THE Penrith Panthers are on the cusp of landing a major recruitment coup with gun rookie Blaize Talagi and younger brother Ryda Talagi on target to join the triple premiers next season.
In a hammer blow for Parramatta and incoming new head coach Jason Ryles, the Talagi package deal is tipped to see the Eels young guns head to one-time western Sydney little brother the Panthers at the end of the season.
It’s the latest signal the Panthers are now not only the kings of western Sydney but also the NRL’s benchmark organisation.
Eels local junior Blaize Talagi, 19, has scored nine tries in 13 NRL appearances this year for Parramatta and is believed to have been told he will partner two-time Clive Churchill Medallist Nathan Cleary in the halves at Penrith next season.
St George Illawarra, Newcastle and the Dolphins were all interested in signing Blaize but the lure of joining the Panthers off the back of making the past four NRL grand finals appears to have proven too strong.
Still currently at high school, Ryda Talagi captained Parramatta’s under 16 side last year before progressing to Harrold Matthews this year and recently being named in the Australian Schoolboys side to play in the front row.
It’s the latest example of how Parramatta’s player options in contracts have come back to bite the club.
Both the Talagi’s had options in their contracts but informed the club earlier this year they intended to test the market.
