- The halfback was injured in training on Monday
- Was taken to hospital, must undergo another session
- The Panthers face the Melbourne Storm for a place in the grand final
The Panthers have confirmed star halfback Nathan Cleary has been sent to hospital for tests on an injured finger, but are adamant there is “no doubt” for Friday’s preliminary final against Storm.
Cleary was injured in training on Monday and the NRL club decided to send him for precautionary scans which cleared him of any serious damage.
Cleary (pictured running with the ball during the Panthers’ win over the Warriors in the qualifying final) was taken to hospital for tests.
The superstar halfback injured his finger during the team’s practice on Monday
The premiership-winning halfback will have to sit out Wednesday’s main training session, but the Panthers are confident he will be fit to face the Storm.
It’s a small setback for the defending champions who were tested after winning the bye week following their final qualifying victory over the Warriors.
Izack Tago (pec) remains doubtful for the match at Stade Accor, while five-eighth Jarome Luai is on track to return from a dislocated shoulder suffered less than a month ago.
He trained well on Sunday morning, although Jack Cogger is ready to play if necessary.
Cleary is widely regarded as the best half-back in the game and losing him to injury would be a major blow to the reigning premiers.
Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai (pictured) had a lot of strapping on his shoulder in training but is expected to play in Melbourne on Friday night.
“When it first happened I thought the worst because it was a pretty ugly injury,” teammate Liam Martin said.
“But when it turned out he had a chance to come back because it wasn’t as bad as they initially thought, I knew he would do everything in his power to play .
“That’s exactly what he did. He did physical therapy around the clock and worked so hard to get his shoulder back to good condition.
