The Panthers are prepared to look to the US and even Qatar to help fix Nathan Cleary’s hamstrings as fears grow his latest injury could keep the halfback out of the game for up to eight weeks – essentially the entire State of Origin series.

The premiers were awaiting test results on Saturday after Cleary reinjured his right hamstring in Penrith’s 16-10 win over Canterbury on Friday night.

The game’s most influential player suffered the injury when he chased through a kick and tackled Connor Tracey. He played on for a few minutes, forced a repeat set with a left-foot kick, before he reluctantly came from the field a minute before half-time.

Cleary experienced a “sharp pain”. Penrith’s medical team indicated after the game he may have suffered a grade-two tear. Recovery time from a grade-two tear is four to six weeks, but slightly longer if a player has previously injured the hamstring. The best-case scenario is Cleary has a low-grade irritation of his pre-existing scar tissue, which could have him back in a month.

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