Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has admitted a few niggling injuries over the last few weeks have impacted his plan to rest key players in the lead up to the finals.
While it hasn’t been uncommon for the Penrith coach to rest players throughout the season, especially his Origin stars, Cleary also hasn’t been afraid to rest key personnel right before the finals over the past two seasons.
This included spelling nearly the entire side against the Cowboys for the final round last year.
Of course, it’s been a tactic that has yielded results, with the Panthers winning the past two grand finals as well as minor premierships in those years.
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“They‘re reasonably significant injuries. They’re not good enough to be able to play,” Cleary said.
“It would maybe be different if we were playing a grand final, so it’s a balance between trying to get those…