Bathurst Panthers secure valuable playmaker for 2024 season

Panthers recently announced they'd acquired the signature of the Nyngan Tigers player, giving the Bathurst squad a strong replacement for outgoing halfback and two-time premiership-winning coach Doug Hewitt.

Merritt, a former Group 11 premiership winner of his own with Dubbo Macquarie, helped lead an exciting Tigers attack to last year's PMP premiership finals series.

It was there that Merritt's title hopes were ended by the team he now joins in 2024.

Following Panthers' two straight seasons of eliminations in the second round of the finals it's hoped that Merritt can play a big part in getting the club closer to the grand final.

Merritt isn't a stranger to rugby league at Bathurst.

Though his time in the city was brief, Merritt enjoyed a spell with St Pat's back in the 2018 Group 10 competition before he jumped across to Nyngan mid-season.

Merritt went back to his junior club, Dubbo Macquarie, for the inaugural Peter McDonald Premiership season before he once again joined the Tigers in 2023.

At this stage it's likely that Merritt will line up alongside Dylan Miles in the halves, though there's still plenty of time for the Panthers to play around with their setup.

It was announced last month the club had brought Miles back to Bathurst from Lithgow Workies - a title winner with the Panthers' under 18s and reserve grade squads.

Panthers pre-season training for all grades is set to resume from this Tuesday 6pm at Morse Park.