Nathan Cleary injury sparks ugly claims about Josh King tackle - but did he do anything wrong?

With Penrith Panthers fans coming to grips with the fact they're set to be without Nathan Cleary once again, some levelled ugly allegations about the tackle that caused his shoulder injury. Cleary left the field and didn't return after dislocating his shoulder in a tackle from Josh King in Thursday night's clash between the Panthers and Melbourne Storm.

King had his arm wrapped over Cleary's shoulder as they both went to ground, and Cleary winced in pain as his shoulder appeared to be displaced rather innocuously. The Panthers halfback had scans on Friday and avoided surgery, but won't play again before the NRL finals in three weeks' time (at a minimum).

The damage is only minimal and he'll likely be available for the finals, but if he needed surgery he wouldn't play again this season. Regardless, the latest development has left Panthers fans shattered, with Cleary already spending a large chunk of time on the sidelines this year due to a hamstring injury.

Did Josh King do anything illegal in Nathan Cleary tackle?

But some of the focus was turned to King's tackle on Thursday night, and some fans suggested the Storm prop had done something dodgy or dirty to cause the injury. The Storm are well-known to have brought the 'wrestle' into the game about a decade ago, and they're accused of inventing a number of now-illegal tactics like the chicken wing and cannon-ball.

But to suggest King did anything illegal to cause Cleary's injury is nothing short of comical. Some suggested his actions amounted to a chicken wing, but replays showed King did nothing wrong at all. He was well within his rights to have his arm where it was, and didn't even appear to move it at all to cause the injury.

Cleary didn't react angrily towards King in the aftermath, and none of the Panthers players or coaches have suggested anything untoward occurred. Tellingly, coach Ivan Cleary revealed his son first suffered the injury in the pre-season and has been battling with it all year.

He was wearing strapping on the area on Thursday night, which also suggested it was a pre-existing issue. And he may have aggravated it earlier in the game when he was penalised for a shoulder charge on Nelson Asofa-Solomona (which was his left shoulder as well).

The NRL also found no issue with King's tackle and the Storm forward wasn't charged on Friday morning. All the more evidence to suggest fans are barking up the wrong tree with their complaints.

Mitch Kenny joins Nathan Cleary on sidelines as ban handed down

While King escaped charge, Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny wasn't so lucky. Kenny is set to join Cleary on the sidelines after being hit with a one-match ban for a careless high tackle on Grant Anderson late in the second half.

The Storm winger couldn't finish the game due to the hit, but referee Ash Klein opted not to sin-bin Kenny. The premiership-winning hooker is set to miss next Saturday's away clash against Canberra, unless he opts to fight the charge at the judiciary and wins.

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The news is better for Storm prop Asofa-Solomona, who escaped suspension for his high shot on Daine Laurie that also collected Storm teammate Cameron Munster in the face. Asofa-Solomona was marched to the sin-bin, but was only charged with a grade-one careless high tackle on Friday and can accept an $1800 fine. Panthers prop James Fisher-Harris also escaped sanction for the late hit on Jahrome Hughes that put the Storm in position to kick the winning penalty goal.

with AAP