Report: Luke Keary came out clearly to show his worth in a suprising manner…..read more.
Ahead of the Origin series, Keary’s exceptional play coincides with an injury issue in NSW.
Following yet another outstanding performance for the hot-taking Roosters in their 38-18 victory over the Warriors on Sunday, Luke Keary has been supported to respond to a State of Origin SOS for NSW. Following Nathan Cleary’s sad injury announcement and the possibility that the three-time premiership-winning Penrith halfback would miss the entire Origin series due to a hamstring strain, Keary put on another outstanding performance.
The Panthers announced on Sunday that scan findings indicated that Cleary had sustained a grade two hamstring injury during Friday night’s 16-10 NRL victory over the Bulldogs. This implies that the great halfback will probably miss six to eight weeks of action, which would virtually eliminate him from the Origin series, which begins in Sydney on June 5.
The setback to Cleary presents another challenge for Blues coach Michael Maguire, who has already had two other potential NSW Origin players ruled out due to hamstring and hip flexor strains: Tom Trbojevic and Cameron Murray. After suffering a fracture to his left foot in the round three victory over Manly, Mitchell Moses hasn’t played in the NRL. He will be fighting to be selected before the series starts.
Due to a strained bicep, veteran halfback Adam Reynolds will miss the most of the Broncos season. Meanwhile, Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes missed Cronulla’s round 10 victory over Melbourne due to a calf issue, but he is anticipated to participate in Saturday’s Magic Round matchup against the Roosters. After playing alongside Moses in the Blues’ triumphant Game III last year, Cody Walker is another possible halves option for Maguire’s team. However, Walker’s performance for the struggling Rabbitohs in 2023 has been lackluster, and Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai appears to have dropped out of the NSW team’s lineup.
All of this leaves the highly effective Keary—who declared this year would be his final in the NRL before retiring—as a surprising candidate to play in just his second Origin match following his 2020 debut. In addition, current Blues captain James Tedesco praised his Roosters teammate’s play and stated that, should he be chosen, he would “fit in” well with the NSW squad.
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A terrible NRL setback for Nathan Cleary has left the Blues facing a halfback crisis.
After re-injuring his hamstring against the Bulldogs, Cleary will be out for six to eight weeks.
Scans have shown that Nathan Cleary sustained a grade two hamstring tear during the Panthers’ 16-10 victory against the Bulldogs on Friday night, allaying the anxieties of Penrith and NSW Blues supporters. Due to his injury, the Penrith half is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action in the State of Origin series.
After having scans late on Saturday night, the Panthers learned officially on Sunday how serious Cleary’s injury was. Penrith is anticipated to play their superstar conservatively, which means he will probably miss the next two months of playing.
When the Panthers star suddenly pulled up chasing his own kick in the first half of the game against the Bulldogs, he knew instantly that his night was gone. He reached for his hamstring and left the field. This season, Cleary has only played in five games due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in the third round.
Because they understood the halfback’s indispensability to the team, the team adopted a cautious approach with him at the time, but it was still insufficient to prevent their top player from re-injuring the same hamstring. The identical injury that will keep Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic out of action for the next two months is a grade two tear.
Michael Maguire had trouble choosing the Blues because of NRL injuries.
Not only is Cleary’s injury bad news for the Panthers, but it also presents a bit of a halves dilemma for the Blues. There is currently no clear winner for the NSW No. 6 and No. 7 jerseys.
With both the No. 6 and No. 7 jerseys up for grabs, Nicho Hynes, Mitch Moses, Jarome Luai, Cody Walker, and Matt Burton are probably in the running for slots. For new Blues coach Michael Maguire, it has been a nightmare weekend as numerous players have sustained injuries that appear to have cost them a spot in Origin.
Normally, Moses would be the obvious choice to replace Cleary, but a foot ailment has kept the Parramatta playmaker out of action for the past several weeks. The Parramatta halfback is not guaranteed to play against Melbourne on Sunday, but he may make a comeback from a foot injury.
