A crucial player in the club’s success over the past five seasons, was the only Panther without a contract for next year. Despite being replaced last minute by Scott Sorensen for the 2024 NRL Grand Final, Eisenhuth has now received some exciting news as the team celebrates their record-breaking win. According to News Corp, he has signed a two-year contract extension with the Panthers, which will likely be his final NRL deal as he finishes his career with the club. Eisenhuth’s decision to re-sign comes after he mentioned to Zero Tackle earlier this year that he believes he still has a few good years left before retiring.
“I’m definitely not ready to retire just yet. I believe I have a few good years ahead of me, so we’ll see how it goes,” Eisenhuth shared with this publication. “There are probably more pressing targets for the club right now, and a few players they likely want to secure, but when the time is right, I’d be happy to stay. “However, I’m aware that I’m not getting any younger, so I might lean towards security. That said, I don’t really want to leave. If there’s security here, I’ll stick around.”
Known as one of the most resilient players in the league, his career began with the Parramatta Eels, but he didn’t make his first-grade debut until he was 24 with the Wests Tigers, after overcoming doubts about whether he’d be able to play again. Since then, he’s played 134 NRL games—64 with the Panthers and 70 during his four years with the Wests Tigers—having made 18 appearances this season. Recently, he was left out of Sunday’s match in favor of Scott Sorensen.
Eisenhuth previously expressed to this publication the difficulty he faced in not playing during the club’s premiership victories in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 against the Rabbitohs, Eels, Broncos, and Melbourne Storm. “The first one, when I was playing a lot, probably hurt the most. But after reflecting on it, I realize that being part of teams like this is rare,” he said. “After that moment, I took a step back, and since then we’ve won two more championships, and I’ve played significant roles in all three years. “I’m not sure how many games I’ve played during those years, but even if I wanted to be in those grand finals, I believe I’ve contributed to getting the team there. “I still celebrate like I’ve played in them! The memories will last a lifetime. “I can share with my kids and grandkids that I was part of something special, and I’ll look back on my career feeling proud of my involvement.”
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