Panthers prop Moses Leota can \u201c100 per cent\u201d see himself staying at the club beyond his current deal and has thanked Penrith officials for allowing his manager to test the market early as he weighs up his future.<\/p>\n
Family and long-term financial security will play a key role in determining where the four-time premiership winner finishes his NRL career, with a number of rival clubs set to go after one of the most feared front-rowers in the world.<\/p>\n
Leota turns 31 in a few weeks and is contracted until the end of the 2027 season, but the Panthers have given him permission to test his value before November 1 as the club prepares for a potential poaching raid for a number of their stars.<\/p>\n
Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Brian To\u2019o and Liam Martin are just some of the big-name players who will become free agents, with the Panthers facing a delicate balancing act to retain who they can under a salary cap that will go up.<\/p>\n
Leota has been a key pillar up front during their dominant run since the start of the decade, but there are no guarantees that he\u2019ll be at Penrith, with the Eels and incoming franchises in Perth and PNG linked to his services. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just to see what\u2019s out there, and then obviously I\u2019ll come back to the club and we\u2019ll sort it out that way,\u201d he said after Penrith\u2019s win over the Rabbitohs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am (happy here). My manager has got a job to do, and I\u2019ll leave it up to him. For me, I\u2019ll just focus on my footy and we\u2019ll get it done when we get it done.<\/p>\n
\u201cCredit to the club because they let me go to market early. We\u2019ll see how it goes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne hundred per cent (I can see myself staying at Penrith) but I\u2019ll leave that up to my manager and we\u2019ll go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Panthers didn\u2019t have to help out the veteran prop before November 1, but it\u2019s a sign of respect for their stars who have stayed loyal to help them set new standards in the NRL. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s earned the right to have a look around,\u201d coach Ivan Cleary said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a couple of weeks until the end of the bye to see what\u2019s out there. They\u2019ll get back to us and we\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jack Cogger is facing two weeks on the sidelines if he takes the early guilty plea for a grade two careless high tackle on Ashton Ward that saw him sent to the sin bin on Friday.<\/p>\n
Cogger risks an extra week if he fights the charge and loses, with Penrith set to welcome back starting halfback Nathan Cleary after next week\u2019s bye.<\/p>\n