By Dan Walsh and Robert Dillon
Penrith are confident NSW Origin stars Nathan Cleary and Brian To’o will line up against ladder-leaders Canterbury in a move that eases concern for their own top-eight run and the Blues’ series defence.
Neither Cleary nor To’o travelled to New Zealand for Saturday’s stirring 28-18 upset of the in-form Warriors, with the pair carrying respective groin and hamstring issues into last Wednesday’s Origin II loss to Queensland.
Cleary injured his groin at NSW’s final training session last Tuesday and gave up goalkicking duties after feeling a “pop” and playing hampered throughout the 26-24 defeat.
The Panthers’ five Origin players will report in-person to the club on Monday after four days’ rest, with recovery the sole focus for Ivan Cleary’s side given the Origin impact and five-day turnaround from Saturday’s win in Auckland.
Based on NSW medical correspondence with the club and feedback from Cleary and To’o themselves, Penrith are expecting both to play in the critical Thursday night clash against the Bulldogs. Neither Cleary nor To’o have been sent for scans on their respective injuries.
The fact Cleary strained his adductor at the Blues’ captain’s run but was able to play a day later had both the star No.7 and veteran NSW medico Nathan Gibbs anticipating he will be near full-capacity with an eight-day lay-off into the Canterbury clash.
Who would be the next NSW playmaker if there is a fresh injury to Nathan Cleary or Jarome Luai?Credit: Stephen Kiprillis/SMH
NSW coach Laurie Daley will choose his game-three squad at the end of round 17, which would mean Cleary and To’o would have played one game in the three weeks between Origins if they take on the Bulldogs.
Options including perennial 18th man Matt Burton, rising stars Isaiya Katoa and Luke Metcalf, and veteran Broncos half Adam Reynolds have all been floated to partner Jarome Luai for NSW were Cleary to be struck down for the July 9 Origin decider.
Immortal Andrew Johns cautioned against Cleary pushing his groin injury based on personal experience, having struggled at a similar age with adductor complaints that took 18 months and four operations to fully heal.
Fellow playmakers Brad Fittler and Cameron Munster are among those in the game to have weathered groin injuries exacerbated by a lifetime of kicking motions and countless hours practising.
Nathan Cleary’s fitness in Origin II was an issue.Credit: Getty Images
“When you’re carrying those groins, as ‘Freddy’ [Brad Fittler] and myself would know, it’s in the back of your mind that if you’re going to take off or surge through a tackle, it’s going to go ‘pop’,” Johns said.
Meanwhile, Panthers back-rower Scott Sorenson is facing a two-game suspension for a hip-drop tackle on Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Watene-Zelezniak was forced from the field with an ankle injury from the tackle and is awaiting scan results, with a lengthy recovery time-frame expected.
Sorenson is also set to cop an $1800 fine for a careless high tackle on Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Ivan Cleary stopped short of declaring Penrith have turned the corner with the Warriors win, after an inexplicable five-game losing streak earlier in the season threatened to cruel their premiership defence.
After the Bulldogs, Penrith play stragglers Parramatta (away), South Sydney (home), Wests Tigers (home), Gold Coast (away) and Newcastle (away) in a run that could kick-start a run into the finals.
They finish their regular-season campaign with Melbourne (home), Canberra (home), the Bulldogs (away) and St George Illawarra (away).
“There’s such a long way to go,” Cleary said.
“We’ll finish where we deserve. Our performances at the start of the year didn’t deserve to win games, and we weren’t.
“I think we’ve learnt a few things and turned the corner in that sense, about how we prepare ourselves, and we’re playing a better brand of footy, so at least we’re giving ourselves a chance.”
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