- Nathan Cleary injured his left shoulder on Thursday
- Panthers fans concerned about approaching NRL final
- Club confirmed halfback aggravated injury
- Scans will determine how long Cleary will be sidelined
As Panthers fans sweat to see how fit Nathan Cleary is, it can now be revealed that the superstar halfback has been battling a nagging shoulder problem all season.
After the playmaker limped off the field late in the second half against the Melbourne Storm on Thursday night, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said his son had aggravated an injury he had been struggling with for months.
“I’m worried,” Cleary said. “It was bad enough that he went off. We’ll get the scans done tomorrow. [Friday].
‘Once we have that, we can look ahead better.’
NRL Physio tweeted The injury to Cleary’s left shoulder was “a recurrence of something he sustained in pre-season,” adding that he “used his hamstring during his rest period to get his shoulder back to normal as well.”
And moments after Cleary suffered the injury in a seemingly innocuous tackle, the NRL physiotherapist said also tweeted their medical expertise: ‘There is not much strength in the mechanism – landing on a straight arm carries risks for instability/subluxation. Had the same injury in my right shoulder in 2021.
“Even if it’s confirmed, the car season isn’t over yet. The best hope is a nerve-burn-like injury.”
Football fans wished Cleary a speedy recovery.
Nathan Cleary reacts after taking a knock to the shoulder in Penrith’s defeat to Melbourne
Scans are set to determine the severity of Nathan Cleary’s left shoulder – after the club confirmed he aggravated an existing injury from pre-season
“All the best Nathan, we are all behind you,” one supporter wrote on social media.
Another posted: ‘Devastated. My heart goes out to him. Just praying he’s ok for the exams. Sending you lots of positive vibes Nathan.’
While the scan results will ultimately tell the story, coach Cleary admitted his team underperformed in the 24-22 defeat, which almost certainly means Melbourne will be a minor premier in 2024.
“I was just disappointed with the tries they scored,” he said.
‘A try after a scrum, and two on the last plays where we just weren’t urgent enough for me.’
Cleary also commented on Tyran Wishart’s try, which he took just past Penrith’s Trent Toelau just before the goal line to level the scores with 20 minutes remaining, calling it the ‘worst leaked try I’ve seen in five years.’
Rival coach Craig Bellamy called the end result “very satisfying” despite a slow start.
“We lost control of the game a little bit and our discipline and defence left something to be desired at times,” he said.
‘Other than that, I thought our guys were great.’