LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Panthers are feeling a bit rattled over a tackle on Nathan Cleary by the Storm, which has reignited concerns about his shoulder injury.
Cleary, a star halfback, is reportedly "hanging by a thread" as the Grand Final looms on Sunday, after aggravating the same injury once again last week.
Cleary has been dealing with a shoulder injury since the summer, when he dislocated it.
The injury flared up after a tackle by Melbourne forward Josh King in Round 24, resulting in Cleary being sidelined for three weeks.
In true footy spirit, Cleary didn't sugarcoat things when talking about his shoulder this week, admitting that "that thing happened against the Storm last time we faced off, but I've been working hard on it." Despite the setback, Cleary is determined to be fit for the Grand Final on Sunday.
The mention of the King tackle raised some eyebrows among the NRL 360 panel, with Paul Crawley questioning if there was some pent-up frustration in Cleary's response.
Overall, the Panthers are keeping a close eye on Cleary's condition, hoping he can tough it out and lead them to victory on Sunday.
It's a nail-biting time for fans as they wait to see if Cleary can push through the pain and deliver a stellar performance on the biggest stage in the game.