Daine Laurie expects to hold his spot on the wing for Penrith ahead of premiership winner Sunia Turuva as the race to replace injured Nathan Cleary is whittled down to two.
Laurie loomed as a chance to join Jarome Luai in the halves against Canberra on Saturday after the talismanic Cleary left last Thursday’s NRL loss to Melbourne with a shoulder injury.
Instead, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary will keep Laurie on the wing where he played following a last-minute call to move Wests Tigers-bound Turuva to 18th man against the Storm.
“I’m playing on the wing this weekend so I’m just ready to do my job,” Laurie said.
The selection call leaves Jack Cole and Brad Schneider the two options to join the halves against the Raiders in the first of what is likely to be three games before Cleary returns during the finals.
Cole replaced Cleary mid-game against the Storm but the Panthers pulled Schneider from NSW Cup on Sunday, with the 23-year-old set to be fresh for a possible call-up against his former side Canberra.
Laurie backed the Panthers to adjust to either player coming in, with both men earning game time already this season amid Cleary’s hamstring injury and Luai’s NSW Origin commitments.
“It’s pretty easy (to adjust),” Laurie said.
“We do opposed sessions and that type of stuff throughout the week so they get plenty of reps.
“They’re young and they’re just keen to have a game, obviously being stuck behind two deadly players like ‘Romey’ and ‘Clez’.”
Prop Matt Eisenhuth has come in and out of the Panthers’ first-grade side over the past four seasons and felt for Turuva amid the axing.
Wests Tigers recruit Turuva played all but one game of the Panthers’ 2023 premiership season, including the grand final defeat of Brisbane, but was consigned to NSW Cup last weekend.
“I’ve been there before, you don’t like being dropped. Everyone want to be playing first-grade,” Eisenhuth said.
“But that’s the depth of the squad, I guess. They’re decisions for the coach to make and nine times out of 10 he gets them right.
“(Turuva’s) energy doesn’t change. He’s always bringing the boys up.”
Cleary reunited with Panthers teammates on Monday, his first day back at the club’s headquarters since scans confirmed he would avoid immediate surgery on his left shoulder.
“He’s in good spirits. It’s good news really,” Eisenhuth said.
“You fear the worst when anyone of that calibre goes down.
“But I think the scans showed the results they (Panthers staff) wanted.”
