The Penrith Panthers could be facing another potential exit from their promising roster after losing David Fale to the St George Illawarra Dragons, with attention now turning to young winger Jesse McLean.
Despite being one of the Panthers’ longest-serving contracted players, the 20-year-old has struggled to cement a regular first-grade spot, repeatedly being passed over for teammates including his younger brother Casey, Thomas Jenkins, and Paul Alamoti.
In his three seasons at Penrith, the under-19s NSW Blues representative has only featured in four matches – and the Panthers have come up short in every one.
Though contracted with the Panthers until 2028, McLean is reportedly open to seeking an early release if an opportunity arises that offers more regular first-grade game time elsewhere.
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Over 21 appearances for the Panthers’ NSW Cup squad this year, the young winger crossed for four tries and recorded an impressive 66 tackle breaks.
According to News Corp, the Gold Coast Titans, under new coach Josh Hannay, are closely monitoring McLean’s situation and are prepared to make a move if he decides to leave Penrith in search of greater opportunities.
The Titans’ interest in McLean comes after the club lost their star winger and last year’s top try-scorer, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who was granted an early release from the club in his final year to join the Warriors on a three-year deal.
Adding to their departures, playmaker Carter Gordon – who had been lining up at centre – was granted an early release from the final year of his contract to switch codes and rejoin the Wallabies.