The Panthers managed to get by without their star halfback Nathan Cleary for the last two months, but now the championship winners will finally get their man back in time for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.

The representative star, Cleary, has only made five appearances in 2024 because to a significant hamstring injury, the second he has had this season. His most recent setback was in round 10 against Canterbury.

Though he has missed the entire State of Origin series due to an injury, he is expected to return this week, and his teammates are eager to have him back because they believe some of their Blues players may be resting.

Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny stated, “I’m definitely hoping (he plays this week), but it’s one of those things that we wouldn’t want to rush.”

“No matter what, he always puts in a lot of effort at work.”

“Being a football player who has missed a lot of the season, he would be itching to get out there.

“He’s been excellent with the guys. Although it would have been quite stressful for him on the inside, it appears that he is tracking fairly good, and maybe this week he’ll be back out performing his greatest work.

Although the Penrith hero hasn’t been able to make his typical effect on the field, he has been crucial during training and video sessions, where his younger colleagues have benefited from his attention to detail.

Jack Cole, who had only participated in one NRL game prior to this one, claimed that after spending more time with the injured halfback in 2024, his perspective on football had completely altered.

He has a distinct perspective on the game compared to others. “He seems to be playing at a different pace from everyone else, as if he’s playing in slow motion, especially during training,” the young half remarked.
“Even the terminology he employs to talk about football is really different. You can learn a great deal from him simply by listening to him when you’re in the same room as him. You don’t even need to ask questions.

“I hope to be learning from him for a very long time because he’s next level.”

Despite my youth, I’ve been making an effort to learn that language and incorporate it into my work.

When you listen to Cleary, you’re always noticing small details that you wouldn’t ordinarily notice.

“When you first start, you probably don’t think the game is that complex, but that’s precisely why he excels—he pays attention to all the little details that build up to the overall picture.