Nathan Cleary had described as “stupid” a meme circulating in the lead-up to this weekend’s World Club Challenge which quotes him and which many English fans believe to be genuine.
The graphic, which has swept social media over the last two months and appears to have been created by a Wigan fan, includes fabricated comments from the 26-year-old superstar saying the Panthers “rolled out of” nightclubs the morning of last year’s WCC, won 13-12 by St Helens.
He is also purported to have said the Panthers players had “never heard of” the Merseyside club.
A documentary on that game, Saints Down Under, was aired on Thursday night in the UK and will repeat in the lead-up for Saturday’s sold-out clash at DW Stadium between the Panthers and Wigan.
“It’s stupid - I’d never say something like that,” Cleary told NRL.com at Penrith’s Manchester hotel. “… just stupid. Any time we go out on the field we try to win and to be honest Saints outplayed us last year.
“It was a distraught feeling after the game but luckily enough we get a chance to play in another World Club Challenge.
“Those things are sometimes out of your control so you can’t think too much about it but I think it’s … the way we felt after that Saints World Club Challenge game last year, it gives us a lot of motivation this year to try to not have that feeling.
“Obviously it’s different opposition but we want to try to right that wrong.”
The referee is Liam Moore and in the face of speculation about which rules will apply in the wake of a crackdown in England on head contact, RFL head of operations Robert Hicks told NRL.com in a statement: “The match is played under international rules and match review panel is guided by their policies. Any player facing a ban will be dealt with by their own federation.
“International laws don't include a provision for head on head contacts to be sanctioned.”
There were no surprises in the squads announced.
As the respective coaches foreshadowed at a Tuesday media conference at the match venue, Jack Cole comes into the halves for Jerome Luai for the visitors while Tiaki Chan joins the Wigan 21 for Luke Thompson (concussion), with Harvie Hill to be the man to replace Thompson in the match day 18.
Taylan May has been given first shot at the Penrith centre spot vacated by Stephen Crichton's departure to the Bulldogs in his first match since rupturing his ACL in last year's World Club Challenge.
Penrith second rower Scott Sorensen (leg) was unavailable for selection. Hooker Mitch Kenny can play despite being issued with a breach notice for an off-season social media post.
The Panthers had a training session at Sale rugby union on Thursday, while Wigan finished up their preparation with a training session followed by a visit to their headquarters by champion former player Frano Botica.
It was announced earlier in the week that the player of the match award will be named after former England forward Bill Ashurst, who represented both clubs.
WIGAN (squad): Jai Field; Abbas Miski, Adam Keighran, Jake Wardle, Liam Marshall; Bevan French, Harry Smith; Brad O’Neill, Liam Byrne, Willie Isa, Liam Farrell (c), Kaide Ellis. Mike Cooper, Patrick Mago, Kruise Leeming, Tyler Dupree, Harvie Hill. 18th man: Zach Eckersley.
PENRITH (squad): Dylan Edwards; Sunia Turuva, Izack Tago, Taylan May, Brian To’o; Jack Cole, Nathan Cleary (c); Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny, James Fisher-Harris, Luke Garner, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo (c). Tyrone Peachey, Lindsay Smith, Liam Henry, Matt Eisenhuth. 18th man: Brad Schneider.
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