Penrith ace Nathan Cleary holds his injured shoulder before leaving the field against Melbourne. -AAP Image
Penrith's push for a fourth consecutive NRL premiership has been rocked after star halfback Nathan Cleary left the clash against Melbourne with a shoulder injury.
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With the scores locked at 22-22, Cleary went down clutching his left shoulder after a shot from Storm forward Trent Loiero as the final 10 minutes approached at BlueBet Stadium on Thursday night.
Cleary was having an uncharacteristically quiet game prior to the injury but had previously been outstanding since returning from a hamstring issue last month.
Any long-term injury would be a big blow to the Panthers' hopes of successfully defending the title, with Penrith and Melbourne the clear front-runners all season.
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