Nathan Cleary out for 10 weeks

[Mr Invisible]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/03/24...ack-nathan-cleary-expected-to-miss-ten-weeks/

The Penrith Panthers' horror run of injuries to start the season has continued with halfback Nathan Cleary set to spend 10 weeks on the sidelines after scans revealed grade three medial ligament damage on Saturday.

Cleary failed to return to the paddock after half-time in Friday night's two-point loss to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs with initial fears the injury was only a minor 2-4 week setback for the 20-year-old.

The promising No.7 is now all but ruled out of State of Origin I contention with limited game time leading into the three-game series set to affect his chances of a representative debut.

The news comes as the Panthers battle an injury crisis early in the season having lost Sam McKendry (ACL), Tim Browne (bowel) and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (jaw) in the past week.

Panthers utility Tyrone Peachey could replace Cleary in the halves, while Tyrone May is close to a return from a knee reconstruction in the off season.

....

Panthers season in trouble now... he's key to it.

 

[Freakzilla]

Burning, wanted him to be the NSW halfback.

 

[Heckler]

Now J Reynolds comes in. No excuses now Josh.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Luke Brooks ??

Nah it'll be the same old Pearce and Maloney crap..

 

[FaceBreaker]

Great, we are stuck with that dog fucker as nsw half again.

 

[Raikkonen]

Poor bloke's Origin chances gone for this year

 

[The 2nd Spitter]

Mitchell Pearce is like herpes......we can’t get rid of him!

 

[KiwiDog7]

I guess I won’t be watching Cleary debut in Melbourne then

 

[The 2nd Spitter]

I am trying to envisage a scenario where NSW win without Cleary.......I’m sorry it’s just not coming to me at

 

[Moedogg]

Mitch Moses (if he can find some form) with Maloney at Halfback.

 

[The 2nd Spitter]

Qld will match NSW in the forwards this year. 3-0

 

[Alan79]

The referees will decide the origin series with some shitty calls applying rules to one team and not the other. It won't really matter who plays in the halves. Just saying.

 

[Wolfmother]

That's a lot of bad luck for penrith especially Nathan who was favourite for NSW . It's a hell of a game for injuries

 

[Mr Invisible]

Meh if Cleary is out (and he's overrated anyway imho), there are others that can fill his shoes in SOO.

 

[Como Dog]

Luke Brooks ??

Nah it'll be the same old Pearce and Maloney crap..

... and another series loss as a result :-(

 

[Wahesh]

... and another series loss as a result :-(

Well the loss of Cleary is leveled by the simultaneous rep retirement of Thurston and Cronk.

 

[The 2nd Spitter]

Well the loss of Cleary is leveled by the simultaneous rep retirement of Thurston and Cronk.

Munster and Morgan are better than any NSW half.

 

[Como Dog]

Well the loss of Cleary is leveled by the simultaneous rep retirement of Thurston and Cronk.

That is a massive bonus but i still worry with Pearce there given Qld still has far better depth in the halves.

 

[Wahesh]

Just remember last time the blues won a series, it was the Bulldogs halves who got the job done.

 

[alchemist]

i think there has to be a recognition on the part of NSW selectors that Pearce can no longer be a part of the Origin set up... obviously, QLD have had a fantastic generation of players that have led to a dominance unseen before and will never be seen again... and the failures of NSW in not being able to win more than the one solitary Origin series win in eleven during that period must be spread across much of the senior playing group (eg. Farah, Gallen etc.) and coaching and not just Pearce

but two things stand out for me... firstly, the one year NSW did win, Pearce did not play and the team was led around by a limited Trent Hodkinson... secondly, Pearce has played more games for NSW at halfback then anyone else and he has NO series wins to his name... it is almost impossible for me to comprehend as a NSW fan that among all those champion halfbacks we have had (Mortimer, Sterling, Stuart, Johns), it is Pearce that has been given the most opportunities in the once famed no. 7 sky blue jersey

i'm being harsh with this, but Pearce at a representative level reeks of failure and needs to be jettisoned

i would be willing to take Mitchell Moses over Pearce at this point... i would be willing to rely on an untested Cleary just back from an injury than go back to Pearce... if nothing else, Maloney at 7, with Moylan at 6