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The Panthers halfback has missed most of the season but – with the help of his pet groodle – seems set to start against Melbourne in the NRL showcase
In his darkest moments of an adversity-ridden season, Nathan Cleary’s despair might have derailed the Panthers’ quest for a four-peat. But on the eve Penrith’s fifth-straight grand final, the halfback partly credits his resurgence to an unusual source: the recovery regimen administered by his groodle, Prince.
“He doesn’t say much, he just licks my face,” Cleary said with a smile on Tuesday. “He’s been keeping me company in the down times, he’s been great. It’s good to come home to someone that doesn’t care what you do, or what you’re playing, or the mood you’re in.”