Panthers coach Ivan Cleary says the week off is a “godsend”, as champion halfback Nathan Cleary does everything he can to be fit in time for next week’s preliminary final.

There were celebrations out west when the Penrith No.7 avoided a ban for his dangerous tackle on Hugo Savala, but there was a sense of dread when the club’s medical report was released that evening.

“Cleary sustained a stress-related bone issue in his foot during Sunday afternoon’s qualifying final victory over the Sydney Roosters,” it read.

“Cleary will continue to be assessed and monitored by the Panthers medical team.”

The good thing is that Cleary was able to finish Sunday’s game against the Roosters, but he was clearly hampered and told the medical staff that his foot was hurt after he kicked the field goal to put Penrith in front.

He didn’t take the final shot at goal after a late Brian To’o try, with his father providing an update on Tuesday morning.

“We had a day off yesterday, so I haven’t seen everyone yet, but everyone is obviously pretty happy with the win. Getting a week off is a godsend,” Ivan said on SEN.

“Nat is pretty sore. You could probably notice at the end of the game that he was a bit uncomfortable.

“But it’s so good to have the week off and we’re looking forward to preparing for the prelim in a couple of weeks.”

Cleary’s success has come on the back of him working harder than anyone else in the game, but he’s going to have to ease back if he’s to play in the grand final qualifier.

“The injury is definitely the impact of overuse and all that kind of stuff,” his dad said.

“He kicks a lot, does a lot and runs a lot. He does the most metres in every game out of every player, so it all adds up.

“One thing he has learnt over the years is that I know he prioritises actual kicking time, but he also spends more time now doing mental reps.

“I think he’s really going to have to lean on that mental side over the coming weeks because he’s going to have to pull back. It’s good that he’s been preparing that way. He knows that he’s kicked enough balls.”

While Penrith’s media manager would have received several calls regarding the injury, no one copped more correspondence than NRL Physio Brien Seeney, who was flooded with questions on social media.

“Effectively it’s an overuse injury. Rather than a one-off impact, the stress builds up in the bone over time,” he said.

“Now that can mean best case a stress reaction or bruising of the bone. But worst case it could be a stress fracture.

“If it is a stress fracture, in normal circumstances this would often mean at least 1-2 months on the sideline, but this is NRL finals time, so things can be a bit different.

“Panthers have experience here – Dylan Edwards played for a month in the 2021 finals series with a stress fracture in his foot.

“It’s not a certainty Cleary can play through. A fracture in some bones in the foot would make it near impossible to run, kick and change direction.

“The next two weeks are going to involve a lot of deloading – it’s going to be a big challenge to get him back out there for the prelim.”