for new Panthers CEO Andrew Hill. The club should be in a good position to negotiate the best possible deal for itself as the primary tenant.

Complaints at a minimum: Just two complaints have been filed from members of the public about the Penrith Stadium construction since work began last year. One was in relation to concerns about a drone being used for the project breaching regulations, and the other was a claim for compensation from a nearby resident who claimed dust from the

Player partner draw: Always hotly anticipated by sponsors, the annual Player Partner draw took place at a special function this week. Sponsors select completely at random the player, or player number more specifically, they’ll sponsor for the year. The big winners were Potter Automotive who will back Nathan Cleary this year, while Penrith City Tyres & Automotive landed Isaah Yeo.

Coaches keep apart: Ivan Cleary and Michael Maguire certainly had a different approach to their weekly media conferences this week. Cleary got his out of the way nice and early, with a Monday morning press conference. Maguire is due to the speak to the media today, after the captain’s run at Red Hill.

Footy prime time battle: Channels Seven and Nine will go head-to-head with their Monday night magazine shows. Nine has scheduled the return of ‘100% Footy’ for 9pm on its main channel this coming Monday, straight after ratings juggernaut ‘Married at First Sight’. Over on Seven, its new ‘Agenda Setters’ show (pictured) will also get main channel treatment, starting at 9.10pm.

PANTHERS POSTER

Let’s get down to business in 2026

League

So I’d like to start this week’s column a little differently. I feel like I need to get a few things off my chest before the season starts for the Panthers this Friday.

Board Elections

First up, I’d like to thank everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to vote for me in the recent Panthers Board elections. I appreciate your support very much.

Now I have to be careful what

I say because I don’t want it to sound like sour grapes but I’m just one of many people who believe you should be able to tell people why you are standing for a position on the Board.

Currently the rules in place make that very difficult to do. No, correction, it pretty much makes it impossible to do.

I felt like I was gagged the whole time. Now I know this is a rule every candidate has to abide by, but that doesn’t mean it’s a rule that should stay the way it is.

I’m not sure how but something needs to change in the club’s ‘by-laws’ before the next elections in two years time.

I, and other candidates should be able to tell members what we

stand for not just provide a totally inadequate brief 50-word resume.

I know that if I was able to tell members exactly why I was seeking election, I would of got a lot more votes. In fact, I can almost guarantee it.

I’ll leave it there….. for now.

Clearys must be re-signed Now that the board elections are over, it’s imperative that a deal with both Ivan and Nathan Cleary is done way before the November 1 deadline.

Ivan has already come out and publicly said that he’s not interested in coaching the new Papua New Guinea Chiefs franchise which gets underway in 2028.

We know that Ivan isn’t likely to leave Penrith to coach another club so let’s get a deal done with Ivan now, that’s if he wants one of course. Nathan also needs to be extended way before the deadline. Under no circumstances should he go to another NRL club after 2027. Again, that’s if he wants to

remain at the club. I haven’t heard otherwise but the time for speculation is over. I know big deals like this take time to negotiate so let’s get the bloody ball rolling…or bouncing now.

Tomorrow could be too late.

Forwards needed for 2027

With Scott Sorensen and Liam Henry both heading to the Perth Bears, Panthers stocks when it comes to experienced forwards is looking a little thin for 2027.

You can probably add Luke Garner to the list of forwards who won’t be at Penrith next year so it’s time for the club to start looking at some experienced big men to join them in 12 months- time.

Personally, I’d like to see the club go after someone like Mitch Barnett. The money will be there and I’m sure the Warriors can waive any ‘transfer fee’ seeing as how Penrith were nice enough to allow James Fisher-Harris to join them 18 months ago with no such strings attached.

It’s true that the club has several promising young forwards in the lower grades who can make the step up, but 2027 might be just a little too soon.

You just can’t beat experience. Sometimes you just have to buy it.

Nathan and Ivan Cleary. Photo: NRL Photos.

with Peter Lang Lang on

How family grounds Luron with Emily Chate

In a house of up to 18 people, it can be hard to be fully seen or heard but for NRL prop Luron Patea, that’s not the case.

Family is everything to 21-year-old Patea, who is in his third season in the top grade for the Panthers, citing his extended family as the people who help him get away from the game and back to being just Luron.

“I think about footy when I get home but I also live in a big household where there is quite a few of us, around 16 or 18 people,” Patea explained.

“I live with my parents and siblings and then also my mum’s siblings, my grandmother and then all of my cousins as well.

“It’s kind of easy to forget about it all when I go home because I’ve got all of them surrounding me and we talk about other things so that’s pretty cool.”

Patea’s support network extends wider than just his family; he also relies on the friends who he grew up with.

“I also have all the boys I grew up with from the area. We just go do stuff which gets my mind off footy,” he said.

“We might go to beaches on Sundays, up the mountains to do hikes, play pool or do something else. It makes it kind of easy to turn away from footy, but it is always at the back of my mind.”

“There is quite a few of us [at home]. Around 16 or 18 people.”

With family meaning so much to Patea, this season is extra special with his younger brother Tuaomaliemavaitoelau playing in the Panthers lower grades.

“It’s always exciting when you have someone like a brother or a sister who’s also playing footy professionally as well,” Patea said while speaking with me at the Panthers Academy this week.

“You see it here with the McLean brothers and how special it is for those guys’ families to see them play together.

“It’s something me and my little brother have dreamt of since we were little, we have always wanted to play professionally together.”

Patea always seemed destined for a career

as a professional athlete, he played his entire junior footy career with the Panthers but also spent time as a rising rugby union star in the area but he said there are more lessons to learn from playing footy.

“There’s a lot of things, but I think the thing that I’ve taken away from playing footy is having a routine, especially leading up to games,” Patea reflected.

“If you are not in a routine you kind of get away from playing consistently, and I think that’s the biggest lesson I took out of last year.

“I didn’t really have a routine, and I think this year I’m focused on getting a routine together which will help me play more consistent footy.”

That routine is the most important thing to Patea this year, who said when he looked back on the 2025 season there were things he would have changed, starting with his diet.

“I would have cheat meals every day, but this year is a big season for me,” Patea laughed.

“I’ve set a lot of goals for myself to try and play more footy games this year and try and stay healthy so I’m staying away from cheat meals.

“[If I did] it would probably be charcoal chicken from El Jannah, chips as well!”

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Luron Patea. Photo: Melinda Jane.

“I think the Panthers have run out of steam. A few little injury worries to key players would derail the season. It might have come to a halt.”

THEY SAID IT...

“Penrith Stadium is about more than a stadium. It’s about driving local jobs, boosting small businesses and creating an entertainment destination that supports the local economy year-round. The precinct won’t just host events it will help power Penrith’s economy and cement western Sydney as a premier destination for sport and entertainment.”

“There’s not a day goes by that I don’t regret my decision that night. It’s changed my life irreversibly. I accept that.”

“Financially, the game has never been stronger. And the future is even brighter.”

ARLC Chair, Peter Vlandys.

“Ivan has made it clear that it’s not in his plans to coach the PNG Chiefs, so we move on.”

“Panthers are deservedly [premiership] favourites. Roosters are right in that window.”

“More people are watching rugby league than ever before.”

“I’m still contracted for two years and at this point in time I’m still trying to squeeze the juice out of the lemon, enjoy it, enjoy the journey we’re on as a club but also me as a player, but we’ll see what happens.”