Cleary’s injury puts Luai to the test in managing the game.

Jarome Luai is on the brink of assuming his first NRL game management role as Nathan Cleary anxiously awaits the outcome of his latest hamstring injury. Cleary, the halfback for Penrith, underwent scans on Saturday following a right hamstring aggravation during their 16-10 victory over Canterbury on Friday. Initial signs suggest he will require several weeks to recuperate.

Expressing his concern, Luai remarked, “I’m sort of heartbroken, in a way. His spirits are pretty down.” With Cleary’s State of Origin prospects uncertain for the series opener on June 5, and with regards to the club level, Penrith faces a depth challenge seldom witnessed during their championship reign.

Throughout their three premiership-winning seasons, Penrith has made it a habit to enlist a secondary halfback capable of orchestrating the team’s attack akin to Cleary’s style. Sean O’Sullivan and Jack Cogger have both adeptly filled this role in Cleary’s past absences. However, this season’s backup, Brad Schneider, finds himself sidelined with a knee injury, leaving the dynamic playmaker Jarome Luai likely to assume a new responsibility.

Luai, who showcased his organizing skills for Samoa at the 2022 World Cup, is expected to offer a glimpse into his potential future as the Wests Tigers’ attacking strategist from 2025. Despite expressing dissatisfaction with his performance after taking over from Cleary during Friday’s game, Luai intends to seek guidance from the injured halfback ahead of the upcoming clash with the Warriors.

“I’ll double down this week, he’ll be in my ear, helping me out with whatever role I’ve got to play next week,” Luai stated. “I’ll put in the reps this week, put in some overtime with video and stuff like that, and get Nathan’s advice for how I can be better at that role.”

Young talent Jack Cole is poised to start in the halves from the following weekend after replacing Cleary midway through only his third NRL game against Canterbury. Hailing from NSW’s central west, Cole has been identified as a potential successor to Luai in 2025.

“We’ve certainly got high hopes for Coley,” remarked Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.

A halftime conversation with assistant coach Ben Gardiner during Friday night’s game helped reassure the 20-year-old that he was ready to step up into the NRL halves.

“(Gardiner) said to me at halftime that if they didn’t believe me, I wouldn’t be here,” Cole revealed. “Hearing that gives me a lot of confidence to just go out there and play footy. I’ve just got to be prepared to do my best. I’m not looking to fill his shoes, I’m just looking to be the best that I can be.”

Cleary has been grappling with a troublesome right hamstring for most of the season, initially sustaining the injury during the round-three victory over Brisbane and spending a month on the sidelines. Despite resting Cleary the week after his return to face North Queensland in round eight, he aggravated the injury in the subsequent game.

Coach Cleary defended the decision to play his son against the Bulldogs, stating that all signs suggested he had recovered from the injury.

“He’s basically done every session for two weeks without any drama. Obviously, he’s done it again, so that’s a problem, but it hasn’t been an ongoing thing,” Cleary asserted.