Penrith Panthers star Nathan Cleary suffered a compound fracture of his left ankle during Sunday's NRL preliminary final against the Newcastle Knights at Accor Stadium, an injury that left thousands of fans in shocked silence.
The 28-year-old was attempting a dummy near the try-line with five minutes left in the first half when he was brought down by a hip-drop tackle from Pheonix Crossland. His foot was visibly pointing in the wrong direction as he lay in agony on the turf.
Medics rush to attend to Cleary
Knights second-rower Francis Manuleleua quickly alerted the medics, who rushed to attend to the Penrith star. As the distressing nature of the injury became evident following replays, TV cameras panned away from where Cleary was receiving treatment, with the Sydney crowd left in stunned silence.
According to reports, Cleary's mother Rebecca was reduced to tears in the stands, with the rest of his family also spotted consoling one another.
Commentator describes 'awful moment'
"What an awful moment in this match, in this season," said Fox Sports commentator Andrew Voss. "The stadium is silenced by that. The moment they caught a glimpse of that on the big screen, they knew that this was as serious as it gets."
"It's a hard game, but this is an awful moment. An awful moment. I don't care who you support, but this is a very sad moment for the game."
Crossland sent off, Knights win
A distraught Crossland was immediately dismissed for the tackle, with referee Gerard Sutton stating: "Initially he's up high. He makes a definite action so (he) twists, comes down on the leg with weight. It's extreme risk of serious injury. You're off."
The four-time premiership champion was loaded onto a stretcher and transported off the field in a medical cart before being taken to hospital. Fox League presenter Jake Duke said: "I think everyone knew it was a serious one. The Panthers bench, sombre (and) couldn't believe what was transpiring. We saw all of his teammates come to wish him well when he exited the field. They had to cradle his leg and it was a really devastating injury and he has been taken straight to hospital."
With Penrith left rattled by the distressing scenes, Newcastle, who claimed the NRL wooden spoon in the previous season, went on to secure a remarkable 22-14 upset victory, earning their place in the grand final.
