Former NRL star Corey Parker declares Penrith Panthers can't win the premiership if Nathan Cleary is sidelined.
Cleary sent the Panthers into a preliminary final on Sunday after engineering a 19-12 win over the Sydney Roosters, but came out of the match reeling from a foot injury.
The club confirmed Cleary has a stress-related bone issue in his foot and will be monitored during the club's two-week break before Week 3 of the finals.
Penrith have the option to rest Cleary in hopes of doing enough to reach the Grand Final, but risk the ultimate egg on their face if they are thwarted in the preliminary play-offs.
In 2021, Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards played the entire finals series with a stress fracture in his foot, but it doesn't necessarily mean Cleary can do the same, given how many bones make up the foot.
To go up another gear, Parker believes Penrith must have Cleary on the field despite his fitness currently under an injury cloud.
"No, no, no," Parker said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters: Rugby League when quizzed if Penrith can win the title without Cleary.
"I think to win competitions, they're hard enough as it is. You need your best players. And he's certainly the world's best player.
"I think they could probably cover for Nathan Cleary to some degree. When you're talking clutch moments, and we've seen him do it time in and time out. I think he has to be in that football side."
Former NRL half Luke Keary chimed in, echoing Parker's sentiments on Cleary's admission in the Penrith juggernaut.
"I think if Jarome Luai is there, it's a different story. But they've rotated (Jack) Cogger in, (Blaize) Talagi, Jack Cole," he added.
"It's a huge call. I don't think he can carry the two positions. They need Nathan."
The club will keep their superstar on ice while they watch rival teams go to battle in the sudden-death semi finals this weekend.
While there is still much unknown about the extent of Cleary's injury, his fitness is expected to be limited in some capacity during the club's remaining finals campaign.
It wouldn't be the first time teams have pushed through injuries to key personnel to have them on the field during big matches.
It includes Cooper Cronk, who had a 15-centimetre broken scapula and played during the 2018 Grand Final with the aid of painkilling injections.
His presence alone allowed teammate Keary to engineer an upset title win against the Melbourne Storm.
Similarly, Sam Burgess played 79-minutes in the 2014 Grand Final with a fractured cheekbone and eye socket sustained off the kick-off, producing a Herculean effort to claim the first premiership in 43 years.
The winner of the New Zealand Warriors hosting the Newcastle Knights on Sunday will advance to play the Panthers in the preliminary final.
