- Nathan Cleary out with hamstring injury
- Scans will determine how long Cleary will be out
- Hammer blow for NSW ahead of Origin series opener
- Substitute Brad Schneider will also be out with a knee problem.
They are the undoubted yardstick of the NRL, but Panthers staff, players and fans were left cursing their luck on Friday following injuries to halfbacks Nathan Cleary and substitute Brad Schneider.
While Cleary’s hamstring tweak could prove serious for the NSW Blues ahead of the State of Origin series opener on June 5, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary declared “the show goes on”.
“He’s actually pretty gutted, it’s very disappointing for him. Obviously I’m torn between being his coach and being his dad right now,” the Panthers coach said at the postgame press conference.
“I thought in that first half he was really starting to come into his own.” But yeah, anyway, the show goes on.
Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks with a hamstring injury; He is also expected to miss the Origin series opener on June 5 with NSW.
In a double blow for the Panthers, Brad Schneider was also injured in the NSW Cup opener, leaving the club without two halves.
‘In a way he did it by running, kicking and lunging…’ [then] He felt it right away and knew that would suggest he’s decent.
In the previous NSW Cup clash against the Bulldogs, Schneider, who was recruited by the club in the off-season as Cleary’s back-up, injured his knee after an ugly charging attempt.
Cleary spoke for many Panthers fans when he lamented, “we lost two in one night.”
Scans will determine the severity of Cleary’s hamstring discomfort, and his coach is bracing for some bad news.
He would also not rule out sending the playmaker abroad to work with US-based rehabilitation expert Bill Knowles.
‘It’s a concern, yes, but I’m not qualified to make sure [medical] trials,” Cleary said.
‘WWe’ll treat it on its merits and go from there.’