Bryce Cartwright's week to forget got a whole lot worse at Campbelltown on Sunday afternoon, suffering a suspected fractured leg in Penrith's 36-2 victory over the Wests Tigers.

Embattled Penrith star Bryce Cartwright is a certainty to take his place in Sunday's NRL match against the Wests Tigers, coach Anthony Griffin has confirmed.

Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor will refuse to use the Tim Simona betting scandal as an excuse if his side can't beat the Panthers after reaching out to the deregistered centre.

Panthers officials will closely monitor Bryce Cartwright's welfare and concede the troubled star is no certainty to face the Wests Tigers, as teammates closed ranks around him.

Ah, Robbie. You've done it again. He's not even at the Tigers, but Farah's still getting under the skin of his old club.

Te Maire Martin left the Wests Tigers looking for an opportunity. He was the hottest young talent on the market, but there was no room for him at the joint venture club given the investment the club had made in Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks.

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The Wests Tigers have made the stunning admission that they tried to 'look after' Greg Inglis as he battled through what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury last Friday night.

Penrith Panthers general manager Phil Gould has said the club was unaware of a $50,000 abortion pay-off made by Bryce Cartwright to a woman who claimed to be carrying his child.

St George Illawarra have caused a major boilover with a round-one thumping of one of the premiership favourites.

James Tamou knows if Penrith fail to live up to the hype, the first person the finger will be pointed at will be the high-profile recruit.

Nathan Cleary's introduction to rugby league was enough to turn most away from the game for life. At a local park in Auckland six years ago, a scrawny 13-year-old son of a gun picked up a football for the first time - taking on bearded men in an open age game that would be the making of a teenage prodigy.

After a massive 2016 season, the Panthers captain has served his apprenticeship and is ready to become one of the game's next superstars.

​Penrith coach Anthony Griffin has backed unlucky prop Sam McKendry to come back from what could be his second knee reconstruction in seven months.

Penrith prop Sam McKendry has suffered a suspected serious knee injury in his comeback from an ACL reconstruction during the Panthers' 18-6 NRL trial win over Parramatta.

Penrith coach Anthony Griffin has told young gun Te Maire Martin to get more physical as he weighs up whether to start the Kiwi international in the opening round.

The Penrith Panthers will be without winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak for the opening two weeks of the NRL season after the Kiwi international suffered a knee injury at training.

There isn't a seat at the NRL table that doesn't come hot with the expectation of success, but perhaps none more so than the premiership favourites.

With 17 days remaining until the start of the 2017 NRL season, Michael Chammas looks at pre-season form and the big questions confronting your club.

Penrith young gun Te Maire Martin has hinted he's ready to fire this season after setting up his side's 20-10 NRL trial win over Canterbury at Belmore Sports Ground.