Penrith Panthers star chased by ‘multiple’ Super League clubs
Sorensen was linked with a move to England last month, with speculation that St Helens were lining up a move to sign him for the 2026 season.
The Saints, however, have reportedly had no contact with Sorensen or his management over a switch ahead of what will be a major recruitment overhaul at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
But fresh reports about Sorensen have now emerged through the Wide World of Sports, who say that Sorensen is being courted by a number of teams in England.
He has one year remaining on his contract with the Panthers, and it is unclear whether or not he would be granted a release as things stand.
However, the report states that Super League clubs are primed and ready to make an approach should he come on the market.
Sorensen has been an integral part of Penrith’s success, featuring in multiple NRL Grand Final triumphs.
At the age of 32, he would likely still have something to offer a top-flight English club going into 2026.
Furthermore, the report reiterates that no talks have been held with Sorensen and the Panthers about a release: and that he is happy at the club and content to remain there in 2026.
But the prospect of a potential long-term deal, with Sorensen having just one year left at the reigning NRL champions, could be tempting for the forward.
He joined Penrith at the beginning of the 2021 season and had an instant impact with the club. He has subsequently featured in all four of their Grand Final victories as the Panthers made history in the NRL.
But his future could yet lie in England beyond this year according to fresh reports.
Matty Johns floats stunning theory about Panthers decline after Cameron Ciraldo departure
It comes after the Panthers’ worst start to a season in more than a decade.
Former NRL premiership winner Matty Johns has singled out the Cameron Ciraldo factor as a major reason behind the decline of the Panthers in 2025. Penrith’s most recent defeat to the Cowboys saw the four-time defending premiers slip to a 1-4 record, which is their worst start to a season since 2013, when the club failed to make the finals.
Defence has been an alarming issue for Ivan Cleary’s side and the 118 points his team conceded over the first four rounds was more than the 114 points they let in over the first 13 rounds of the 2021 season. That was the year Penrith’s dynasty of four straight premierships began and it was built around a competition-best defence that Ciraldo was one of the architects of.
The Bulldogs head coach was formerly the defensive coach under Cleary at Penrith and his work on the training ground helped turn the Panthers into one of the NRL’s toughest sides to crack. Ciraldo’s reputation as a defensive mastermind ultimately saw him poached by Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould, and it comes as little shock that he’s been able to turn his Canterbury side into one of the best defensive outfits in the NRL.
Ciraldo’s side lead the way in defence in the NRL this season after letting in just 58 points across their first five games. That’s less than 12 points the Bulldogs have been conceding on average per game and it’s a big reason why many are now talking about them as genuine premiership contenders, following last week’s 20-0 shut-out of Newcastle.
There is an age-old adage that defence wins comps and Johns reckons the Panthers are sorely missing the influence Ciraldo had on their premiership dynasty. And after four years in a row of the sort of player turnover that often accompanies such success, Johns says the majority of Penrith’s current crop of players have not been learnt their defensive craft under Ciraldo and it’s being demonstrated in their performances.
Penrith struggling to replicate Cameron Ciraldo-era defence
“If you’re leaking points in defence and you’re a team like Penrith – a quality team – if you’re leaking points, that’s evidence it’s desire,” Johns told SEN radio on Tuesday. “There’s desire issues there and on top of that… the new generation of player that is coming through at Penrith weren’t exposed to Cameron Ciraldo’s defensive principles.
“Ciraldo’s been away from the club now, this is his third year away. But all those teams that went four (premierships) in a row, all those players learnt the defensive principles off Cameron Ciraldo. Now what we’re seeing and what Cameron Ciraldo is doing at the Bulldogs shows how good he is defensively, how well he teaches defence. So that’s a challenge for Ivan.”
“How you navigate your way through it, it’s all part of the NRL rollercoaster, you know? It’s probably good for them to experience it,” he added. “They’ll learn a lot of good lessons, as will the rest of the playing group, the senior boys too. In the long run, it’s going to be good for us.”
Uncharacteristic errors are also harming Penrith this season, with the Panthers making the second-most errors of any team through the first five rounds (66). In comparison, they averaged the fewest of any team in the 2020, 2022 and 2023 seasons. Second-rower Scott Sorensen – who is tracking to return from a head knock to face the Dolphins – said it’s an area they have to address immediately if they hope to reverse the club’s fortunes. “Holding the ball would be nice,” Sorensen said. We’ve got a real onus on controlling the ball and respecting the ball. We’re probably letting ourselves down a bit in that category.”