Why Cleary opted for Cole ahead of star recruit Talagi

Ivan Cleary is open to playing Blaize Talagi and Jack Cole in the same starting side as he urges patience with Penrith's star recruit.

The Panthers' most hotly anticipated external signing in five years as NRL heavyweights, the 19-year-old Talagi had been expected to start the season replacing Wests Tigers signing Jarome Luai at five-eighth.

Instead, coach Cleary has opted not to risk Talagi starting against Cronulla in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT), as the former Eel bounces back from off-season shoulder surgery.

An understudy to Luai and star halfback Nathan Cleary last season, Cole starts at five-eighth for his 11th NRL game following an impressive summer.

"Jack's been a man in waiting for a few years. He filled in well last year for the games he played," said coach Cleary.

"We see him as the best chance for us to win tomorrow."

Talagi is in Vegas with the Panthers as a reserve.

He is still adapting to their four-time premiership-winning systems following a pre-season interrupted by injury and Samoa's Test tour of England.

If his new five-eighth impresses to begin the season, Cleary can "totally" see a world where his prized recruit and Cole play in the same team later this season.

Talagi started in every backline position bar halfback across 20 games in his rookie 2024 season at Parramatta, and also featured from the bench.

"Blaize's time will come. He's only a young man," Cleary said.

"He's got to work out our system a bit and he's just coming off a shoulder reco. His time will come."

The Panthers have become accustomed to losing key talent in each year of their premiership dominance, but are up against their greatest challenge yet in 2025.

Luai, star prop James Fisher-Harris and winger Sunia Turuva will all be missing from the four-time reigning premiers' line-up at Allegiant Stadium.

The Panthers' personnel changes have left most pundits to tip Melbourne as premiership favourites this season, and that suits Cleary just fine.

"All you can really do each year is look at a team's roster and that's how you make your predictions. I'm quite happy not to be favourites," he said.