Mitch Kenny, the Penrith Panthers' standout dummy half, has expressed a strong desire to remain with the club, putting to rest ongoing speculation regarding his future.
Earlier discussions hinted that both Kenny and his teammate Liam Martin might be considering a move to the new PNG Chiefs, set to join the league in 2028.
Kenny is among a group of notable players, including Brian To'o, Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Isaiah Papali'i, and Paul Alamoti, who will see their contracts expire at the end of the 2027 season.
As a promising future club captain, he is a key player that Penrith officials are eager to retain, especially with concerns about the PNG Chiefs potentially raiding their roster due to Penrith's tight salary cap situation.
"Absolutely," Kenny responded when asked about his intentions.
"I've been quite vocal and in my position that my preference is to stay with Penrith and unfortunately you don't always get what you want, but I'd really like to stay at Penrith and hopefully they're keen as well and something can be done there.
"I'm sort of leaving that with my agent at the moment, just trying to invest all my time and energy and getting the leg right."
This revelation is likely to bring comfort to both the Panthers organization and its supporters, as they may soon achieve a significant victory in securing talent for the 2027 season.
However, the future remains uncertain for teammates Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, who are expected to explore free agency, while To'o is anticipated to commit to the Chiefs, and prop Moses Leota is already allowed to examine his market worth.