Panthers coach Ivan Cleary reveals the painful dilemma he faced when son Nathan was involved in an incident that left footy fans stunned

• Panthers playmaker was injured just one month before NRL finals 
• Fans were left in shock as he was assisted from the field in pain 
• Incident left his father Ivan in two minds with the game still on the line 

• Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has revealed just how challenging it was to separate duties on the field and his feelings as a father when he saw star Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary forced from the field.

  The three-time premiership-winning coach was visibly gutted for his son who was forced off in the second half of last Thursday’s loss to the Storm with a shoulder injury that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season.

  Nathan has avoided surgery in a bid to be back in time for the finals.

  

  ‘It’s not that easy,’ he said.

  ‘Certainly, on the weekend, I guess there was a cross between understanding the relevance to the team and where we are in the season (but) also as his dad just knowing how shattered he’d be.

  ‘There was a bit of a moment there where I had to get myself back in the present and focus on what I was doing, so it’s hard.

  ‘Injuries are definitely hard. Just playing and that, it’s pretty easy to separate (being father and coach), but I don’t think you can separate it in that sense.

• READ MORE….
• Nathan Cleary off with a left shoulder injury.Not much force in the mechanism – landing on outstretched arm brings concern for instability/subluxation, had same injury to right shoulder in 2021. Even if confirmed not auto season over. Best case hope is nerve burner type injury.

• The halfback has played just 10 matches this season due to a couple of serious hamstring injuries, with this latest shoulder setback another blow to Penrith’s hopes of winning a fourth-straight title.

  The shoulder instability is a recurrence of an injury Nathan had earlier in the year that the club managed to keep a secret, with rival teams set to target the champion playmaker when he returns.

  ‘He’s OK. He’s obviously disappointed, but the scans definitely could have been worse. There’s some hope there, so it’s much better than if there was none,’ his coach said.

  ‘It (the pre-season injury) was fairly significant at the time. I remember thinking that it’s not a good thing to be going into a very long season with that.

  ‘That was in the lead-up to the World Club Challenge, but he got through that and has had more time while being out with the hamstrings to strengthen that.

  ‘For the most part, he’s had no dramas with that.’

  The Panthers are fighting to hold on to second spot following their loss to the Storm last week, with the premiers to also be without suspended hooker Mitch Kenny for the trip to Canberra on Saturday.

  It’s nothing new for Penrith who have been without stars like Cleary, Dylan Edwards and James Fisher-Harris for long stretches this season but have found a way to stay in the top two.

  ‘It’s been quite a disruptive year for us as a team,’ Cleary said.

  ‘We’ve had guys coming in and out whether it’s injury or suspension or Origin all year, pretty much. I guess we’re used to it.

  ‘We’re basically ready for it, no matter what happens for the rest of the year.’