'Devastating' Cleary injury deepens Blues injury crisis

By Damien McCartney and Lachlan Harper

The horror run of injuries for Blues superstars has continued with Nathan Cleary coming from the field early in his side's win against the Bulldogs.

Cleary pulled up ginger from a kick, and immediately shook his head to a Panthers trainer. After the Panthers scored in the next set, he went straight up the player's race to the dressing rooms.

"It has to be soft tissue because there's no limp so he's felt something," Cooper Cronk said on Fox League.

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At half time, it was confirmed to be the same hamstring that has plagued the NRL's biggest star all season.

On Thursday night, Tom Trbojevic suffered his own hamstring injury and is expected to play no part in the State of Origin series.

Cleary missed six games in 2023 after suffering a grade two hamstring tear in Origin III. Then in March, he suffered a small tear against the Broncos and missed a month of footy.

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He returned in round eight against the Cowboys, but was a late withdrawal against the Rabbitohs last week.

Mick Ennis described it as a "devastating blow."

"What a 24 hours it's been for Michael Maguire – Tom Trbojevic hamstring injury, now Nathan Cleary on the back of Ryan Papenhuyzen last week ... there's been some real disruptions heading towards the representative part of the season."

Mitchell Moses is also unlikely to be unavailable to Maguire, as will Adam Reynolds.

Origin squads will be picked on May 27, ahead of Game I on June 5.

The Panthers led 12-0 when Cleary departed the field just before half-time.

Canterbury continued to trouble the home side in the second half but ultimately the premiers held on for a 16-10 victory. 

Post-match, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary revealed his son was "shattered".

"It's very disappointing for him. I'm a bit torn between being his coach and his dad at the moment, it's very disappointing especially since I thought in that first half he was really starting to come into his own but anyway the shoe goes on," he said.

"We'll have to get a scan and see the damage and go from there.

"He did a kick and was diving and I think it was to tackle Connor Tracey, he just felt it straight away ... that would suggest it's decent."

The coach went on to say the halfback had been training for two weeks without it being an "ongoing" problem.

"I'm very confident in our medical department, we've been very good for a long period time," he added before admitting the reoccurring injury is a "concern".