LAYING OFF BRYCE
NO PANTHERS FEUD
TITANS coach Garth Brennan says star recruit Bryce Cartwright left the Panthers on good terms and should not be targeted when he returns to Penrith this weekend.
Cartwright will make his first appearance at Panthers Stadium on Sunday following his release by Penrith supremo Phil Gould, despite four years to run on his contract, to relaunch his career on the Gold Coast.
Cartwright, 23, played 68 NRL matches for the Panthers and was on his way to becoming a NSW Origin forward before a wretched 2017 season, prompting him to seek a release and link with former Penrith lower grades coach Brennan.
The Cartwright name is synonymous with Penrith.
Bryce’s late grandfather Merv was a club founder while uncle John, the Titans’ foundation coach, and father David are former Penrith first-graders.
Cartwright could be sledged by Panthers fans and players when he runs out in rival colours but Brennan said that would not be warranted.
“The people who know what really went down there know that Bryce needed to move away for his wellbeing more so than anything else,” Brennan said.
“Bryce is not too concerned about what people think of him. He is more concerned about his family and those sorts of things.
“The people close to him know why he left and know it was for the right reasons.
Cartwright had an improved performance in the Titans’ win over Manly on Sunday after playing just one minute in the Gold Coast’s shock victory over Brisbane.
He made a 55-minute appearance off the bench, setting up points and producing a try-saving tackle on Sea Eagles centre Brian Kelly.
Despite captain Ryan James’s one-match suspension, Cartwright will remain on the bench and Brennan said his star signing was steadily improving.
“Ideally, that’s how I would have liked to have brought him into the squad at the start of the year,” he said.
“With suspensions and injuries, I wasn’t able to. I had to force him a little earlier than he was ready.
“He is a work in progress. Hopefully he takes another step forward. He is excited, as are all of us who have been at Penrith before.
“Penrith is something that’s very close to Bryce. Cartwright and Penrith go hand-in-hand, although Cartwright and Titans have got a bit of history as well.”