Will Ivan Cleary decide NRL top-four? Penrith may REST key men for final game against Cowboys
Penrith may have already secured back-to-back minor premierships, but Ivan Cleary has a decision to make that could still shape the NRL finals picture.
The Panthers top the ladder with 42 points in 23 games following their 42-16 win over the Warriors on Friday night and are already guaranteed to finish the regular season top of the pile for the second consecutive season.
The reigning premiers travel face the second-placed Cowboys in Round 25 and the club told the Australian Associated Press this week that Cleary was likely to rest players for the trip to Townsville.
Ivan Cleary has previously hinted he could rest some of his players for the game against the Cowboys in Townsville next week
The decision could have huge implications, as the Cowboys are ahead of third-placed Cronulla purely by virtue of a better points differential.
The Sharks host a Bulldogs team with nothing to play for on Saturday, while the Cowboys travel to Sydney to face the Rabbitohs. Souths are currently seventh on the ladder and could pull clear of eighth-placed Brisbane with a win on Saturday.
While North Queensland welcome the Panthers in Round 25, the Sharks travel to Newcastle to face a team whose season has long ended and who are without star man Kalyn Ponga.
Melbourne are also still in the hunt for a top-two spot, but are two points behind the Cowboys and the Sharks having played a game more and face a difficult trip to Sydney to face the fifth-placed Eels next week.
Cleary hasn’t confirmed whether Jarome Luai will play in Townsville after returning from a four-week injury lay-off on Friday night
Api Koroisau is expected to miss out after picking up an ankle injury against the Warriors
Parramatta themselves are level with the Storm on 32 points but have effectively no chance to force their way into the top two even if results went their way, due to their point differential being vastly inferior to that of their rivals.
The Eels, however, could pip Melbourne to a top-four spot with a win.
Meanwhile, two wins in the final two games for the Cowboys will all but seal a top-two finish and with that a double chance in the finals.
Should they finish second, North Queensland will face whoever finishes fourth between Melbourne and Cronulla, while Penrith would host either the Storm or the Sharks.
The Cowboys will finish second if they win their final two games of the season
But Cronulla can still pip North Queensland to a top-two finish with wins over Canterbury and Newcastle in their final two games of the season
Cleary previously refused to confirm whether Jarome Luai would make the trip to Townsville after returning from a four-game injury lay-off.
The New South Wales star did not show any sign of rustiness in his return against the Warriors on Friday night and may be rested for Round 25.
Api Koroisau is definitely likely to sit out the Panthers’ last game of the regular season along with a handful of other stars after picking up an ankle injury against the Warriors.
The Storm could also finish in the top-two but need results to go their way
The New South Wales hooker, however, is adamant he will not miss any action when the finals start.
‘I’ll be there. There’s no issue there,’ he told reporters.
‘I rolled on it a little bit but I wasn’t going very fast so there wasn’t much pressure there. It feels better now than it did before.’
