Doubts over Jamie Soward's future at Penrith have re-surfaced after the former NSW Origin playmaker was dumped from the side to play Manly at Brookvale Oval on Sunday and replaced by rookie Nathan Cleary in a new look Panthers halves combination.
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Soward, who rejected Phil Gould's off-season suggestion that he consider retiring, will join out of favour hooker James Segayaro in the NSW Cup team as Penrith coach Anthony Griffin attempts to get the team back on track after successive losses to Gold Coast and Melbourne.
Cleary, who made his NRL debut off the bench in last Saturday night's 24-6 loss to the Storm, will partner ball playing backrower Bryce Cartwright at the scrumbase in a move that provides the latter with the perfect opportunity to push his claims for the utility role on the NSW bench for Origin II.
Bizarrely, Soward was put forward by the Panthers for media interview just hours before the team was named and accepted responsibility for the loss in Melbourne after admitting he hadn't followed Griffin's game plan properly.
However, he gave no indication that he had been dropped by Griffin for the Sea Eagles clash when asked about Segayaro's demotion last week.
"If you're not winning and you don't perform ... we're all under the gun. Me included," Soward told reporters. "There's no excuses here. We have a lot of depth now and we have a lot of young guys coming through and Chicko [Segeyaro] accepted that."
Despite being contracted until the end of next season, Soward admitted earlier this year that he would again have to convince Griffin and Gould - Penrith's general manager of football - that he should play on and the 31-year-old already faced competition from Cleary and boom Kiwi playmaker Te Mare Martin, while many believe captain Matt Moylan will soon make the switch from fullback to five-eighth.
There is even speculation the Panthers may be interested in England fullback Zak Hardaker, who has been transfer listed by Leeds, while the club is expected to sign Blues and Australia prop James Tamou in coming days or weeks.
Meanwhile, Penrith prop Sam McKendry has accepted a two match ban after taking the early guilty plea for a grade one shoulder charge on Cameron Munster in the 78th minute of the loss to Melbourne.
City Origin representative Leilani Latu replaces McKendry in the starting line up, with Moses Leota promoted to the interchange bench for his NRL debut.
