Warning: Graphic reading ahead
The latest details of Nathan Cleary's compound fracture have emerged following the superstar halfback being rushed to hospital.
Cleary entered the preliminary final with 15-minutes to go in the first half and suffered a horrific lower leg break through the skin from a hip drop tackle by Phoenix Crossland just before half-time.
The Knights hooker was referred straight to the judiciary and faces a nervous wait if he will be rubbed out of the New Zealand Kiwis World Cup tournament with suspension.
Fresh reports from the Sydney Morning Herald reveal the leg fracture was so severe it resulted in blood spilling out of the injury while the medical staff were aiding him, with Cleary breaking both bones in his leg and protruding the skin.
The immediate concern then became a lack of blood supply to the foot, which is why Penrith medical staff and paramedics could be seen holding his leg for stability as he was escorted off the field.
Reports also reveal the Penrith medical team compared the injury to a "bullet wound" due to the amount of blood leaving the injury, with club sources saying it was the worst leg break they have ever seen.
Cleary is facing a six-month recovery period, assuming there are no setbacks along the way.
Ivan Cleary had to watch on from the coaches' box as his son left the field in awful pain, struggling to process what had happened.
“I went and saw him [Nathan] at half-time and saw the whole crew, my family, in there. That was hard and a bit emotional," Ivan said in his post-match press conference
“When all the boys went around to the medicab, I got a bit emotional there, and thought it was cool.
“I didn't know it was a compound fracture. I can't explain what happened in the second half.”
Cleary underwent emergency surgery immediately to reduce the risk of major complications that accompany a nasty compound fracture, such as infection.
It was a horrific afternoon with injuries for Penrith, who also lost Blaze Talagi with an Achilles injury, while Cleary confirmed Dylan Edwards ruptured his PCL in the first half.
It puts both of their 2026 Rugby League World Cup ambitions in serious doubt, with Edwards under an injury cloud and Talagi certainly missing out for Samoa.
