Warriors hook into Panthers youngster
The Warriors are looking to sign Wayde Egan from the Panthers as the club’s replacement for Issac Luke.
The hooker toured the Warriors’ Mt Smart Stadium facilities in Auckland yesterday to get a gauge on what life is like at the club.
The 22-year-old Egan played 18 games for the Panthers this season, but with the arrival of Api Koroisau from the Sea Eagles for next season Egan was told he could look elsewhere.
Egan was only told of this recently, which would have surprised him as he signed a two-year extension with Penrith earlier this season.
But with Koroisau arriving, it became apparent that Egan would be behind him in the pecking order in coach Ivan Cleary’s mind.
The Warriors have been after another hooker for a while and it was clear from early this season that they wouldn’t be wanting to keep Luke beyond this year.
Nathaniel Roache and Karl Lawton are also on the Warriors’ books, but the former has been injury prone since making his debut in 2016, playing only 26 games over that period.
Lawton was impressive during his nine NRL games this season and was preferred ahead of Luke in the starting team during that time.
But the arrival of Egan would give the team more options in a key position.
One fan of Egan’s is league icon, Andrew Johns, who has said he sees traits of Cameron Smith in him.
‘‘I hate to say it, but he reminds me of Cameron Smith when he first started,’’ Johns said at the end of last season.
‘‘He hasn’t got the bulging muscles but he’s very efficient in the way he plays. Every time I look at him when he’s at dummy-half, he’s always watching the tight defenders and markers.
‘‘He’s always watching the defence and he lets them make his decision for him.’’
Egan has come through the Panthers’ system and in 2017 was named the club’s NYC Player of the Year while also being selected in the NYC Team of the Year.
The Warriors have a couple more spots to fill on their roster for next season because of the departures of Luke and Ligi Sao, plus the retirement of Blake Ayshford.
There is also a fair amount of salary cap space available – the Warriors were slightly under the cap for this year. So with the contracts of those three players coming off the books, there is money for some decent signings and Egan may be the first of them.