Penrith fans could see two new signings feature throughout the 2026 NRL season with Panthers coaches said to be impressed with their pre-season efforts. Ivan Cleary and the Panthers head into next season with a number of fresh faces added into the squad to bolster their forward pack.
Cleary opted to look at the NSW Cup and NRL State Championship winners for recruits and snapped up Tom Ale and Kalani Going from the Warriors.The Western Weekender reporter Peter Lang has revealed talk coming out of the Panthers is the two have already impressed during a warm pre-season in Penrith.
Penrith fans could see new signings Tom Ale and Kalano Going feature throughout the 2026 NRL season after impressing with their pre-season efforts. (Images: Getty Images)
Ale played 42 NRL games from 2020 to 2025, but never managed to cement his spot in first-grade. But Ale was a huge part of the Warriors’ successful NSW Cup side this year.
Going has only played one game at NRL level (in 2023), but won player of the year in NSW Cup this season. And Lang said word out of Penrith suggests both could feature throughout the 2026 season.
“Word is new Panthers recruits Tom Ale and Kalani Going are training the house down in the Penrith heat. Expect them to play plenty of first grade in 2026,” he wrote. Going is a lock, but also played in the second-row for the Warriors’ NSW Cup side throughout the season. While his time could be limited wearing No.13 due to Isaah Yeo, he could feature off the bench as a versatile interchange.
This is an exciting prospect for Panthers fans who have watched a number of established and young players walk out the door in recent years. Rival NRL clubs have targeted the Panthers’ academy with the Dragons snaring a talented youngster this season.
But the Panthers have been doing their own recruiting. Other than Ale and Going, the Panthers have also convinced Toby Crosby to make the switch from the Warriors. Lang was complimentary of Crosby with the tall front-rower another player to impress in preseason.
Melbourne Storm recruit impresses in pre-season
A Melbourne Storm youngster has also already started making a good impression. Cooper Clarke was part of the Storm team who won the Jersey Flegg premiership this season. The forward scored in the Storm’s grand final win over the Panthers and has since trained in pre-season with some of the senior players.
The talented teenager was already making waves when he won the ‘weapon of the year” award in 2024. He has since featured in the NSW under-19 State of Origin side. And speaking to NewsWire, former NRL star Josh King claimed the 19-year-old was already on the radar of the coaches.
“Coops is only young and has been in the first grade system for a year, but he’s been a standout this pre-season,” King said. “He’s a lot fitter, he’s lost a bit of weight and he’s moving really well for a big fella. He’s got a fair bit of skill and physical attributes for someone so young who still has a couple of years of junior footy in him. I think he’s certainly someone to watch, and it could be sooner rather than later that he gets his opportunity.”