The Penrith Panthers have secured a major coup on the eve of the finals series, locking down fullback Dylan Edwards on the longest deal of any player at the club.
Edwards, who is already contracted until the end of next year, has signed a four-year extension to keep him at the club until the end of 2028. The contract is believed to be worth about $3.4 million over four years.
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The deal means Edwards, arguably the most improved player in the competition during the past two years, will have the longest contract on the roster at the back-to-back premiership winners and likely finish his career as a one-club player.
The extension goes beyond the deals for Panthers co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, who both recently signed long-term extensions. The deal ends in the same year coach Ivan Cleary comes off contract.
The Panthers also have Brian To’o, Liam Martin and Moses Leota secured until the end of 2027.
There are only eight other players in the NRL contracted until at least 2028: Brisbane’s Patrick Carrigan (2028), the Dolphins’ Tom Gilbert (2028), Parramatta halves Mitchell Moses (2028) and Dylan Brown (2031), Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray (2028), Souths prop Tevita Tatola (2028), Sharks No.7 Nicho Hynes (2029) and Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (2033).
Dylan Edwards has received a massive payday.CREDIT:GETTY
Edwards, who won last year’s Clive Churchill Medal after Penrith’s victory over Parramatta in the grand final, has been playing well above his pay grade for two years.
The fullback has been on a deal worth just over $500,000 and is widely regarded as one of the best-value players in the competition.
The Panthers moved quickly to lock down his signature, with Edwards indicating to his management he wasn’t interested in testing the market on November 1.
Attention will now turn to five-eighth Jarome Luai, who will become a free agent on November 1 if he doesn’t sign with the Panthers beforehand.
Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards.CREDIT:GETTY
The injured five-eighth, who is hopeful of returning from a dislocated shoulder in time for the preliminary final in just over three weeks, is without an agent.
He has given his previous management company, SFX, 90 days’ notice. Luai hasn’t signed with a rival management group yet as it wouldn’t be able to act on his behalf until the three-month notice period ends in mid-October.
His former management company has since told Penrith it will waive the 90-day notice period if Luai strikes a deal with the Panthers directly, without the services of another manager.
The Panthers are expected to have a conversation with Luai in the coming weeks to gauge his appetite for staying at the club.
With Cleary, Yeo and now Edwards all signed on long-term deals, it’s unlikely the Panthers will be able to pay Luai what he could attract on the open market.
The club hopes his desire to remain with his junior club and play alongside close friends in a successful environment may convince him to sign without testing the market.
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