New coach Michael Maguire’s plans are in disarray NSW halfback Nathan Cleary could miss the entire State of Origin series after scans confirmed a grade-two hamstring injury that will sideline him for eight weeks.
The champion Penrith playmaker re-injured his right hamstring in Penrith’s 16-10 win over Canterbury on Friday night in a devastating blow for the Blues, who have a number of key players sidelined through injury.
Cleary left the field just before half-time after hurting the hamstring for a second time is as many months, with the Panthers issuing a statement on Sunday confirming the diagnosis.
“Scans revealed a grade 2 hamstring tear which will see Cleary ruled out for eight weeks,” the club said in a statement.
It means Cleary is set to miss Origin I at Accor Stadium in Sydney on June 5 and the second game at the MCG on June 26 while he’s no certainty to be available for game three in Brisbane on July 17.
Cleary would have been a certain selection for new NSW coach Michael Maguire, while another Blues halves option Nicho Hynes sat out Cronulla’s win over Melbourne on Saturday night with a calf injury.
Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton and Panthers pivot Jarome Luai are also in the selection mix for Maguire in his first game in charge since taking over from Brad Fittler.
Hynes told Fox League that he was confident of doing well if given another chance by the Blues after a brief cameo off the bench last year in game one.
“It’s going to be a day-to-day process and it would have been too much of a risk today but hopefully I can get up for next week,” he said.
“I’ve just been focusing the Sharks and getting us at the top of the ladder and I feel like I’ve done a really good job to get us into that position, helped by my teammates.”
The Sharks said it was more of a precautionary move and they were hopeful he would be available for their Magic Round clash with the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night in Brisbane.
“We haven’t had a great deal of time to assess it but I’d suggest it’s not significant though so he’s a good chance (for next week),” Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said post-match.
Mitch Moses would ordinarily be the frontrunner to replace two-time Clive Churchill medallist Cleary, but the Parramatta playmaker has his own injury woes.
Moses may return from a foot injury against Melbourne next Sunday, but is far from a certainty to play.
Meanwhile, Manly and Blues backline gun Tom Trbojevic is also expected to be unavailable for seven weeks with a hamstring injury.
Storm star Ryan Papenhuzyen was a chance of being a bench utility for the Blues but he is out again with a broken leg while Cameron Murray’s hip injury means Maguire will need reinforcements in his pack.
For the Panthers, Cleary’s absence has been compounded by understudy Brad Schneider also being sidelined with a knee injury, meaning Luai is likely to take on a new role as chief playmaker alongside rookie Jack Cole.
“We’ve certainly got high hopes for Coley,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.
Cleary has contended with a troublesome right hamstring for the majority of the season, first injuring it during the round-three win over Brisbane and spending a month on the sidelines.
The Panthers rested Cleary the week after he returned to face North Queensland in round eight, only for the 26-year-old to aggravate the injury in the next game he played.
Coach Cleary stood by the decision to play his son against the Bulldogs, saying all indications were he had overcome the injury.
“He’s basically done every session for two weeks without any drama. Obviously he’s done it again, so that’s a problem, but it hasn’t been an ongoing thing,” Cleary said.
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