Star Parramatta duo Jarryd Hayne and Tim Mannah are in doubt for the Eels’ NRL season opener next month after both players suffered knee injuries in their 26-10 trial loss at Penrith on Friday night.
Fullback Hayne had to be helped from the field in the 70th minute after he landed awkwardly while attempting to catch a chip-kick from new recruit Chris Sandow, while Mannah limped from the field early in the second half.
Eels coach Stephen Kearney was optimistic when asked if either player was in doubt for their round one clash against Brisbane, but admitted they could face two or three weeks on the sideline.
“It depends on the damage. It could be two weeks (but) hopefully they’re okay (and) they don’t require surgery,” he said after the match.
“And if so, I think it’s probably a two-week, three-week timeframe.”
Hayne was also upbeat, despite admitting his knee went numb instantly, and said he would know more after he had scans on Saturday.
“It went numb straight away,” he said.
“I’ve iced it for the last 20 minutes and it’s sort of come good. It feels alright, it doesn’t feel the best, but I can just walk on it.”
The Panthers will head into their season-opener with Canterbury undefeated in both their trials, whereas the Eels open their 2012 campaign against Brisbane potentially without their match-winner and also without a pre-season win under their belts.
In front of a crowd of 8975, Penrith ran in five tries to two, including a brace from five-eighth Travis Burns.
The visitors drew first blood when Sandow and Hayne sweetly combined to put veteran winger Luke Burt through a gap and send rookie winger Ken Sio over in the corner in the seventh minute.
But Penrith responded by scoring the next three tries of the half, with Burns scooting over from dummy half before Michael Gordon did his chances of securing the fullback position no harm when he flat-footed Hayne on his way to the tryline.
The home side went into the half-time break with an 18-4 lead when Burns pounced on a loose ball following a bomb from halfback Luke Walsh.
The blossoming partnership between Hayne and Sandow reaped further benefits as they combined to open the scoring in the second half, the former Rabbitohs halfback scoring off a towering Hayne bomb.
But the Panthers finished the game the stronger side, scoring late tries through hooker Kevin Kingston and winger David Simmons.
Cleary said it was an improvement on last week’s 18-all draw with Newcastle.
“Definitely, that’s the plan, isn’t it? You want to keep improving. Hopefully we can. It’s only early in the year, but it’s certainly better,” he said.
Both coaches kept their stars on for most of the match, but the Panthers were without new skipper Luke Lewis (quad injury) and Michael Jennings (suspension) and the Eels missed Reni Maitua and Willie Tonga.
