Fresh calls for NRL rule change after Panthers forced to gift gun players to rival clubs

Matty Johns has claimed the salary cap needs to hand exemptions to clubs who develop young talent after the Penrith Panthers have struggled to keep their superstars together across the years. The Panthers' win over the table-topping Bulldogs on Thursday night sent a warning to the rest of the competition as Nathan Cleary and his side look to build momentum towards a fifth-straight premiership.

The 8-6 win over the Bulldogs had the intensity of a finals game, but it showed the Panthers are still one of the favourites if they can put out a full strength side in 2025. However, it also showed how much talent has left the club due to salary cap pressure across the years.

Matty Johns has claimed the salary cap needs to hand exemptions to clubs who develop young talent after the Penrith Panthers have struggled to keep their superstars together across the years, such as Stephen Crichton (pictured right) and Matt Burton. (Images: Getty Images)

Matt Burton, Stephen Crichton and Viliame Kikau are all former Panthers players and left for bigger contracts in recent years to join the Bulldogs. All three have helped lift the Bulldogs to the top of the table in 2025 and it shows the depth and talent that has come from the Penrith junior system. 

And it has also prompted questions over whether the NRL needs to hand clubs salary cap relief to keep young players in their system. Speaking after the game, SEN Radio host Andrew Webster claimed it was a shame some of the premiership-winning stars couldn't remain in Penrith. 

This comes after they developed the likes of Burton, Crichton and Kikau, before watching them walk out the door. "This is why they need to really have a serious look at the salary cap. Penrith have produced all those players. You've got Isiah Katoa at the Dolphins and the Dragons are now looking at Luke Garner," he said on Friday.

"That's what the salary cap does, but if there is not going to be a draft and you are not going to get any compensation for producing the talent for the rest of the competition they need to look at how to get some sort of salary cap relief to hold on to some of them."

Stephen Crichton (pictured far left) and Viliame Kikau (pictured middle left) are just two players who have left the Panthers due to salary cap pressure.

And this prompted Matty Johns to claim there needs to be a fix going forward so feeder clubs benefit from their own juniors. "this is one of the biggest things in the game. You want some of these teams with big catchment areas spending a lot of money on their juniors because they feed the rest of the competition," Johns added.

The former Newcastle Knights five-eighth suggested his old team is one of the areas that gets raided and it's hard for the club to hold onto their players. "The issue is something started to change about 20 years ago in the game. Rather than teams spending money on their juniors...what they started to do is go up to Newcastle to their trial games and pick the eyes out of their best kids."

Matty Johns (pictured) feels feeder clubs in the NRL need to be granted salary cap relief.

Garner is the latest Panthers player linked to a rival club with salary cap pressures on the Panthers. The versatile Penrith forward has now been linked to the Dragons who are looking to the future after shifting de Jack de Belin on to the Eels, according to NRL reporter Michael Chammas. 

Although earlier this year, Dragons coach Shane Flanagan did express his side was short of front-rowers and this was a key position he wanted to address. "That's an area they want to improve, but good luck finding a middle...I don't have your answer. Apparently they were looking at Luke Garner as a potential edge-player, but it doesn't solve their middles," Chammas said on Triple M Radio.

Garner would add versatility and experience to the Dragons with the forward winning multiple premierships at the Panthers. The 29-year-old has played 114 first-grade games to date - 75 with the Wests Tigers and 39 with Penrith.

This year he has filled in for Cleary's side at second-row, lock and in the centres. However, the club have reportedly allowed Garner to negotiate with other clubs with his deal running out at the end of 2026.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo Sport Australia at https://au.news.yahoo.com/fresh-calls-for-nrl-rule-change-after-panthers-forced-to-gift-gun-players-to-rival-clubs-063002978.html

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