Brad Fittler looks set to experience one of the most testing weeks of his State of Origin coaching tenure as he weighs up selecting a halfback replacement for the injured Nathan Cleary.
The NSW No. 7 limped out of Penrith’s 26-18 win over St George Illawarra and is set to undergo scans on his left hamstring on Monday.
The initial diagnosis from the Panthers was that the playmaker had suffered a low-grade tear, with his father Ivan describing his chance of playing Game II as “very unlikely”.
Cleary cut a forlorn figure on the sidelines at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday and Fittler is likely to be experiencing similar feelings as the Blues bid to save the series on June 21 in Brisbane.
“It’s disappointing for him because he loves playing for Penrith, he’s a key factor for us performing well,” said Panthers lock Isaah Yeo.
It’s the same as Origin, it’s disappointing because he’s worked so hard on his game.
“That’s footy sometimes, you have those unlucky moments.
“But what I do know is that he’ll attack his rehab better than anyone.”
Jack Cogger did an admirable job slotting in when Cleary went off against the Panthers and Fittler will spend the next week agonising over who steps in to fill the void at Origin level.
Cronulla’s Nicho Hynes, Parramatta No. 7 Mitchell Moses and Brisbane halfback Adam Reynolds are all possible candidates to replace Cleary if his scans show a tear.
All three have experience within the Blues set-up, with Hynes debuting off the bench in last week’s series opener in Adelaide.
Moses won his sole Blues cap in 2021 while Reynolds last featured for NSW in 2016.
Cleary’s absence may force a spine shake-up with Jarome Luai’s berth as the No. 6 possibly up in the air with his Panthers’ teammate unavailable.
The Blues must win in Brisbane to have a shot at sealing the series in Game III in Sydney on July 12.
“Clez’s job is to direct us and tell us where to go,” said Penrith winger Brian To’o.
“Whether he plays or not, I’m sure whoever steps up will get the job done.
“Nicho is definitely someone who takes a lot of pride in playing footy and he can live up to the jersey and do his job for the team.”
