UPDATED:LUKE Lewis has declared his departure from Penrith is the "best thing to do for me and the best thing to do for the club".

At a press conference this afternoon confirming his exit from the Panthers at the end of the season, Lewis said he "needed to move on and start a new challenge".

"I need a whole new change of life, the way that I’m feeling," Lewis said.

“All I want to do is get this heavy weight off my shoulders and start doing something I love again and enjoy my footy."

Penrith general manager Phil Gould, who sat alongside Lewis at the press conference, said nobody at the Panthers had ever initiated a plan for Lewis not to complete his contract before the end of the 2014 season, calling the decision "very sad for the club".

"(At a) meeting this morning Luke indicated he was feeling stale and was looking for a new outlook and challenge in his life," Gould said.

"Luke feels like he needs a change of environment to achieve his goals.

"Luke probably doesn’t want to go through the pain of rebuilding a club at this stage of his career…he made a very brave decision.

"Luke has given the Panthers outstanding service for the past 11 years…He’s a role model for all kids in western Sydney."

A Panthers official said there was no point in trying to keep Lewis at foot of the mountains for the duration of his contract.

"It's unfortunate but it's like a bad marriage - there's no point hanging on to someone when he doesn't want to be here," a Penrith official told thetelegraph.com.au.

There is speculation that Lewis spent the weekend in the company of Paul Gallen his former Penrith teammate Wade Graham in Cronulla.

The Sharks are the front runners to sign him for next season but there is strong interest from St George Illawarra as well.



It is too late for Lewis to switch clubs mid-season as the June 30 deadline for transfers has now passed

It's understood that Lewis has told friends he does not want to play at a club where he feels unwanted. Panthers fans will be irate at the news because Lewis is a long-time favourite at Centrebet Stadium who has earned NSW and Australian jumpers.

It is understood that Lewis's manager Greg Willett will this week start canvassing rival NRL clubs to determine interest in the NSW State of Origin utility forward.

One source close to Lewis said: "He wants to leave on good terms. He has a lot of mates at Penrith and has given his all for the club.

"Luke loves the Panthers. The club gave him the opportunity to play NRL and he will never forget that.

"The Panthers want to go in another direction and Luke accepts that. I think they want to take on a youth policy.

"A new start will reinvigorate Luke. He feels he needs to leave. He is little confused as to why the club doesn't want him."

Lewis is a Penrith junior who wanted to play his entire career at the Panthers.

The shock decision has been brewing since Penrith coach Ivan Cleary stripped Lewis of the captaincy before the Origin series.

But Lewis is telling friends the captaincy issue is not the reason he will leave.

On a contract worth about $425,000 a season, Lewis was to be offered the captaincy back again this week but that is now in doubt.

His departure would give Penrith additional room to move in their tight salary cap.

Lewis is said to be stunned at the false rumours circulating about him, one even suggesting he suffered from depression. The source said: "He is very happy. Luke just doesn't know where all these rumours are coming from."

The Kangaroos forward wants the final decision on his future to be made quickly.

Lewis was among the first picked for all three Origin games this season. His performance in Origin II at ANZ Stadium was sensational in NSW's 16-12 win.

Originally published as Lewis released from Panthers