While all the talk around the Penrith Panthers has been about Dylan Edwards and Jarome Luai as of late, the club are hoping to secure the future of two other players.
Aiming to lock them up beyond next season, the Panthers are hoping to offer contract extensions to outside back Sunia Turuva and versatile forward Lindsay Smith as the club looks to continue its success in the NRL, perย Peter Langย from The Western Weekender.
Both players were awarded selection into the 2022 NSW Cup Team of the Year but have since cemented their spot in the first-grade line-up this season; Turuva on the left wing and Smith coming off the interchange bench.
Taking over the left wing spot on the team due to the injury of Taylan May, the Fijian flyer Sunia Turuva has appeared in all 19 games for the club this season after making his NRL debut last year. Playing outside Izack Tago, he has managed to score six tries and managed 85 tackle busts, seven line breaks, one try assist and ran approximately 161 meters per game.
Coming up through the Panthers junior system, Lindsay Smith only played a combined four games in 2021 and 2022 after joining the top 30 squad due to the departures of former teammates Kaide Ellis and Jed Cartwright. However, this season he has been a revelation coming off the interchange bench, on his way to adding 15 games to his career tally - this included him earning his first start against the Cronulla Sharks last round starting in the front row.
Averaging anywhere from 24-60 minutes per game, the St Marys junior and former Australian Schoolboys has notched up 356 tackles (94.4 per cent tackle efficiency), 1523 total running metres (101 per game), 18 tackle busts and 509.1 post contact metres from all his appearances in 2023.
