For years the Penrith Panthers have had to contend with rival NRL clubs raiding their junior ranks. It even got to the point where Ivan Cleary called for the Panthers to be compensated by the NRL for producing so much young talent that ends up at different clubs.
But the four-time premiers are starting to get some of their own back, signing a number of talented youngsters from rival clubs in recent weeks. On the back of signing playmakers Keahn Skipps from the Raiders and Haami Loza from the Knights, the Panthers have also poached a rising outside back from the Wests Tigers’ system.
This week, teenager Thomas Goodfield agreed to join the Panthers in another huge recruitment coup for the defending champs. Goodfield has been playing for the Western Suburbs Magpies in the Harold Matthews Cup competition (Under-17s), and will play for the Panthers next year in the Under-19s SG Ball Cup.
Goodfield plays on the wing or in the centres and is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the Tigers’ pathways system. His move to the Panthers will come as a massive blow to Tigers coach Benji Marshall and the organisation.
“My dad, who was a diehard Parra fan, got me into playing footy, and it’d be mad and good for my family (to one day play in the NRL),” Goodfield told Zero Tackle earlier this year. “I’ve played this sport all the way up through the grades, but I’d just be over the moon about it if it does happen in the future. It would be so good (to play in the NRL).”
Panthers continue signing spree of talented youngsters
The signing of Goodfield continues a recruitment drive for the Panthers, who have also snared Skipps and Loza from Canberra and Newcastle respectively. Both are highly-rated halves and will gain valuable experience alongside Nathan Cleary in the Penrith system.
The Panthers also thought they’d poached young back-rower Kayliss Fatialofa from the Warriors, but he backflipped during the cooling off period and decided to stay in New Zealand. It’s believed the 20-year-old agreed to join Penrith before he had a change of heart.
Last month, the Panthers lost twin 16-year-olds Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii to the Dragons. Cornelius is a 193cm-tall centre weighing in at 100kg, who the Dragons view as a long-term member of their back-line. While Alexander is a 119kg second-rower, who has missed all junior footy this season due to an ACL injury.
The Panthers have one of the best junior pathways systems in the NRL, which inevitably results in rival clubs poaching some of their best young talent. Speaking last year, coach Cleary called for the NRL to introduce a compensation system for when clubs have their junior ranks raided.
“I think we should get dispensation, probably more in a development sense,” Cleary said. “We develop a lot of players here that end up elsewhere, so I feel like we should get looked after more by the NRL in that space, apart from the salary cap and how it all works, it’s hard to argue with. But I do think we should be compensated in some way for the amount of players we’ve developed and the status they’ve become throughout the league.”
Penrith could part ways with up to 10 players
The Panthers continue to top up their junior ranks and have been moving on some of their fringe first-graders. Brad Schneider and Mavrik Geyer have signed with the Dolphins and Tigers respectively for 2026, while there’s reports that Daine Laurie and Luke Sommerton have been told they can look elsewhere and won’t be receiving a new contract. Asu Kepaoa has agreed to a deal with the Knights, while there’s speculation that Preston Riki, Harry Hassett, Soni Luke, Austin Dias, Zac Lipowicz and Riley Price could all be looking for new clubs.
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