“He’s always come back from time out pretty much firing. I think he will be fine.
“He’s looking to see how he can add value [the next five weeks], he’ll run against our team, which will make it more interesting.”
Nathan Cleary has fired first-up after a lengthy lay-off in the past.Credit:Getty Images
Ivan had no issues with the five-match ban, although the decision to add one match to the ban because of “a completely different charge” from earlier in the year was “strange”.
“He made the tackle so you need to do the time,” Cleary said.
“I definitely thought we had a case there [to seek a downgrade], but in the end the risk was too high for him to lose another week.
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“Nat is really happy that Dylan is OK. That’s the most important thing out of all of this. He clearly never set out for that tackle to end up the way it did.
“The fact is it became dangerous, and thank God Dylan got up and is fine.
“I’ve said this before, I’m really proud of the way [Nathan] owns his mistakes, he did that, and he definitely felt for Dylan.
“Nat is a pretty combative halfback, he doesn’t take a backward step when he plays, especially in defence. Unfortunately this tackle went wrong.”
The Panthers will head to Kiama for a training camp on Tuesday before travelling to the nation’s capital.
Cleary bit his lip about who would actually start in the halves, but praised O’Sullivan for doing his job when required each time this year.
Centre Stephen Crichton is also chance to return following plastic surgery on his left ear, and will be almost unrecognisable in headgear the remainder of this campaign.
Crichton also looms as a five-eighth option should there be any further injuries, as is NSW Cup five-eighth Jack Cole.
O’Sullivan, bound for Redcliffe next year, said he would be relying heavily on Cleary.
“ I lean on him every single day, whether he’s out or playing, he’s one of my good mates at this club and I’m always looking to him for advice – he’s one of my idols, so I’d be stupid not to,” O’Sullivan said.