Penrith’s three-time premiership-winning hooker Mitch Kenny is at least another month away from returning from the fractured fibula and syndesmosis injuries he suffered in April.
The Panthers had initially hoped to welcome back Kenny a couple of weeks ago, but sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the 28-year-old is now unlikely to play until the NRL finals.
The recovery has taken a lot longer than expected, even though the ankle surgery was a success.
The club’s medical team has had to continually alter Kenny’s rehab running program due to complications.
Coach Ivan Cleary has repeatedly said Kenny remains a week-to-week proposition, but privately knows his premier dummy half is still some time away from returning.
The one consolation for the Panthers is the impressive job back-up No.9 Freddy Lussick has been doing for the table-topping side.
Kenny, who has captained the club in the past, will be a vital part of the Panthers’ bid to make it five premierships in six seasons. However, he now won’t return to NRL until the business end of the season after having spent five months on the sidelines.
While Kenny’s delayed return is a setback, fullback Dylan Edwards is also no certainty to return from a shoulder injury for Friday’s blockbuster against the Warriors in New Zealand.
Edwards aggravated an old shoulder injury making a try-saving tackle on Brisbane’s Josiah Karapani on July 16.
The fullback did not feature the following week against Parramatta, with most fans assuming at the time it was to do with the 10 stitches he required for a nasty head gash.
Cleary later confirmed it was his shoulder, and while Edwards missed Saturday’s 42-18 win over Canberra, the coach was “hopeful” he would be back for the Warriors game.
Before giving him the green light to return, Penrith medical staff are eager to see Edwards complete a range of tackling and contact drills, and want his shoulder to be “at least 90 per cent strength”.
Edwards underwent a Latarjet procedure just days after helping Australia win the Pacific Championships final against Tonga at the end of 2024. He also had a full shoulder reconstruction after he broke down in the early rounds of the 2018 season.
Even if Edwards misses the trip to Auckland to face the Warriors, the club expects him back on deck the following week to play the Sydney Roosters.
Penrith coach Cleary “liked what he saw” with Jack Cogger coming into the halves alongside Nathan Cleary in the comfortable win over the Raiders on Saturday. That move allowed regular No.6 Blaize Talagi time to work on his game in the NSW Cup.
Cleary said Talagi’s demotion to reserve grade was just another part of his development as a player.
“He gets targeted every week [in defence],” Ivan Cleary said. “He’s only 21. It’s not like he’s been that bad. I just think for his journey, it’s a good time to step out of the limelight a bit, to go and play some footy and work on a couple of things.”
Meanwhile, Manly medicos will decide on Monday if they rush Tom Trbojevic (hamstring) back into the team for Saturday’s clash against Melbourne in Perth.
Trbojevic hobbled off against the Titans in the first half a couple of weeks ago, but scans cleared him of any serious damage, despite it being his ninth hamstring injury in eight seasons.
The Manly star completed rehab running last week, and while he is eager to play against the Storm – Manly need to win to keep their finals hopes alive – the club will weigh up his workload and what risks may be involved in the 10-hour round trip to the west coast.
Another fullback, James Tedesco, suffered an ankle injury in the Roosters’ 82-12 rout of the Cowboys, but is expected to be fit for Friday’s match against a Bulldogs side that is now back in the top eight.
