In today’s Magic Round match between the One New Zealand Warriors and Penrith, the understudies of halfbacks Shaun Johnson and Nathan Cleary have been called in to fill in for their injured teammates.
The loss of Cleary is certainly a blow for Penrith but the premiers have a knack of dealing with adversity and still finding a way to win games without their main man.
Currently sitting second on the ladder, the Panthers have manufactured three of their seven victories with Cleary out of the side and they’ll need to manage without him for the next eight weeks after scans confirmed a grade two hamstring tear.
With Brad Schneider also injured the keys to the side will be handed to youngster Jack Cole in just his fourth NRL game.
The Warriors have lost four in a row since a draw against Manly in Round six and must turn things around quickly before their season slips away completely.
History is not on the Warriors’ side as they take on the reigning champions; after defeating the Dragons in the inaugural Magic Round in 2019, they have lost their last three games at the football festival. Winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is having a historic day as he plays his 200th NRL game against his former team.
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