ESPN REPORT: Panthers Key Man Nathan Cleary Announce A Departure After Insulting The Coach Including….

The Panthers took it easy by benching Moses Leota in the end.

Moses Leota was substituted out of Penrith’s loss against St George Illawarra by Ivan Cleary, who decided to play it cautious rather than risk losing another player during the already stressful State of Origin season.

Premiership-winning prop for three times During the first half of the Dragons’ NRL match on Saturday night at BlueBet Stadium, Leota suffered a hamstring strain.Leota’s injury looked to be mild, and Panthers staff told AAP that he had a chance to play again. However, after playing just once, the 28-year-old was eventually ruled out.

Coach Cleary stated that Leota should not be taken on risk for the round-13 match. With five players absent due to State of Origin service and injuries to Nathan Cleary, Luke Garner, and Matt Eisenhuth, the Panthers were already well below full strength.

“At the end of the day, it was probably my decision (to substitute Leota out),” remarked Cleary.

“I decided not to put him on because there was enough uncertainty. I was not going to take any chances tonight, especially with a 10-0 lead at the half.

It’s a little odd, as it seems like he did a good job presenting. However, I was not going to put him at risk tonight.”

James Fisher-Harris, Leota’s longtime partner in crime, laughed that his friend had overreacted to the hamstring issue as they stood in the front row.

“He thinks everything is fine. I’m not sure why he was continuing,” he remarked.

The Panthers, who dominated the Premier League in 2020, are used to losing players to represent their country.