Nathan Cleary in staggering injury revelation after NRL grand final masterclass
The Panthers halfback have made the huge reveal after his grand final performance.
Nathan Cleary has showcased the extent of his gruesome finger injury that threatened his appearance ahead of the NRL preliminary grand final, before the Panthers halfback went on to cement his name in history. Cleary left training early ahead of the preliminary final against the Storm after injuring his finger in training.
The No.7 was taken to hospital for scans but the halfback was cleared of any serious damage. He played in the game against the Storm, which saw the Panthers win comfortably 38-4. Cleary then put on a final 20 minute masterclass in the NRL grand final to help the Panthers win their third-straight premiership title.
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Cleary was praised after his grand final performance and was compared to some of the legends of the game. However, an image shows just how gruesome Cleary's finger injury was two weeks out from the grand final.
The Penrith halfback took a photo of his finger, which was bending in an awkward position after the training mishap. Cleary showed no signs of injury in the following two games, which shows the resilience of the three-time premiership wining champion.
NRL fans were quick to react to the startling image and laud the Panthers leader.
This was the state of Nathan Cleary’s finger after he dislocated it at training last month.
Needed to go to hospital to have it put back in, but was able to play a prelim final 4 days later - good reminder that finger dislocations look nasty but recovery time is usually minimal. pic.twitter.com/tPS1QxFEBM— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) October 17, 2023
Nathan Cleary has shared a picture of the dislocated finger he suffered just days before Penrith’s prelim win over the Storm.
Yikes 🤢 #NRL pic.twitter.com/VMVi3EMMur— Jack Blyth (@jblesfooty224) October 16, 2023
Earlier this month, Cleary was once again selected for the Kangaroos for the upcoming Pacific Tests having helped guide Australia to a World Cup win last year. But he was withdrawn from the squad just 24 hours later after succumbing to the injury. Cleary hurt his knee in a tackle from Payne Haas, putting his grand final masterclass into a whole new perspective.
Jarome Luai undergoes surgery after NRL grand final
Cleary's halves partner Jarome Luai also showcased his post-season surgery on his troublesome shoulder. Luai injured his shoulder against the Eels in the second-last match of the regular season.
Luai returned for the Storm clash, but didn't finish the NRL grand final against the Broncos after re-injuring the shoulder. The Panthers five-eighth ruled himself out of the Pacific Championship with Samoa having undergone surgery.
Shoulder reconstruction surgery done for Jarome Luai - 5 months til Round 1 2024 & a general recovery range of 3-5 months. Good chance he is available to kick off next season pic.twitter.com/l1vySEjMh7
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) October 16, 2023
And the five-eighth revealed he was ready to 'rebuild' after the injury. Brien Seeney, who runs the NRL physio account on social media, revealed Luai should be back between 3-5 months. "Shoulder reconstruction surgery done for Jarome Luai - 5 months til Round 1 2024 & a general recovery range of 3-5 months," he wrote.
"Good chance he is available to kick off next season."
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