Blaize Talagi’s future at the Penrith Panthers has been thrown into fresh doubt, with fears that the youngster could become the odd man out as the club weighs up its long-term roster plans.
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After being dropped in favour of Jack Cogger, Talagi’s defensive shortcomings have come under the microscope, with NRL pundits questioning whether he’ll be able to reclaim his spot before the finals.
“This is a huge decision because he’s been so good for the past couple of years but defensively I think only Ezra Mama as a five-eighth has missed more tackles than Blaize Talagi this season,” CODE Sports reporter Brent Read said on NRL 360.
“We did a yarn earlier in the year on the blueprint to defeat Penrith and one of the ways to beat them was to attack that left-edge defence.
“It’s been a real Achilles heel for them at times this season.”
Blaize Talagi has been dropped.Source: News Sport Network
While Read is confident that he will force his way back into Ivan Cleary’s side, colleague Michael Carayannis warned that the Panthers may be reluctant to reintroduce a defensive weakness.
“I think he’ll be back in the side by finals. They’ve just got to reinforce that side of the field,” Read continued.
To which Carayannis replied, “I’m not as certain as Ready is because when they won the four comps in a row they have no weaknesses, but when you throw Blaize in defensively it becomes a spot for attacking sides.
“It was their one weakness so if Jack Cogger who is a steady hand and a good defender, can do a job and they can win some games, I’m not so sure we will see Blaize back.”
Talagi’s omission has also fuelled speculation over his long-term future at the Penrith Panthers.
This comes as he is one of several high-profile players who will hit the open market and be able to speak with rival teams from November 1.
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Former NRL player and co-host Braith Anasta believes this could leave the playmaker vulnerable as the club prepares for another salary cap squeeze and prioritises re-signing its biggest stars first, such as Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin and Nathan Cleary.
“That is interesting considering they’ve dropped him at the moment,” Anasta said.
“He could be the fall guy…and we know they can’t keep everyone.
With rival clubs consistently searching for their next long-term halves situation, Talagi could emerge as a highly sought-after option.
One team that has already been floated around as a potential destination is the Parramatta Eels.
“He is a guy that clubs could have a lash at. Parramatta’s an obvious one and they probably need a long-term six,” Read continued.