Nathan Cleary’s availability for round one of the NRL season has been plunged into doubt after Penrith’s superstar halfback was sin-binned in the Panthers’ 26-12 trial loss to Wests Tigers.
Cleary was jeered from the field at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night after he was sent to the bin by referee Ashley Klein for a high shot on Tigers teen phenom Heamasi Makasini.
The Penrith No.7 collected Makasini flush across the jaw as the winger juggled a ball in the home side's half.
Cleary’s hopes of facing Brisbane in the Panthers’ season opener now rest in the hands of the NRL’s match review committee, who will hand down charges on Saturday morning.
Adding to Cleary’s concern will be that he was charged with a careless high tackle in last year’s finals series.
It means that if he is handed a grade-two charge, he would face a two-game ban with an early guilty plea instead of the usual one.
Jack Cogger, Cleary’s likeliest replacement, missed Friday’s trial with a niggle, but the good news for the Penrith co-captain is that the 18-year-old Makasini emerged unscathed from the challenge.
Makasini was in the heart of the action for the Tigers and backed up his hat-trick of tries in Newcastle last week with a breathtaking first-half score.
There were shades of Jonah Lomu about Makasini who ran 40m, bumped off two Panthers defenders and then bulldozed over the top of Dylan Edwards to send the Wayne Pearce Hill into a frenzy.
Makasini appears a lock to start the season on the wing for the Tigers despite his tender age.
The teenager enjoyed a good battle with Brian To’o, who grabbed the first try of the night when he rushed on to a Cleary cutout ball.
Tigers fullback Jahream Bula and Panthers winger Paul Alamoti traded tries before Makasini's thundering charge cut Penrith’s halftime lead to 12-10.
Cleary was sin-binned just before the break and did not return when his 10-minute spell had elapsed.
Both Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and Tigers counterpart Benji Marshall brought their top-line talent off after halftime.
Tigers forward Lachlan Broederlow, winger Luke Laulili and Heath Mason all crossed in the final 20 minutes.
