Nathan Cleary Suntik Mati Rasa Demi Laga State of Origin II

Pemain belakang New South Wales Blues Nathan Cleary dipastikan menerima suntikan penghilang rasa sakit akibat cedera tulang panggul demi berlaga dalam pertandingan kedua State of Origin II di Melbourne Cricket Ground pada Rabu, 17 Juni 2026 malam.

Cedera tersebut didapat setelah ia tidak sengaja bertabrakan dengan rekan setimnya, Addin Fonua-Blake, pada 15 menit pertama laga pembuka, yang menyebabkan otot perutnya robek dan memar sebesar bola sepak berdasarkan hasil pemindaian MRI.

Cleary sempat menyembunyikan kondisi tersebut dari tim medis hingga turun minum pertandingan pertama, sebelum akhirnya mampu mencetak tendangan krusial yang memenangkan timnya dengan skor 22-20 atas Queensland.

Dokter tim Blues Nathan Gibbs mengonfirmasi bahwa Cleary mengalami hantaman langsung pada krista iliaka di tulang panggul serta otot perut yang melekat di area tersebut, yang diperkuat oleh hasil pemindaian medis.

"I thought it was given the way I felt afterwards," kata Nathan Cleary, Pemain New South Wales Blues, saat menceritakan benturan keras yang ia rasakan di lapangan kepada media SMH.

Cleary menambahkan bahwa ia tidak mengetahui benturan tersebut berasal dari kepala Addin Fonua-Blake karena hanya merasakan sakit yang luar biasa, namun ia menolak keluar lapangan dan berharap suntikan di waktu istirahat dapat berfungsi baik.

"I didn’t even know it was Addin’s head at the time [that caused the damage]. All I remember was it was pretty sore. I got to half-time, got it needled and it was sweet," ujar Nathan Cleary.

Pemain berusia 28 tahun itu juga menegaskan komitmennya untuk tidak memperlihatkan kelemahan apa pun kepada tim lawan di tengah situasi pertandingan yang sangat kompetitif.

"I wasn’t coming off. It wasn’t even on my mind. I just hoped, at half-time, the needle would work, and it did.

You never want to give away any cues to the opposition. It was good we had the week off – that definitely helped. I’m just lucky to have the physios and medical staff we have at NSW and Penrith – they put so much work into me," kata Nathan Cleary.

Sementara itu, Addin Fonua-Blake mengungkapkan kekagumannya terhadap ketangguhan mental rekan setimnya yang tetap memimpin tim tanpa mengeluh meskipun menahan rasa sakit yang luar biasa sepanjang sisa pertandingan.

"You'll read about the way he led the team around, but you won't read about how tough he is – you would never have known he received an injection [at half-time]," ujar Addin Fonua-Blake, Pemain New South Wales Blues.

Fonua-Blake menilai profesionalisme Cleary patut dicontoh karena sang pemain selalu memberikan performa terbaik demi para penonton yang telah membeli tiket pertandingan.

"He gets up for training and games and goes about his business. That's what I admire about him," kata Addin Fonua-Blake.

Ia juga merefleksikan momen terjadinya benturan di lapangan saat mencoba menghentikan pemain lawan, Harry Grant, sebelum menyadari adanya insiden tabrakan sesama pemain Blues tersebut.

"Some days you don't feel 100 per cent, but there are no excuses. The person sitting in the fourth or fifth row doesn't care how sore you feel because they've already bought a ticket, and want to see you playing at your best. That's what Nathan does every day," tutur Addin Fonua-Blake.

Fonua-Blake berkelakar bahwa ia merasa lega karena menabrak Cleary, alih-alih terlempar akibat benturan langsung dengan pemain Queensland.

"I looked up to the sky [after the tackle], then looked back down and saw Queensland had scored. I didn't even know what I had hit. I thought it was Harry that bumped me off," ucap Addin Fonua-Blake.

Penilaian mengenai ketangguhan Cleary juga didukung oleh tim medis yang menyamakannya dengan jajaran pemain elit dalam sejarah rugbi.

"I was glad it was Nathan because it would have been embarrassing getting bumped off by Harry Grant," kata Addin Fonua-Blake.

Dokter tim Nathan Gibbs, yang memiliki pengalaman menangani pemain rugbi selama lebih dari 40 tahun, menyatakan bahwa kemampuan Cleary dalam mengatasi rasa sakit menempatkannya di level tertinggi.

"What fans don't see is how well he copes playing injured," ujar Nathan Gibbs, Dokter Tim New South Wales.

Gibbs sempat menawarkan modifikasi porsi latihan di pemusatan latihan minggu ini, namun Cleary menolak dan memilih berlatih normal.

"I said to him this week in camp, ‘how are you going with the hip?’ and ‘do you need any modifications for training?’. He said, ‘no, I’ll be all right, don’t worry about me’," ungkap Nathan Gibbs.

Menurut Gibbs, salah satu indikator utama dari seorang pemain besar adalah kemampuan untuk tetap menyuguhkan performa gemilang meskipun sedang didera cedera fisik.

"One of the qualities the great players have is playing well injured. He certainly does that," kata Nathan Gibbs.