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Nathan Cleary has declared himself a certain starter for Penrith as they chase a seventh straight win next weekend and says missing the final Origin game will leave him mentally fresher for the charge home to the finals.
James Maloney got to bed at 6.30am on Thursday after the Origin series triumph but made a point of telling Panthers coach Ivan Cleary he would back up against the Gold Coast so Nathan could take the extra week to overcome an ankle injury.
Cleary struggled last year with the emotional drain from his first Origin experience and battled through ankle pain before undergoing surgery in the off-season.
This time around, however, the 21-year-old feels he is in a much better place and ready to attack the second half of the season, starting on Friday night at home against St George Illawarra.
"
I'll definitely be back next week, I was pretty much ready to go Friday night but Jimmy was selfless and said he'd play, so it made it the decision easier to give me another week to get the ankle 100 per cent,'' Cleary said.
"
I got a cortisone injection on Wednesday night before I went into Origin. I had heard different reports about playing too soon after the injection.
"Origin can be a mentally draining experience, especially if you play three full games. So it helps me there [missing the decider]. It also helps when Penrith have now won six on the trot and we need to keep that rolling.''
Maloney, 33, is 12 years Cleary's senior and knows how to cope with the year-round grind, and while he will not miss any games for the Panthers, said the coach would give him a few extra days off this week and the following.
The chance to keep Cleary extra fresh, said Maloney, made it easy to back up 48 hours after NSW's last-gasp 26-20 win over Queensland.
Origin players have always said playing on a Friday night after a Wednesday Origin game is easier than a Sunday game because of the adrenaline.
"Nath could have played but we were better off giving him that extra week – it was better to get him right because we'll need him down the track,'' Maloney said.
"And you don't want it being one of those [injuries] that keep hanging around.
"For me [backing up] is what you have to do. A lot of guys here play a role in me getting to that [Origin] level, you don't do it on your own, so it's only a small payback from me to come back here and play.
"I was a bit flat, but when you see guys like Jed Cartwright make a debut, it's not hard to get up for an occasion like that. You get a kick out of it. You remember when that was you and how important it was. The least you can do is play your role there.
"I got to bed about 6.30am on Thursday, but the room was spinning so I got up again.
"I had a bit of lunch, came in here in the afternoon and had a bit of a trot, just to keep the body moving. I slept like a log Thursday night.''
After a shocking 2-8 start to the season, the Panthers are suddenly back in the eight with the likes of Brent Naden and hard-running winger Brian To'o breathing an infectious youthful enthusiasm into the mountain men.
Panthers fans should also keep an eye out for 18-year-old prop Spencer Leniu to be handed his NRL debut in the coming weeks.
