Penrith will boost its coaching staff next season with Trent Barrett appointed as an assistant to Ivan Cleary.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Barrett, who is an assistant coach with the NSW Blues, will not take on a permanent role as Assistant Coach until 2014.
But he will spend the next 12 months working with the club’s halves, and helping to develop playmaker academies at Penrith.
It is known that the Panthers want to constantly develop halfbacks from its junior base, but for the next few years will persist with Luke Walsh at halfback and most likely Lachlan Coote at five-eighth.
There’s also a chance the Panthers will aim to secure a halfback from outside the club in an attempt to ensure short-term success whilst young potential stars are being developed.
It will be a major coup for Walsh and Coote to work with Barrett, one of the best halves of his era.
Cleary’s job as head coach is in no way under threat.
Barrett told The Daily Telegraph that he was looking forward to joining Penrith.
“I would like to coach eventually, but I’m under no illusions that I still have a lot to learn,” he said.
“That’s one of the main reasons of going out there. To have Gus there, and also after what Ivan did with the Warriors and the hard calls he’s made at Penrith – I can learn from that.”
