Rising Penrith Panthers star Harry Wald has become the latest player to commit his future to the club, locking up a two-year contract extension.
A towering winger who originally came through the Western Rams at junior country representative level before joining the Penrith Panthers, Wald played the year in the Jersey Flegg Cup competition.
The Panthers claimed the premiership in the under-21 competition, smashing the Bulldogs 62 points to 16 in the grand final.
Wald scored a try in the decider, and was involved plenty throughout the year for the men from the foot of the mountains.
The two-year pathways contract, which has been confirmed by his management, will now see him progress in to the NSW Cup likely from the start of 2027, with an eye to first-grade not being all that far away.
A towering presence who stands at well over six feet tall, Wald is part of a new age of wingers who are benefiting from a sport that relies on aerial presence to score more tries than it ever has.
The Panthers will lose Brian To'o at the end of 2027 to the PNG Chiefs, and while he brings other skills that can't be replaced, his deficiencies in the air have become a real issue for the Panthers in recent years, and saw him dropped from the NSW Blues side during this year's State of Origin series.
Wald could ultimately be the long-term replacement on the wing for the Panthers if he continues to develop as he has through 2026 in the Jersey Flegg competition.
