Jesse McLean has earned glowing praise during Penrith's 22-10 loss to St George Illawarra.
The Panthers went into the clash against the Dragons with a makeshift team due to the injury to Nathan Cleary and State of Origin selection which had seen five of their players whisked away to NSW camp.
But McLean was keen to prove the next batch of talent is ready to roll off the production line yet again as he produced an eye-catching display during the three-time premiers' loss.
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Who is Jesse McLean? Rookie Penrith winger shines as Panthers lose to the Dragons
In Brian To’o’s absence, McLean started on the left wing in only the second match of his burgeoning NRL career.
The 19-year-old made his debut against Parramatta late last season but has had to bide his time in reserve grade while waiting for his next opportunity.
When given the chance, he wasted little time with acquainting himself to the faithful at BlueBet Stadium, when he reeled in a towering bomb from Jack Cole to touch down despite Tyrell Sloan’s best efforts.
The four-pointer in the corner was originally sent up as a no-try, but upon closer inspection from the Bunker, it was clear McLean had nipped in ahead of the fullback while remaining in the field of play to score his first NRL try.
"There’s something very special about this kid," Andrew Voss exclaimed on Fox League.
"Take a bow Jesse McLean," Cooper Cronk added.
"He got hammered in his first kick return but then his next effort in the set was huge – that was the turning point in that first half."
Jesse McLean with an absolutely BRILLIANT try! 👏👏👏
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The try continued McLean’s red-hot recent form as he has notched seven tries in his past five games in NSW Cup.
McLean has featured solely on the wing for the Panthers in reserve grade this season, scoring in all but four of his 10 games to date.
He has registered nine linebreaks and has busted through 30 tackles to showcase his destructive capabilities in attack.
The Blacktown Bears and Doonside Roos junior has all the classic trademarks of a Penrith backline player, constantly looking for work out of yardage - proven by the fact he has registered 120 running metres or more in every reserve game this year.
This translated over into the NRL too, with McLean's carries out of the backfield helping the Panthers during a scrappy affair against the Dragons at the foot of the mountains.
The winger finished with one try, one linebreak, three tackle busts and 110 run metres from his 15 carries in an impressive individual performance.
It continues a constant rise for McLean who has progressed from being named in the Australian Schoolboys side in 2022 to recently signing a long-term deal at the Panthers to keep him at the club through until 2026.
