Dragons fans will be pleased that a conclusion has been reached and some will be pleased to see him go, with Trent Merrin signing a 3-year deal with the Penrith Panthers.
After speculation linking him with several NRL sides, the new move will see Merrin head West and strengthen the Panthers pack.
Although in the last couple of years, his form has not quite been as consistent, the Panthers are confident of his ability and what he can bring to the table.
“Trent is an outstanding footballer and person and will add enormous experience and value to our existing squad and also our young forwards coming through our pathway program.
“We are extremely honoured that Trent has chosen to join our organisation in 2016 for three years and it gives us a great amount of satisfaction that all the work we are doing on and off the field is proving to be attractive to those outside the organisation†says Penrith Panthers CEO, Justin Pascoe.
Someone who has seen a lot of Merrin and is a good judge of talent is Panthers Executive General Manager Phil Gould, and he too is excited to have the former Dragons forward with the club.
“We are absolutely delighted to confirm Trent Merrin will be joining the Panthers for the next three seasons. This is one of the most significant player signings this club has made in its 49 year history.
“Trent has been part of a Premiership winning team and already achieved 10 State of Origin appearances for NSW. At 25 years of age we believe Trent is about to enter the prime time of his playing career with his best football still in front of him.
Apart from his obvious playing talents, Trent brings valuable experience and leadership qualities to Panthers. We are very excited about this signing”