The Penrith Panthers have confirmed Nathan Cleary will miss the round 3 clash with the Newcastle Knights as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.
James Fisher-Harris and Liam Martin, both members of Penrith’s 2021 premiership team, have also been ruled out of Saturday’s game with shoulder and leg injuries respectively.
Cleary underwent shoulder surgery in the off-season and missed the Panthers’ first two games of 2022 but was named on an extended bench to face the Knights in Bathurst, meaning he xjmtzywwas a chance to make his return to the NRL on Saturday.
However, Penrith confirmed on Thursday that the 2021 Clive Churchill medallist would be given at least another week to return to full fitness.
The Panthers took a similarly conservative approach to Cleary’s shoulder in the lead-up to the 2021 finals series.
Cleary injured his shoulder playing for NSW in the State of Origin series and missed almost two months of football before returning in the lead-up to the finals.
The Knights, meanwhile, are set to welcome back injured Origin stars of their own for the clash with Penrith. Both Kalyn Ponga and Daniel Saifiti will line up in the Knights’ 17 to take on the premiers.
Newcastle and Penrith are two of only four teams that remain undefeated after the first two rounds of the 2022 NRL season.
Considered a chance to drop out of the top eight this year now that halfback Mitchell Pearce has left the club, the Knights have already proven doubters wrong.
The Novocastrians comfortably defeated premiership fancies the Sydney Roosters in the first week of the premiership and slaughtered a hapless Wests Tigers outfit in round 2.
Without marquee man Cleary to steer the ship, the Panthers have toppled the Sea Eagles and Dragons to get their title defence off to a strong start.
