Nathan Cleary cleared to play in NRL preliminary final

Penrith say Nathan Cleary has suffered a “stress-related bone issue in his foot”, with the Panthers medical team set to monitor the star halfback in the countdown to their preliminary final against either the Warriors or Newcastle on the weekend of September 25 to 27.

The Panthers received good news on Monday morning when the match review committee charged Cleary with a grade-one dangerous contact for his tackle on Sydney Roosters playmaker Hugo Savala, meaning the playmaker avoided a ban.

The more pressing concern for the title favourites was Cleary’s foot, which he injured late in the 19-12 win over the Roosters.

According to several sports medical experts who spoke on condition of anonymity, Penrith’s description implies Cleary suffered a micro-fracture, and if pushed too hard, could lead to a full fracture. Regardless, bone injuries cannot be treated with painkilling injections.

The Panthers were almost certain Cleary suffered the injury when he tackled Salesi Foketi in the 68th minute. Brian To’o put through a kick for himself, the ball bounced off Billy Smith and into the path of Foketi before a diving Cleary brought him down.

Cleary showed no signs of pain, but returned to the defensive line with a limp. Three minutes later, after slotting a crucial field-goal, Cleary signalled to the trainers on the sideline that he had done some damage to his foot.

Cleary underwent scans in western Sydney just after 11am on Monday, before the club’s medical team started plotting a rehabilitation plan.

The club said via a statement on Monday night: “Cleary sustained a stress-related bone issue in his foot during Sunday afternoon’s Qualifying Final victory over the Sydney Roosters.

“Cleary will continue to be assessed and monitored by the Panthers medical team.”

Fullback Dylan Edwards played with a stress fracture in his foot through the 2021 series, which ended in the first of four straight premierships.

“I just copped a little bump on the foot,” Cleary told Fox League on Sunday after the game. “It was a pretty important kick, so I just wanted Dyl [Edwards] to take it. I wasn’t sure how it would hold up goal-kicking. It was just precautionary.”

Coach Ivan Cleary told reporters in his post-match press conference that “there’s something wrong [with Nathan’s foot] but I don’t know what it is.”

Cleary is no stranger to playing through pain, including in Origin II last year when he suffered a groin strain just days out before the clash with Queensland. He also underwent shoulder surgery after playing in discomfort leading into the club’s first of four titles in 2021.

Penrith’s medical team have helped co-captain Isaah Yeo return to play just a month after he ruptured a pectoral muscle.

Cleary will benefit from the week off as Penrith booked a spot in the preliminary final for a seventh straight year.

They will also welcome the return of playmaker Jack Cogger from suspension for the clash against the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between the Warriors and Knights.

There were fears Cleary would be banned for his hit on Savala which led to him being sin-binned just before half-time on the weekend, with referee Gerard Sutton telling the No. 7: “There’s force in it, it’s very dangerous, and there’s a high risk of injury.”

The MRC based their decision on a similar incident involving Cleary himself when his leg was collected by Wests Tigers’ forward Mavrik Geyer after kicking the ball earlier this year.

Ivan said of Nathan’s challenge on Savala: “He’s just trying to make a play. He’s thinking the right thing there, but the angle was wrong, and under the current rules it is what it is.

“The same thing happened to him down near the goalposts earlier in the game.

“You could tell he was definitely disappointed. Like I said, he was thinking the right thing in terms of trying to make a play at that point – he did the same thing to ‘Burto’ [Matt Burton] last year. Burto is a left-footer, so it was a better angle [to tackle him]. [But] Hugo wasn’t injured.”

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