Young playmaker Jack Cole hopes to have more clarity around his future over the next month or two, with a move away from Penrith on the cards if a rival NRL club were to offer him something.<\/p>\n
Cole, 22, is in his fourth season at the Panthers but is stuck behind Nathan Cleary, Blaize Talagi and Jack Cogger.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s off-contract at the end of the year and could be a very handy acquisition for another team, with Cole ruling out a possible move to the UK Super League at this stage of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know yet. It\u2019s still early days, obviously being round five. Hopefully I get a bit more clarity maybe over the next month or two,\u201d he told the NewsWire. <\/p>\n
\u201cEnjoying my footy and just focusing on my footy is going to help that cause. So I\u2019m not really trying to worry about too much else really. Just trying to knuckle down and get better. And then obviously that will create more interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it at Penrith and we\u2019ll just see what happens. I\u2019ve got to go where the best opportunity is, because at the end of the day, it is a business. So I\u2019ve got to keep knuckling down, enjoying footy and whatever happens will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole has been at the club since he was 15 but understands that opportunities and financial security will dictate his next deal as he looks to go from understudy to leading man. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m definitely very open-minded to it, as I\u2019m sure everyone is. Like I said, it is a business and you\u2019ve got to do what\u2019s best for you,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI love everything about Penrith. I love the boys, love the coaching staff, love what they\u2019ve done for me as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf there wasn\u2019t an opportunity here for me at the end of the year to progress or play consistent NRL, then you\u2019d obviously have to try to have a look.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut me trying to play well is just going to help the cause of them wanting to keep me or getting interest from somewhere else. So it\u2019ll come when it does.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole has enjoyed a strong start to the season in NSW Cup after major shoulder surgery ate into the start of his pre-season. <\/p>\n
Cleary and Talagi had their own reconstructions a couple of years ago, with Cole leaning on Nathan to help him with the mental side of things through on-field visualisation. <\/p>\n
Cleary has also given him some advice on his diet, although Cole hasn\u2019t followed all of his tips. <\/p>\n
\u201cBone broth (was one of his big tips). He said he was trying the oysters there for a bit. I think that was a bit of a myth he said, but I wouldn\u2019t have known how to do the oyster part,\u201d he laughed. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me to focus on the video and the mental side of the game. There are a lot of good things here we do about visualisation, which obviously if you can train your mind and visualise some stuff then it\u2019s going to help you with the physical side when you\u2019re back doing that stuff too.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people close their eyes and just put yourself in scenarios. It\u2019s more so about process instead of picturing big moments like matchwinning tries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more just going through the motions of running your first set of the game, your first defensive set, getting back and off the line, communicating with people next to you. That\u2019s probably the more effective way. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still learning how to stay in the moment when I\u2019m doing it. Sometimes you can drift off a bit. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you ever get an interview with Nath, definitely ask him about it because he can put himself in first person, third person, and just sees it so clearly. So you can always get better at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cole hasn\u2019t played first grade yet this season, but he\u2019s ready to step up if required when Cleary is away with the Origin team. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s a big part of Penrith where everyone\u2019s got to be ready,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sort of a next man up mentality here, so we all train the same, we all have the same sequences, set plays. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur Cup team models our game off the NRL team, so I think that helps that when someone does get called up, you sort of just slot straight in and it definitely helps that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll do what I did the last couple of years. If I get called up, I\u2019ll be ready and just enjoy it and take it with both hands.\u201d<\/p>\n