Penrith Panthers are delighted to announce James Fisher-Harris and Nathan Cleary have signed upgraded deals to remain with the club until at least the end of the 2019 season.
The duo were already contracted until the end of 2018 but this week agreed to improved terms in return for an additional year on their respective deals.
Fisher-Harris, 20, relocated from his native New Zealand to join the Panthers in 2013. He has represented the Junior Kiwis, was a member of the club’s premiership-winning NYC side last season and made his NRL debut in Round 1 this year.
"Despite the fact James has only played a handful of NRL matches, we are extremely confident in his potential and have invested in his long-term future with this deal," Panthers Executive General Manager Rugby League Phil Gould AM said.
"I have no doubt this young man will be an integral part of our NRL team and a regular member of the New Zealand Test squad in years to come.
"He is just the latest example of a player graduating from our junior representative program into a premiership-winning NYC team and then into the NRL squad."
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Cleary, 18, also progressed through the junior grades at the Panthers and played alongside Fisher-Harris to claim the 2015 Holden Cup Premiership.
After guiding the Panthers NYC side to consecutive 64-point victories earlier this season, he made his senior debut in Round 11 of the Intrust Super Premiership NSW competition.
"Nathan is an outstanding young man who first entered our Playmakers Academy back in 2011," Gould said.
"He has come through the junior representative program and achieved tremendous personal honours through captaining the Australian Schoolboys and playing for the Junior Kangaroos.
"Whilst he is yet to make his NRL debut, we are investing in Nathan being one of our halves in the long-term future of the Panthers.
"Nathan has been upgraded from this year’s NYC squad into our top 25 NRL squad. At only 18 years of age, this is an amazing achievement."
