The Penrith Panthers are approaching a potential change of guard when multiple stars become available to speak with rival clubs on November 1 this year if the club doesn't move to re-sign them.
Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin, Brian To'o Isaiah Papali'i, and Paul Alamoti are all headliners contracted until the end of 2027.
Although Penrith will no doubt be looking to secure most of those names, it will be hard to juggle a salary cap of stars whose prices keep inflating because of their x-factor and talent.
Papali'i has confirmed that he wants to stay put at the foot of the mountains, with The Western Weekender reporting that he wants to continue his time at the Panthers.
“I'm happy here – I've really enjoyed my year and a bit here and personally I've seen myself grow,” he said.
“I'd like to stay – I'm just leaving it up to my manager and making sure that I'm performing week-to-week so I have the opportunity to stay here.”
Wary of the threat of a lot of stars off-contract, the Panthers have made moves to lock down young gun talent that is excelling through their pathways.
It includes the re-signing of Ryan Cloey, the succession plan at hooker for Mitch Kenny, with the young gun signing on for three more years.
Alongside him is Cordell Arama, a barnstorming enforcer who is progressing through the Panthers' elite pathways, signing on until 2029.
With players such as Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton, Brian To'o, and Spencer Leniu all progressing through their junior nursery, it's no shock that the Panthers are looking to replicate that magic with a new generation of talent.
The Panthers looked indestructible to start 2026 until they met the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Thursday night, suffering their first loss of the year.
“Immediately after, we were pretty gutted, especially given Nat (Nathan Cleary) had his milestone game,” Papali'i told The Western Weekender.
“To not get the result was disappointing for us as a playing group – to not be able to celebrate that milestone with a win.
“We came in Monday, did our review, talked about how we felt out there and what was going on – and moved on.”
They will be looking to rectify the poor result with a big performance against the Dolphins when they travel to Darwin this Friday.
“Coming off the back of a tough loss and a bye, we're expecting a hard game against them. They'll be fresh and ready to go,” he said.
“The start will be really important to us.
“I don't mind going up there to Darwin. It's quite hot but that's just a given.
“We are expecting it to be humid. It's been a few years since I've played there. It's a good track and the field is well-maintained.”
Papali'i has spent time at the Warriors, Eels and Tigers before making the trip out to Penrith, where he has been a consistent edge back rower for the Panthers, playing 28 games since the move in 2025.
