Penrith have released promising young forward Chris Grevsmuhl from his NRL contract to address personal issues.
Just seven months after defecting to the Panthers in a bitter departure from South Sydney, the club and the 23-year-old mutually agreed to part ways on Friday.
The highly-regarded back-rower was touted as a major signing for the Panthers after establishing himself as one of the most promising young forwards in the competition.
However, his immediate playing future is on hold after deciding to take time away from the game.
"The club has agreed to the release on compassionate grounds, to give Grevsmuhl the time away from the game that he requires," the club said in a statement.
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The former Queensland and Australian under-20s representative was earlier this year invited to the Maroons Emerging Origin camp and seen as a future state representative.
After playing for the Indigenous All Stars and breaking into the Rabbitohs first grade side in 2015, he left Redfern midway through 2016.
Having already signed with the Panthers for 2017, he made an early move to the foot of the mountains and accused Souths coach Michael Maguire of being a "mind games specialist".
He was seen as a plank of the Panthers' future plans but is now being linked with a return to North Queensland, the club he played with in under-20s.
Grevsmuhl's acquisition would be a handy one for the Cowboys, following the departure of representative prop James Tamou to Penrith and the retirement of Ben Hannant.
