Parramatta Eels’ Will Penisini says rugby is out of the question but a big-money deal is tempting

“Everybody’s growing up and all the younger guys are coming through anyway, so if they’re taking players, good for them. If you are talented [enough] to play both, why not?”

The timing of his new contract with Parramatta would still give him over 18 months to earn a Wallabies jumper in time for the 2027 World Cup should he decide to switch to the 15-man code once his Eels contract expires .

But Penisini said he was focused on the league and starting with helping his team earn their second win of the season when they play Wests Tigers at the Olympic Park on Easter Monday.

The Tim Sheens Tigers are yet to win a game in 2023, but in an Easter upset last year, they beat the Eels with a field goal on the siren to win 21-20.

The return of striker Shaun Lane, who missed the first five weeks of the season after suffering a broken jaw, should give last year’s finalists some much-needed panache.

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“I’m just trying to keep a cool head. I think what most people say about me is that I’m pretty laid back and calm out there,” Lane said.

“I’m just trying to give people direction… I see myself as the unofficial coach of the guys on the field.

“We’ve been confident at every game this year, we still know we have what it takes to succeed and there were few things that stopped us. We feel good that we can turn things around.”