Nathan Cleary: 'I'll be back' after ankle injury rules him out of World Cup

Nathan Cleary suffered a compound fracture and dislocation to his left ankle during Penrith Panthers' NRL play-off defeat by Newcastle Knights on Sunday and has been ruled out of the Rugby League World Cup. Cleary posted on Instagram: "Surgery done... Thank you so much to everyone that has reached out, the support has been unbelievable," and added: "Yesterday sucked but it's all part of the journey and it's made me even more grateful for the people I have around me. I'll be back."

The 28-year-old half-back, who helped Australia win the World Cup in Manchester four years ago, required emergency surgery in hospital after the injury. Cleary had started Sunday's match on the bench because he was carrying an injury to his right foot, which had a broken bone, and his father Ivan, the Panthers' head coach, said his son would have surgery on both feet. "I think that's why I was even more emotional on what happened to him, how hard he worked and what he put himself through to get himself to play today," the coach said.

The injury occurred during a tackle by Newcastle's Phoenix Crossland, which necessitated immediate medical attention and hospital treatment. Crossland was sent off for the challenge on Cleary and the Panthers confirmed the play left Cleary with the left-ankle compound fracture and dislocation that ended his World Cup participation.

The dismissal was for a 'hip-drop' tackle, a technique the NRL outlawed in 2020. A hip-drop tackle is committed when a defender grabs the runner with both hands or wraps them with both arms, and then swivels or drops the hips or lower body, landing on and trapping the opponent's leg below the knees.

Crossland has been referred to the NRL Judiciary over the tackle and is likely to receive a lengthy ban, a sanction that would not only rule him out of Sunday's NRL Grand Final, in which Newcastle face Sydney Roosters, but may also affect his availability for New Zealand during the World Cup.

Australia will face New Zealand in the opening match of the World Cup in Sydney on 15 October (10:05 BST), and the two teams are also favourites to face each other in the final, in Brisbane on 15 November (08:35 GMT). Nathan Cleary would have been a key figure in Australia's World Cup campaign.