James Maloney

Penrith Panthers lose James Maloney to injury

The Panthers confirmed the NSW five-eighth had suffered a grade-two medial ligament tear during Saturday's get-out-of-jail win over the Gold Coast.

The club said he had been sidelined indefinitely and would not be back for the final three regular rounds.

He is now eyeing Week One of the finals as his earliest possible return.

Medial ligament strains generally take 3-6 weeks to heal, meaning he may not be back at all this year, should the Panthers go out in straight sets in the finals.

Maloney masterclass pleases Griffin

The strong platform laid by their forwards for the full 80 minutes allowed Maloney to turn up the volume in game control. He scored 21 points out of the Panthers total of 33 through eight goals from eight attempts, a try, and a field goal.

Then you can throw in the two try assists as well.

Griffin was understandably happy with his halfback's performance, especilaly after losing regular No.7 Nathan Cleary to a serious knee just six days earlier.

Maloney expects Origin intensity in Pearce v Cronk battle

No stranger to taking on former sides after stints with the Sydney Roosters, Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm and Warriors, he believes Pearce and Newcastle Knights teammates Connor Watson, Aidan Guerra and Shaun Kenny-Dowall will be out to prove a point against their old club, the Sydney Roosters.

The exit of Pearce, in particular, left Roosters fans with mixed opinions over the treatment of their long-serving players as he made way for Australian international Cooper Cronk after 12 seasons in the red, white and blue.

Panthers players back Maloney signing

Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Josh Mansour spoke about the club swap that is set to take place next week pending NRL approval, admitting they saw the positives in having the experienced Maloney calling the shots alongside Cleary.

Lines blurred after Fifita's Kangaroos omission, Maloney says

Fifita and Parramatta winger Semi Radradra were both ineligible for selection in the 24-man squad after management expressed concern the pair's indiscretions could prove a distraction.

Kicking game to drive Blues home

The cry came from a Blues teammate as new halfback Adam Reynolds, from 30 metres out, stabbed a kick towards the in-goal of the Novotel Pacific Bay Resort training field literally minutes into the Blues' first training run of the camp, on Wednesday afternoon.

The Steeden jagged past the try-line, popped up off its point then stopped dead perhaps a metre from the dead ball line and a metre inside the touch in goal line, drawing raucous cheers from the players riding the play or perhaps jeering the naysayer (from the volume, we'll assume it was Andrew Fifita).