Nathan Cleary's finals campaign remains under an injury cloud despite escaping suspension, with the Penrith Panthers star facing a nervous wait after suffering a foot injury during Sunday's qualifying final.
Cleary played through the issue in Penrith's victory but was unable to take the final conversion, with Dylan Edwards instead stepping up to kick the goal.
According to AAP, Cleary is set to undergo scans on Monday afternoon to determine the severity of the injury and whether it could threaten his availability for Penrith's preliminary final.
Cleary appeared to hurt his foot moments before icing a field goal late in the contest, with the halfback seen telling a Penrith trainer, “my foot is f***ed”.
However, Cleary played down the concern after the game, insisting the decision to hand the final conversion to Edwards was simply precautionary.
"I just copped a little bump on the foot," Nathan Cleary said on Fox League.
"It was a pretty important kick, so I just wanted Dyl (Edwards) to take it. I wasn't sure how it would hold up goal kicking.
"It was just precautionary."
The Panthers have already been forced to manage a growing list of injured soldiers during their finals campaign, with Isaah Yeo only recently returning after suffering a pectoral injury in Round 23.
Cleary's injury comes at a fortunate time for Penrith, however, with their qualifying final victory securing them a week off and a direct passage through to the preliminary final.
That gives the Panthers additional time to assess Cleary's foot and, if required, fast-track his recovery ahead of their next finals clash.
Penrith will face the winner of Sunday's clash between the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights, with the preliminary final to determine their place in the 2026 NRL Grand Final.
For now, the Panthers will hope Cleary's assessment confirms his initial suggestion that the problem is only minor, with his availability likely to become clearer closer to the match.
