Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has revealed son Nathan will share kicking duties when he makes his return from a hamstring injury on Sunday afternoon.
Cleary is preparing for his first game since he suffered a grade two tear in a Round 10 win over the Bulldogs that forced him out of the entire State of Origin series.
The Penrith star is one of a host of high-profile halves set to return to the field this weekend, with Jamal Fogerty named for the Raiders and Adam Reynolds listed in the reserves for the Broncos.
Cleary senior said his son was disappointed when the injury occurred but has been impressed with the way he's worked to get back on the field for Sunday's clash with the Dolphins.
"When he did it he wanted to make sure he ticked every box on the way back and he's done that so he's pretty hungry," Cleary said.
"I've got to try and help him understand he's going to have to work back in and the rest of the team can't just expect him to come back and do everything. In the past he's come back from injury fairly strongly so I'm hoping that's the case."
The recent tear is the third hamstring injury Cleary has suffered throughout the past 18 months, prompting concerns over the long-term impact on his career.
Match: Panthers v Dolphins
Round 20 -
home Team
Panthers
2nd Position
away Team
Dolphins
6th Position
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
The Panthers have taken a conservative approach to their halfback's recovery, with his time on the sidelines extending to 10 weeks after they opted against rushing him back before last week's bye.
While Cleary has carried a heavy load on the field for Penrith throughout the past few years, Ivan said his son has had to make a number of small changes to his game ahead of Sunday's return.
Five-eighth Jarome Luai will take on a greater share of the kicking while their Panthers teammates have been urged to give their halfback space to work his way back to his best.
"We've looked into just about everything we can," Cleary said. "We've got as much info as we could and spoke to our own medical staff because they know him better than anyone and he knows himself quite well.
"We've left no stone unturned and we've changed a few things but we haven't thrown everything out either.
"He's been doing a lot of stuff behind the scenes, strength work, nothing too groundbreaking. We've got full faith in our medical staff, they've done a great job with him and I'm looking forward to seeing him get back out there."
Cleary's return comes as the Panthers prepare to take a cautious approach with their State of Origin stars. Dylan Edwards and Isaah Yeo have been rested, while Luai, Brian To'o and Liam Martin have been listed in the reserves.
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has named Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Felise Kaufusi while the Cowboys have listed all five of their Origin players in the reserves.
Check out Nathan Cleary's first hit out of the year
Roosters coach Trent Robinson has selected his four representative players, with Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i also preparing to make his return from a four-game suspension.
Cleary, like most coaches, will be waiting until after Wednesday night's decider before he maps out a firm plan for Sunday's match but said the loss to the Cowboys after Origin II will not factor into his decision.
"We have a plan to start an Origin series," he said. "We've been fortunate enough to have gone through this for a few years in a row now. We have a plan but there's a lot of contingencies that go with that.
"This week's game is as big as it gets. We'll wait until the end of this game on Wednesday then we'll go into our contingencies depending on how it goes."
Cleary was joined by Panthers legend Royce Simmons on Tuesday afternoon for the launch of his third Big Walk.
Simmons focused on fundraising after dementia diagnosis
The former Penrith captain will cover 300 kilometres on a route that takes him to all nine Sydney clubs as he raises awareness and funds for dementia.
Simmons was diagnosed with dementia in 2022 and Cleary said his battle has inspired his team on and off the field.
"Royce is a club legend," Cleary said. "What he's been doing for dementia and helping to provide awareness, it inspires us that he's using something that's quite damaging and fearful for him but turning into a positive.
"It shows the sort of person Royce is and inspires all our boys to get out there and do our best for our community. This is the great thing about rugby league, it's a great vehicle to be able to provide information and to be able to help people in the community who are struggling."
