It doesn’t take a genius to work out that there needs to be some changes made to the Panthers roster for 2026. The most obvious one is to sign a new back-up half who can lead the team whenever Nathan Cleary is unavailable.
As solid a player as Brad Schneider is, he’s simply not up to the task of running the team whenever key players are missing.
It’s time to face facts and admit the Brad Schneider experiment hasn’t worked.
It’s time for Penrith to go into the market and buy another half for 2026 and beyond.
The best halves currently available on the market which would suit the Panthers are Toby Sexton and Sean O’Sullivan. Two players who can both fit into the Panthers team and make a difference.
Neither player is on a million-dollar contract and both can rotate and play five-eighth if needed as well.
At the top of my shopping list would be Toby Sexton, currently playing halfback for the Bulldogs. With Lachlan Galvin headed to the Dogs their whole spine is going to change.
I’m not going to bang on about what affect that will have on Canterbury because I don’t care.
I do care about the Panthers however and that’s why I think Sexton is definitely worth considering.
He could also start at five-eighth alongside Cleary and if Blaize Talagi also wants that position then he can compete for it.
Sexton could take charge of the side at half when needed and his upside is considerable given he would also not cost the earth.
Granted Sexton wouldn’t come cheap but he’d be well worth the investment. Hell, the Dogs have already done most of the work developing him to this point.
Sean O’Sullivan is a no-brainer. His pathway is currently blocked at the Dolphins with the emergence of crafty former Penrith junior Isaiya Katoa.
I’ve previously discussed the value of bringing O’Sullivan back so I won’t go over old ground. Everyone knows what O’Sullivan can do and he just needs to come back to Penrith to kickstart his career again.
The other halves worth looking at are Jake Clifford and even Jonah Pezet from the Melbourne Storm. Pezet has a clause in his contract which allows him to walk if current half Jahrome Hughes re-signs on a multi-year deal.
Granted Pezet would be more expensive than Clifford but who says any of the halves mentioned must wait until Cleary is out before they play first grade?
Another tempting carrot would be to play five-eighth alongside the greatest halfback in the game.
Now not for a second am I suggesting that Blaize isn’t the man to play alongside ‘Clez’ but Talagi can also play in the centres or even the wing if necessary.
Competition for spots is never a bad thing.
I really think Penrith have to mix it up, go into the player market and buy an established half.
There are several good young playmakers coming up through the Panthers system but except for Trent Toelau, all the other players are at least two years away from being ready for a first-grade spot.
The bottom line is that all the players listed are first grade ready and based on what I’ve seen this year, the Panthers need a quality first grade half who can jump in and run the show.
It’s no doubt a big investment but one which could end up paying dividends for the team in the long term.
Peter Lang
Peter Lang is an experienced sports writer, who has been covering rugby league for several decades. He first wrote Lang on League for the Weekender in the 1990s, and worked for Panthers on its famous Panthers Magazine for several years.