LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Panthers fans are urging the club to consider signing veteran forward Bryce Cartwright after his immediate release from the Parramatta Eels.
The 30-year-old has been granted this release to join St Mary's Saints, a team in the Ron Massey Cup, which is a feeder club for the Panthers.
This connection to the Penrith pathways system raises the possibility of Cartwright returning to his roots in the area where he began his career.
The Eels announced on Tuesday that the release would allow Cartwright to take advantage of this new opportunity.
Although it remains uncertain if the Panthers will view him as a viable option for the NRL, given their strong depth in the forwards, fans have expressed their desire to see him back in a Panthers jersey.
Peter Lang, a Penrith-based journalist, noted on social media, "I can see a lot of Panthers supporters becoming nostalgic and hoping he ends up in a Penrith jersey again just like Thomas Jenkins.
Could lightning strike twice?" Lang's comment highlights the sentiment among fans, especially as Jenkins also found himself outside the Panthers before making a successful return.
Cartwright began his junior career with St Mary's and made his NRL debut with the Panthers in 2014.
Phil Gould had once praised him, saying he would be "one of the best second-rowers the game has ever seen," but Cartwright has struggled to meet those expectations.
He played 69 games for the Panthers prior to moving to the Gold Coast in 2018 and subsequently joined Parramatta in 2021.
As fans rally for Cartwright's return, it will be interesting to see if the Panthers decide to give him another chance in the NRL.
His immediate release from Parramatta and subsequent return to the Penrith area signal a potential reunion, filling supporters with hope and nostalgia.