'All systems go': Panthers back Cleary for Newcastle showdown
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Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo has backed star halfback Nathan Cleary to overcome a foot injury and lead the Panthers to a sixth grand final in seven years.
The playmaker has been named in the No.7 jumper for Sunday's preliminary final against the Knights despite suffering a bone stress injury in the Panthers' qualifying final win over the Roosters.
Cleary has been in this position before, carrying injuries through the 2021 and 2024 finals series and still managing to lead Penrith to grand final glory in both years.
Cleary puts the Panthers in front
The halfback has been on restricted duties since the qualifying final victory and has benefited from both a week off and the extra recovery time that comes with a Sunday match.
While the Knights have vowed to target the NSW and Australian No.7, Yeo is confident his co-captain will be up to the task.
"He had a pretty quiet week last week, but the week off was certainly nice for him and a few others," Yeo said. "I'm confident he'll be ready to go.
"If we had to play last week it would have been pretty sore, and he would have pushed through it, but it's settled down a little bit, so hopefully all systems go."
Match: Panthers v Knights
Finals Week 3 -
home Team
Panthers
1st Position
away Team
Knights
7th Position
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Coach Ivan Cleary has named Jack Cole to partner Cleary in the halves, with Jack Cogger listed in jumper No.14 as bench cover in his return from a three-game suspension.
The utility is no stranger to this role, having come off the bench in the 2023 grand final to replace an injured Jarome Luai and playing a key role in the Panthers' stunning18-point comeback.
Yeo will start at lock in his third game back from a pectoral rupture, the co-captain making a miracle recovery of his own from an injury initially expected to end his season.
Newcastle have a settled squad, with coach Justin Holbrook selecting the same 19 that stunned the Warriors at Eden Park last weekend.
Warriors v Knights - Finals Week 2, 2026
Cleary isn't the only star playmaker entering this weekend under an injury cloud, with the Roosters naming Sam Walker at halfback just four weeks after undergoing ankle surgery for Friday's preliminary final against the Dolphins in Brisbane.
While the Roosters benefit from Daly Cherry-Evans' presence in the halves, Cole is playing just his second finals game on Sunday afternoon and will likely carry additional kicking responsibilities.
After making his NRL debut in 2022, the 23-year-old has had the chance to learn from Cleary during a lengthy apprenticeship.
Now preparing to play the biggest game of his career, Cole declared he is ready to stand tall in front of more than 50,000 fans on Sunday afternoon.
"Having played [two weeks ago] I can expect what the intensity's going to be like," Cole said. "It will go up another notch this weekend but it's good to have that run under my belt and have experienced that intensity.
"We'll talk more during the week about how I can support Nathan but if I need to kick more I've done the reps so that won't be a problem."
Having served his apprenticeship, Cole is in his final weeks as a Panther before moving to Perth to join the Bears next year.
Cole, calm, collected
He will do so with a wealth of knowledge developed over multiple years playing and training alongside Cleary.
"The main thing I learnt is preparation," Cole said. "Putting my time into my prep and doing the little things, whether it's extras on the field or in the video room.
"At the end of the day, if you're not all in you'll get found out. In the first couple of years my prep bit me in the backside a bit, I wasn't preparing as well as I could have. I had a few injuries and was missing a bit of footy, which put me on the back foot. That's something I've learned from Nathan and has helped me out."
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