Penrith Panthers young gun forward Mavrik Geyer will depart the club at the end of the 2025 season to join the Wests Tigers.
Geyer, who has played just 14 NRL games and is the son of rugby league legend Mark, has struggled to break through into Penrith’s best 17 during his time at the foot of the mountains.
Off-contract at the end of the season and with just two first-grade games this year, he has elected to take his talents to the Tigers on a one-year deal.
“Very excited for the 2026 season to rip in and prove myself in the orange and black. Come pre-season I’ll be hungry and ready to go,” Geyer said after inking the deal.
”My focus is to continue to grow and develop as a player and take this opportunity with both hands. In speaking with Benji and the staff at the club, I know the Wests Tigers is an environment that will help me achieve that.”
Geyer has been stuck behind a plethora of players at the Panthers, led by New South Wales Origin player Liam Martin, New Zealand international Scott Sorensen, and this year’s recruit, Isaiah Papali’i, who had joined the club from the Wests Tigers.
That has left Geyer scratching his way towards a bench spot at times, although he has been unable to hold onto it regularly despite injuries ahead of him at Penrith.
“We don’t ever want to lose a local junior, and Mav’s proven that he can play first grade and is a first-grade player,” Panthers general manager Shane Elford was quoted as saying, all but confirming his departure.
“It’s just unfortunate that we’ve had a really successful run, and there’s just players that have won multiple grand finals that are ahead of him at this point in time. Now he’s got an opportunity to go to another club and play first grade and help develop his career.
The 24-year-old is in search of more game time, and he may well find it at the Tigers, although will likely be behind Alex Seyfarth, who has had an excellent season, youngster Samuela Fainu who is now a walk-up starter in the second-row for the joint-venture club, and Englishman Kai Pearce-Paul, who joins in 2026 from the Newcastle Knights.
Benji Marshall, during his short time in charge of the Tigers, has not been backward in taking a selection risk, though, and could see the upside in handing Geyer game time next year.
“I’ve been really impressed with Mavrik in what I’ve seen both on and off the field, he has all the characteristics we’re looking for in an edge backrower,” Marshall said of the deal, hinting towards a consistent NRL spot for Geyer.
He is set to link up with the Tigers at the start of pre-season training in November.
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