The Penrith coach has been hit with more unwanted headaches after their win over the Warriors.
Ivan Cleary has made the worrying admission that he isn’t sure of the exact extent of Nathan’s groin injury because his son has been “ghosting” him. The Panthers coach said after his side’s remarkable win over the Warriors on Saturday that he doesn’t think Nathan’s injury is too serious, but he hasn’t really spoken to him about it.
Cleary suffered a groin injury in State of Origin camp with NSW, and wasn’t able to kick goals in the Game 2 loss to Queensland. The halfback got through the game, but avoided doing much kicking in the first half.
Coach and father Ivan doesn’t believe the issue is anything overly serious, but he’s not exactly sure either. “I don’t really have any more of an update,” Ivan said on Saturday night. “He got injured the day before the game and played and finished the game. I don’t think it’s a major thing, but he’s been ‘ghosting’ me so I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him about it.”
Ivan made the ‘ghosting’ comment with a smile on his face, and it sparked laughter from reporters at the press conference. But the confession won’t exactly fill Panthers fans with confidence.
After surging into the top-eight with a stunning 28-18 win over the Warriors despite missing five Origin players, the Panthers face their toughest test in Round 17 against the first-placed Bulldogs. Cleary’s status for that game remains unknown, but he might be kept on ice before teams for Origin 3 are picked at the end of next weekend.
Panthers lose Scott Sorensen to another suspension
The Panthers have a timely bye in Round 18, but Ivan might opt to rest Nathan in Round 19 after Origin 3 as well. It would be a hammer blow for the four-time defending champions to lose their star halfback, and he’d join four-time premiership-winner Scott Sorensen on the sidelines.
The second-rower has been hit with a second suspension of the season after copping a grade-two dangerous contact charge for a hip-drop tackle that injured Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. Sorensen has been handed a two-game suspension and will miss matches against the Bulldogs and Eels.
Sorensen wasn’t penalised on-field for the tackle, which left Watene-Zelezniak with a syndesmosis injury. The Panthers scored their second try of the game while the winger was hobbling in back-play and unable to defend in position.
The Panthers might opt to challenge Sorense’s suspension at the NRL judiciary, but he risks missing a further match against South Sydney if unsuccessful. A challenge appears unlikely given the 32-year-old has already lost one judiciary hearing this season.
Sorensen also received a grade-one careless high tackle charge for a shot on Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad on Saturday, but can accept an $1800 fine. The game in Auckland was Sorensen’s third match back from a three-game suspension he received for a shoulder charge on Manly forward Nathan Brown.
The Kiwi international was among the Panthers’ best in Saturday’s boilover, scoring two tries including the go-ahead four-pointer in the second half. He also made the try-saving tackle that saved the Panthers in their previous win over the Wests Tigers.
