Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has delivered a sensational spray at Wayne Bennett over the expansion club's recruitment tactics for their first season, but it has taken all of a few hours for the innaugural Dolphins' boss to hit back.
Penrith have one of the game's best junior nurseries.
That is illustrated in their regular team, which is filled with Penrith juniors, and which won the grand final with exactly those players in 2021.
Well on the way to another grand final in 2022, there are signs the Panthers could be on the verge of splintering, with salary cap pressure putting plenty of question marks over the future of many stars.
While Kurt Capewell, Matt Burton and Paul Momirovski left the foot of the mountains ahead of the 2022 campaign, they have already lost Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs), Apisai Koroisau (Wests Tigers), Robert Jennings (Dolphins) and J'maine Hopgood (Eels) for 2023.
Rumours have also persisted over unsigned talent like Matthew Eisenhuth, Kurt Falls, Sean O'Sullivan, Jaeman Salmon and young gun Preston Riki.
Speculation has already also started around Stephen Crichton's future, with the star NSW debutant centre off-contract at the end of 2023.
The club did recently hit back, re-signing youngsters Taylan May, Lindsay Smith and Sunia Turuva last week, however, Cleary said the Dolphins were continuing to target their talent.
"One thing is for sure we are going to keep bringing guys through our system, that's our mandate," Cleary told AAP.
"It has been well documented we have our challenges in terms of trying to keep this team together.
"To be able to have those (young) guys stay on when they definitely had options to go elsewhere ... is so good.
"Everyone is looking at our club now, particularly with the Dolphins coming in. They're treating our club like their backyard.
"So it's going to be even harder."
It follows the early-season signing of young half Isaiya Katoa, which upset the Penrith heirarchy, to the point club CEO Brian Fletcher asked for compensation over losing Katoa to the Redcliffe-based outfit.
Bennett has had plenty of struggles building his own list at the Dolphins, but isn't foreign to the problems keeping talent, which he faced at the Brisbane Broncos.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday afternoon, Bennett fired straight back at the Penrith boss.
“All of us have to remember we get our players from somewhere, and why wouldn’t you take them from the best clubs you possibly can if you can do that?” Bennett told the publication.
“There’s a reason they are the best clubs, because they have the best players.
“They won the under-19s, they win this, they win everything. There are good kids there. And they need opportunities.
“I know from experience that sometimes you have to let them go because you can’t keep them all. It’s that simple. And if he [Cleary] wins another premiership this year, he will find it even worse. Everyone wants more [money], nobody comes in to sign a contract and asks for less.
“I coached the Broncos for 21 years, there was no-one under more pressure than we were at the height of our fame. And when I came back and had another four years, there were plenty of young players who had gone off to play with other clubs. It’s the price you pay with the salary cap.”
Really? Where is he supposed to recruit his players from ? – ebay? gumtree? If you can offer these players a better future, hey,”JUST DO IT”. Loyalty doesn’t do it these days. NRL paydays are on short offerings. If you don’t wan’t them, let them go!