Nathan Cleary has left Penrith’s clash with the Bulldogs before half time with a suspected reoccurrence of his hamstring injury, throwing Michael Maguire’s NSW Origin plans further into disarray.
The halfback has missed several weeks with the same injury earlier in the year, then returned for the Panthers win against the Cowboys.
He was then rested again last week for the win over South Sydney and brought back tonight, but failed to finish the first half.
Fox League sideline reporter Lara Pitt said Panthers medics described the injury as ‘no good’ at half time and that Cleary himself was ‘devastated’ in the sheds.
If it is a re-injury to the same issue, respected NRL injury commentator Brien Seeney suggested that it would likely not be a quick return. Origin 1 is less than a month away.
It is the second such injury in two days. Tom Trbojevic, a walk-up starter for the Blues, left Manly’s defeat to the Dolphins with a hamstring complaint and had subsequently been ruled out of all three games of Origin.
Cam Murray is also out long term with a hip problem, Ryan Papenhuyzen has broken his ankle and Latrell Mitchell is debating making himself unavailable.
More to follow