LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy

The close bond driving Salmon's career resurgence

Canterbury forward Jaeman Salmon has shared how coach Cameron Ciraldo significantly influenced his rugby league career revival five years ago.

During the 2020 season, while the NRL returned to play, the NSW Cup was canceled, leaving Salmon without any games and limited to training with minimal hope of participating in actual matches. He did not play in a first-grade match that year.

At the time, the promising 21-year-old was yearning for a fresh start when an opportunity arose with the Panthers.

Under the mentorship of Yeo, who redefined the role of locks in the game and enhanced their contribution to a team's attack, Salmon acquired many valuable skills while serving as the veteran's understudy at Penrith.

Salmon's transition to Penrith marked the beginning of an impressive journey, where he played in two matches in 2021 and expanded his participation to 25 games in 2022, including the Panthers' grand final win against Parramatta.