Andrew Johns drops Penrith truth bomb after NRL premiers release James Fisher-Harris
The NRL icon believes the Panthers are no longer premiership contenders as too many experienced players have left the club.
NRL legend Andrew Johns believes the release of James Fisher-Harris at the end of 2024 will spell the end of the Panthers as a premiership force. The forward shocked the NRL world on Wednesday when it was revealed that he had signed with the Warriors on a four-year deal beginning next year after reaching an agreement to leave the Panthers on compassionate grounds.
Fisher-Harris is widely regarded as one of the premier front-rowers in the NRL and had two years left on his contract with Penrith. The Panthers released a statement on Wednesday, claiming they had decided to grant the player's request out of respect for all he had done for the club.
"Fisher-Harris approached the club this week with a request to return home to New Zealand following the 2024 season on compassionate grounds," the statement read. "Out of respect to the three-time premiership player, Panthers saw it only fitting to grant this request."
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said he will be sad to see Fisher-Harris go after joining the club as a teenager. "Fish has been exceptional for the Panthers, both on and off the field,” Cleary said in a statement.
“The leadership and cultural impact he has displayed since coming into first grade has been outstanding. He’s evolved into one of the game’s elite players, and coaching him has been a pleasure. While we would have loved him to stay at the Panthers, we wish him, his partner Natalie, and children Tahira and Deon all the best for their next chapter."
Fisher-Harris joins a growing list of players to leave the foot of the mountain in the last 12 months as Panthers' salary cap restraints have seen a host of top talent exit the club. The likes of Spencer Leniu (Roosters), Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs), Jack Cogger (Knights) and Zac Hosking (Raiders) all left following Penrith's 2023 premiership triumph. While Api Koroisau, Viliame Kikau, Matt Burton, Kurt Capewell, Wayde Egan and J'maine Hopgood have all left in recent years and Jarome Luai will head to the Tigers next year.
After Fisher-Harris' confirmed exit, Johns believes the club has now lost too much experience to remain competitive at the top of the NRL. Despite admitting the Panthers have one of the best development systems in the league, the NRL great believes too many key players have left the club for them to remain premiership contenders beyond this season.
"They'll have to buy a play one prop. Maybe they go to England to get one of the big boys over there?" Johns suggested on Freddy and The Eighth. "You look at the players who have left to other clubs, they're the best players. Crichton and Kikau at the Bulldogs, they've changed them around."
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Brad Fittler stunned by decision to let James Fisher-Harris leave
Panthers premiership player Brad Fittler has been left shocked by the decision to let the Penrith enforcer get out of his contract early. Fittler said it is a huge call to let arguably the best front-rower in the game get out of his contract early and says it leaves the three-time premiers a marquee front-rower short in 2025 and beyond.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald Wests Tigers forward Stefano Utoikamanu is at the top of the Panthers' wish list to replace Fisher-Harris. Utoikamanu is understood to have a clause in his contract that he can trigger to leave at the end of the season if the Tigers miss the top eight, although that clause will be negated if he is selected to play two or more games for NSW this year. The 23-year-old made his debut for the Blues in last year's series, however, is nowhere near the level of experience of Fisher-Harris.
