Nathan Cleary is set for a third operation after his preliminary-final ankle injury, with Penrith sources telling the Sydney Morning Herald he will undergo tightrope surgery on his left ankle within the next week.
Christian Nicolussi reported on Friday that Penrith officials remain optimistic the halfback will still be fit for round one of the 2027 NRL season, despite the extra procedure on the same left ankle that was smashed in the preliminary final.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cleary had emergency surgery hours after a hip-drop tackle left him with a broken fibula and dislocated tibia, with one bone piercing the skin. A couple of weeks later he also had his fifth metatarsal repaired in his right foot, which he had hurt in the qualifying final against the Roosters.
Read more: Nathan Cleary Tells PNG Chiefs He Will Stay at Penrith, Reports Say
Tightrope surgery next week
The Herald said Cleary has been recovering at his parents’ home on Sydney’s northern beaches, is out of both casts and moving around on a scooter, but is yet to put weight on his left leg.
Well-placed Penrith sources confirmed to the Herald that Cleary will return to hospital in the next week for tightrope surgery, a procedure used for severe high ankle sprains. The report said he ruptured his syndesmosis in the same tackle that earned Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland a five-match ban. Crossland is eligible to return for New Zealand as soon as Saturday night against Tonga.
Tightrope surgery uses a high-strength braided rope to unite the two bones at the ankle. Provided there are no complications, the Herald said Cleary could be walking without a mobility aid within a fortnight. Reece Walsh and Sam Walker are among Australian players who had the same procedure late in the season.
Read more: Clearly re-signing with Penrith ‘all but a done deal’
Round-one optimism and Panthers medical ward
The same Penrith sources were optimistic Cleary will be fit for the club’s opening round, potentially against St George Illawarra at the Panthers’ new $309 million stadium. The Herald noted Cleary’s injury was not too dissimilar to Mitch Kenny’s earlier in the year, when Kenny was sidelined for five months after complications.
The update comes days after Cleary’s management informed the Papua New Guinea Chiefs he would stay at Penrith and work towards a four-year extension. The Herald said the deal is expected to be worth about $1.7 million a year through to 2031, short of the tax-free package the Chiefs were prepared to table.
In other Penrith medical news, Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo is set for pec surgery the week after Australia exits the World Cup and will be touch-and-go for round one, while fullback Dylan Edwards has undergone a shoulder reconstruction and is expected to be ready for the opener, the Herald reported.
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