Round 1 player selections, injuries, predictions, lineup; Penrith Panthers snub Blaize Talagi after Phil Gould comments; Peter V’landys on Raiders fight

Despite reports he’ll be left out of the Panthers’ round one side, Billy Slater reckons the move to Penrith will be nothing but gold for Blaize Talagi.

Talagi moved to the foot of the Blue Mountains from Parramatta in what worked out to be a straight swap with Isaiah Iongi.

“He’s a young superstar on the rise, and for the Panthers to pick someone up like Blaize Talagi … ,” he said on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast.

“Whether he plays in the outside backs or they throw him the No.6 jersey … he’s going to really benefit from playing outside not just Nathan Cleary, but playing in a system like the Panthers.”

Slater said Talagi was the player he was most looking forward to watching develop this season.

“What he did in his rookie year last year at the Parramatta Eels, who were struggling for a big chunk of the year, he was a shining light for them,” Slater said.

“I’m sure they would have been disappointed to lose him.

“For him to go to the best team in the competition, with the best structures and one of the best players to probably play the game, Nathan Cleary, he’s going to set him up in space that he hasn’t been in before.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for a young star like Talagi to jump into that system, to jump into that footy team and go and express himself.”