Nathan Cleary’s Painful Journey Through Origin Game 1
Nathan Cleary, the halfback for New South Wales, faced a challenging period following Game 1 of the State of Origin series. The days after the match were particularly tough for him, as he struggled to sit or lie down comfortably. Immediately after the 22-20 victory, Cleary spent time drinking beer with his father and Penrith Panthers coach, Ivan Cleary, and chose not to speak much about the events that had transpired.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Cleary will receive a painkilling injection before the upcoming match in Melbourne. This is due to a hip pointer injury he has been concealing, which was caused during the first game.
The injury occurred when Addin Fonua-Blake collided with Cleary’s left hip while they both tackled Harry Grant in the 15th minute of the game. The Blues’ medical team only became aware of the issue during halftime when Cleary requested a needle and a protective pad before returning to the field.
Blues’ doctor Nathan Gibbs explained the nature of the injury: “He suffered a direct blow to iliac crest on the pelvic bone, and the abdominal muscles attached to that; there was also a tear to his abdominal core, which the scans confirmed.”
Panthers chief physio Pete Green described the extent of the bruising as “the size of a soccer ball, and every colour under the sun.” Cleary admitted that he didn’t realize the cause of the injury at the time. He recalled, “I thought it was given the way I felt afterwards. I didn’t even know it was Addin’s head at the time [that caused the damage]. All I remember was it was pretty sore. I got to half-time, got it needled, and it was sweet.”
Cleary emphasized that he wasn’t considering leaving the field. “It wasn’t even on my mind. I just hoped, at half-time, the needle would work, and it did. You never want to give away any cues to the opposition. It was good we had the week off – that definitely helped. I’m just lucky to have the physios and medical staff we have at NSW and Penrith – they put so much work into me.”
This isn’t the first time Cleary has dealt with a hip pointer this season. He revealed that he had a previous injury to his right hip earlier in the year, which was painful at the time. However, by his own admission, it paled in comparison to the pain he experienced during the Origin match.
