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.
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.
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 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.
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