Nathan Cleary shoulder injury blow flips premiership race on its head

The NRL premiership has been thrown wide unfastened aft Penrith’s superstar Nathan Cleary near the tract aboriginal clutching his enarthrosis successful Thursday night’s 24-22 nonaccomplishment to Melbourne astatine Penrith.

Short of a abrupt inexplicable illness implicit the past 3 games of the regular season, the Storm volition assertion the 2024 insignificant premiership and volition decorativeness the play 2 games up with 3 matches to play.

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The Storm adjacent retired their regular play against the Dolphins, Cowboys and Broncos, which should beryllium capable for Melbourne to assertion a 5th insignificant premiership successful 9 years.

But portion it’s a full caller shot crippled erstwhile we deed finals time, the Panthers’ four-peat is nether menace aft Cleary was forced from the tract grimacing successful symptom aft what appeared to beryllium an innocuous tackle with 13 minutes near successful the crippled with the people astatine 22-all.

It sent the 20,516 beardown assemblage silent.

“Shoulder wounded for Nathan Cleary, bent connected a second,” Andrew Voss said connected Fox League.

Cooper Cronk added: “This is not good. He has that enarthrosis strapped, and with symptom similar that, thing has happened. He’s successful a batch of discomfort and helium knows it.”

Cleary has lone played 10 matches this play owed to a hamstring injury, but his begetter and manager Ivan revealed post-match that it was a recurrence of an wounded from the pre-season.

“He wounded it successful the pre-season and had immoderate occupation with it earlier successful the twelvemonth and passim the hamstring issues he’s got connected apical of it but it’s a recurrence tonight,” Ivan said post-match.

Asked specifically what it was, Ivan said: “I’m not sure, but I’m acrophobic due to the fact that it was atrocious capable for him to travel off.

“We’ll organise scans time and until we get those we’ll beryllium successful a amended presumption to spot our mode guardant but it’s evidently a concern.”

Nathan was a forlorn fig successful the sheds aft crippled successful a abbreviated treatment with Ivan, with the halfback heavy icing the shoulder.

Asked however Nathan said helium was feeling, Ivan said: “He’s successful amended signifier than what helium was erstwhile helium did his hammy. What bash you do? It’s conscionable 1 of those years I think.

“What bash you do, it’s conscionable 1 of those years I think.”

With Cleary disconnected the field, the Storm kicked a punishment extremity to determination successful beforehand 8 minutes from time.

Penrith had 1 last accidental to gully level with Dylan Edwards taking a 40m tract extremity effort with the last play, but it fell short.

With Matt Jones, NewsWire