How shoulder complaint could impact Cleary in Sunday’s decider

Cleary’s injury will restrict the range of motion in his shoulder joint, highlighting the enormity of the challenge he faces in the decider on Sunday.

The halfback injured his left shoulder during Penrith’s win over Cronulla in last week’s preliminary final and was replaced with six minutes remaining in the match.

Cleary has had recurring problems with his shoulder, first dislocating it in the pre-season which forced him to miss three weeks of full-contact training in January. The 26-year-old also had surgery on his right shoulder in 2021 after damage to his rotator cuff tore 80 per cent of his supporting tendon.

A shoulder injury might affect his ability to tackle, carry the ball and pass it, according to Suzi Edwards, a sport scientist and Associate Professor of health sciences at the University of Sydney said.

“They [people with shoulder injuries like Cleary] have trouble doing movements like lifting their arm forward above their shoulder height. But if you think about rugby league and all of its key movements, those kinds of positions are regularly performed.”

Cleary will need to reduce his shoulder’s range of motion and keep his arms closer to the body to maintain a more stable position, Edwards said.

Shoulder injuries, most of which are sustained whuile making tackles, are common but can also carry severe consequences. Sixty per cent of injuries require reconstruction surgeries to repair torn or stretched ligaments. This is because the shoulder has a large range of motion and is incredibly reliant on the arm staying in the shoulder joint, making it more susceptible to dislocation.

“The knee joint, you either have it straight and it probably can flex to 130 degrees, but if you look at your shoulder, you can move it in a 360-degree motion,” Edwards said.

Loading

“When you have injuries, you can then actually learn adaptation strategies to modify your game and how you play on the field to make sure that you don’t place yourself in those high-risk injury positions.”

However, Edwards said that while Penrith can plan strategies leading up to Sunday, the reactive nature of the sport means any plans can count for nothing during a match.

“There’s always things that may be unplanned and you don’t know what the opponent’s behaviour is. This is where we can see some of those tackles that have led to season-ending injuries. That’s where you can’t plan the unpredictable.”

“The best plan of attack is actually to plan what you can control and how you perform yourself.”

Edwards said it is still early days, and is unclear what the injury could mean for Cleary’s performance beyond the decider. His father and coach Ivan said it is likely he will undergo surgery in the off-season.

“It isn’t a short rehabilitation. It’s not just a surgery, but there’s a minimum six to nine months rehabilitation plan that has to be taken and adjusted.”

Watch the 2024 NRL grand final Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.