‘I don't think it's too serious': Panthers provide Nathan Cleary update ahead of rare match in New Zealand

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary doesn't think his son's groin issue is 'too serious', with the champion halfback expected to be fine to take his place in the side for next Thursday's showdown with the Bulldogs.
Nathan Cleary battled a groin complaint in Wednesday's second Origin clash, with the NSW No.7 forced to wear a compression sleeve on his right leg.
Cleary didn't kick goals and was kept quiet in the first half, only for the four-time premiership winner to take control as the Blues chased points in a dramatic final 40 minutes.
The injury caught everyone off guard, but it's not considered serious at this stage.
Cleary was always going to miss Penrith's trip to New Zealand for Saturday's game against the Warriors, with all five of their Origin stars rested, including hat-trick hero Brian To'o, who overcame a hamstring injury to dominate in Perth.
'Nathan had that little groin injury. I'm not too sure how he's going at the moment, but I don't think it's too serious,' Ivan Cleary said in Auckland.
'Bizza (To'o) went into the game with a bit of a hamstring issue but he's come out pretty good.'
The undermanned Panthers can jump back inside the top eight with an upset win across the ditch in what will be their first match in Auckland since 2019.
Isaah Yeo was still playing in the centres back then, James Maloney was halfback and James Fisher-Harris was still at the club as they overcame two sin bins to win 19-18.
Cleary, who used to coach the Warriors, voiced his frustrations recently at the timing of this away trip after Origin that forced him to rest his Blues players given the hectic travel schedule.
But he's moved on ahead of two massive matches in five days against a couple of top-four teams coached by two of his former assistants.
'It's disappointing for the New Zealand fans because we haven't played here for six years, so they haven't seen any of our team through that pretty good period,' he said.
'That's a little unfortunate, but I know it must be difficult trying to work out the draw, and everyone has their own hardluck stories.'

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Daily Telegraph

41 minutes ago

• Daily Telegraph

AFL world roasts Geelong Cats T-shirt stunt in Patrick Dangerfield 350th against Brisbane Lion at GMHBA Stadium

Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Geelong's unique move to fill the stadium with white T-shirts for the club's big clash with the Brisbane Lions may not have drawn the response the Cats were seeking. Billed as 'a sight to behold' and a 'slice of history' on the Geelong website, the Cats covered every seat at GMHBA Stadium with what they described as 'a free collectable T-shirt' for the Friday night blockbuster. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. It's a move that is often used in American sports and can have a strong look when everyone in the crowd is kitted out in the same colour. Both the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder have adopted the move during their clash in the NBA Finals. On a night when the club was also celebrating captain Patrick Dangerfield's 350th AFL game, the commentators were certainly getting into the spirit. Bailey Smith in one of the white T-shirts handed out to the crowd. Photos: Getty Images 'They have kitted out the Cattery with the white T-shirts on every seat, inspiration drawn from the NBA and college football in the US,' Gerard Whateley said on Fox Footy. 'It is quite the sight down the highway as the local heroes emerge. 'Patrick Dangerfield said one of his favourite parts of this would be (his children) Winnie, 'Flip' and George joining him to run through the banner. 'All the kids now fully aware of what they're part of, his place in Geelong lore, which grows tonight, game 350 … on a special night in the way that it shapes.' The fans appeared to be enjoying their moment, with many donning the shirts and a number of others waving them in the air on a cold night in Geelong. The Lions added a splash of colour to the occasion. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Nearly all of the OKC Thunder fans followed the memo during the NBA Finals. (Photo by) The Lions may not have got the memo, however, as the premiers made a hot start bidding for a first victory at Kardinia Park since they won five straight from 1998 to 2003. They have lost 13 consecutive games at the ground since then, yet they jumped out of the blocks with the game's first four goals. By halftime they held a 23-point edge and fans on social media were having a field day over the white T-shirt promotion, with many referencing the white flag of surrender. 'Lol white out is a roaring success so far,' was one comment on X. 'I don't think the white out worked,' said another. 'White out turning into a whitewash,' quipped another. 'I didn't have high expectations for the white T-shirt thing but it's looking pretty average,' declared another. 'Conceded the first 4 of the game, wave the white flag,' said a fifth. 'What's with the white, did Geelong decide to surrender?' asked another watching on. Others were left questioning the decision to use T-shirts as a gift on a Geelong night in late June. One said: 'Yes because people are gonna be in a T-shirt on a 3 degrees night in Geelong.' Another wrote: 'Yeah people are definitely gonna wear them on 5C winters night.' Apart from the T-shirts, Patrick Dangerfield was the man of the moment. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) A wide number of fans used the word 'cringe' to describe the promotion, while another slammed 'the AFL's desperation to Americanise the game'. Some fans were getting on board, with a Hawthorn fan writing: 'Hate Geelong as much as the next Hawks fan but god damn those white shirts in the crowd look good.' A fan apparently in the crowd also gave an insight into perhaps why not everyone in the crowd was wearing the shirt. 'Late decision to make the trip down, might struggle to fit into my 2x small white out shirt,' they wrote. Dangerfield and the Cats need to lift in the second half or the crowd will indeed be waving the white flag. Originally published as 'Surrender?': AFL world roasts Geelong T-shirt stunt in Danger's 350th

