LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The Panthers will have to brave the storm without their star halfback Nathan Cleary for the third consecutive NRL game.
Coach Ivan Cleary revealed that the sensational playmaker is still sidelined due to a nagging hamstring injury, putting his return to the NRL on hold.
Nathan Cleary, who hasn't graced the field since the third round of the season, was initially eyeing a comeback against the Wests Tigers this weekend.
However, a setback in his recovery has forced the Panthers to adjust their plans.
Ivan Cleary announced that his son won't be facing the Tigers in Bathurst on Saturday, but there is hope for his return against the Cowboys in the following game.
"He's going well, but he probably just had a little bit more awareness at the start than we thought based on the scans, so we just moved it out a bit to change the plan," Ivan Cleary commented.
"We're still pretty hopeful [he'll be back] next week.
He probably could have played this week, but it's until he does more training and that sort of stuff.
"He had more awareness (in the hamstring) than we thought he would, so you've got to respect that.
He's been doing heaps (of running), but now he needs to gravitate back to team stuff, which he has been doing.
Until he can do the whole thing for a week, we won't play him."
In the world of Rugby League, setbacks and injuries are just part of the game, and the Panthers are hopeful that Nathan Cleary will soon be back in action, steering the team to victory with his remarkable skills on the field.