News.com.au

an hour ago

• News.com.au

‘Surrender?': AFL world roasts Geelong T-shirt stunt in Danger's 350th

Geelong's unique move to fill the stadium with white T-shirts for the club's big clash with the Brisbane Lions may not have drawn the response the Cats were seeking. Billed as 'a sight to behold' and a 'slice of history' on the Geelong website, the Cats covered every seat at GMHBA Stadium with what they described as 'a free collectable T-shirt' for the Friday night blockbuster. It's a move that is often used in American sports and can have a strong look when everyone in the crowd is kitted out in the same colour. Both the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder have adopted the move during their clash in the NBA Finals. On a night when the club was also celebrating captain Patrick Dangerfield's 350th AFL game, the commentators were certainly getting into the spirit. 'They have kitted out the Cattery with the white T-shirts on every seat, inspiration drawn from the NBA and college football in the US,' Gerard Whateley said on Fox Footy. 'It is quite the sight down the highway as the local heroes emerge. 'Patrick Dangerfield said one of his favourite parts of this would be (his children) Winnie, 'Flip' and George joining him to run through the banner. 'All the kids now fully aware of what they're part of, his place in Geelong lore, which grows tonight, game 350 … on a special night in the way that it shapes.' The fans appeared to be enjoying their moment, with many donning the shirts and a number of others waving them in the air on a cold night in Geelong. The Lions may not have got the memo, however, as the premiers made a hot start bidding for a first victory at Kardinia Park since they won five straight from 1998 to 2003. They have lost 13 consecutive games at the ground since then, yet they jumped out of the blocks with the game's first four goals. By halftime they held a 23-point edge and fans on social media were having a field day over the white T-shirt promotion, with many referencing the white flag of surrender. 'Lol white out is a roaring success so far,' was one comment on X. 'I don't think the white out worked,' said another. 'White out turning into a whitewash,' quipped another. 'I didn't have high expectations for the white T-shirt thing but it's looking pretty average,' declared another. 'Conceded the first 4 of the game, wave the white flag,' said a fifth. 'What's with the white, did Geelong decide to surrender?' asked another watching on. Others were left questioning the decision to use T-shirts as a gift on a Geelong night in late June. One said: 'Yes because people are gonna be in a T-shirt on a 3 degrees night in Geelong.' Another wrote: 'Yeah people are definitely gonna wear them on 5C winters night.' A wide number of fans used the word 'cringe' to describe the promotion, while another slammed 'the AFL's desperation to Americanise the game'. Some fans were getting on board, with a Hawthorn fan writing: 'Hate Geelong as much as the next Hawks fan but god damn those white shirts in the crowd look good.' A fan apparently in the crowd also gave an insight into perhaps why not everyone in the crowd was wearing the shirt. 'Late decision to make the trip down, might struggle to fit into my 2x small white out shirt,' they wrote. Dangerfield and the Cats need to lift in the second half or the crowd will indeed be waving the white flag.

Herald Sun

2 hours ago

• Herald Sun

West Australia left seeing red in Perth State of Origin blunder, rugby league, AFL, NSW Blues, Queensland Maroons

Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Oh WA media, give it a rest will you? Like it or not, rugby league is here to stay. The state's paper The West Australian did its best this week to try to make citizens forget one of the country's biggest sporting spectacles was happening in the heart of their city, State of Origin. That didn't exactly work out how they'd hoped. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The paper virtually refused to promote the game at all in the lead-up, with only a small story at the back-end of the sport section on Monday, and not a single mention of it at all one day out. The event was also missing from Channel 7's news bulletin. The 'State of Origin's back' header finally appeared on the front page on Wednesday, which at first glance was a nod to the game. But on closer look it appeared to poke fun at the event, promoting WA's Fremantle Dockers against Victoria's Essendon Bombers clash on Thursday night instead. Not to mention the strategic placement of their only game day story beside the ads for escort services. But not even The West Australian's blatant disregard and mockery of rugby league was enough to deter its state from churning out in numbers for Wednesday night's blockbuster. Of the 57,000 crowd in the downpour of rain at Optus stadium — which was almost a 62,000 sellout — around 47,000 were Perth locals. Ironically the next night, for The West's 'state of origin' battle between Fremantle and Essendon, the AFL could only manage 37,570 fans at the same venue. The best the paper could do? A salty response the next morning: 'One bunch of East Coasters beat another at rugby in Perth last night.' That's got to feel like a bit of egg on your face. But it seems not much will change as the state media continues to virtually deny the code exists despite growing admiration for it among fans and the announcement of new NRL franchise the Perth Bears coming in 2027. The angst is possibly the ugly ramification of a rift between Seven West media boss Kerry Stokes and the NRL's Peter V'landys, as well as the media organisation's bid to reduce any threats to stay atop the code war in an AFL dominated region. V'landys recently appointed former West editor Anthony De Ceglie as the inaugural Bears chief executive to overlook the new franchise's success in the state. That may not be as difficult a job as the newspaper wants the country to believe, with Wednesday's game bringing in almost 200,000 Perth TV viewers atop the crowd, proving broadcast interest is all on the rise. The paper's editor Chris Dore was adamant when he told The Sydney Morning Herald the appetite for rugby league was non-existent in WA. 'No one outside of rugby league writers in Sydney cares. The point is rugby league is simply not a mainstream sport in this town,' Dore said. 'Just the facts. Good on them for having a crack here. We have nothing against the game despite the carry-on from [Peter] V'landys' acolytes in the Sydney media about our coverage. 'It's just not remotely main game and never will be.' But the numbers say otherwise Chris. Don't fight it, this is happening It's time to accept WA craves rugby league. Originally published as West Australia left seeing red in State of Origin blunder