Liam Henry’s injury appears to be worse than initially thought, with reports suggesting the Panthers premiership winner won’t return to NRL action until at least Round 6. While Gehamat Shibasaki has paid the price for his poor start to the season with Brisbane, with club great Sam Thaiday correctly predicting that the State of Origin winner would be axed by coach Michael Maguire.
Penrith counterpart Ivan Cleary has no such concerns around his side’s form after they trounced the Sharks in Bathurst for a second straight win. But the four-time premiership coach looks set to be without workhorse forward Henry for at least the next month, according to leading Penrith Panthers reporter Peter Lang.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary (L) looks set to be without Liam Henry until at least Round 6, while Maroons Origin winner Gehamat Shibasaki (far right) is facing calls to be axed by Brisbane. Pic: Getty/AAP
Henry was expected to miss the first couple of rounds of the new season after suffering a knee injury in pre-season. However, Lang claims the 24-year-old forward – who has agreed to join the Perth Bears in 2027 – may not return until Round 7 after dealing with an ACL complaint.
“By all reports Henry is recovering well from an ACL injury he sustained during the pre-season and at this stage is aiming for a round six or seven return,” Lang posted on social media. It’s likely that Henry’s injury is simply a strain, with ACL tears often being season-ending injuries.
In better news for Penrith, rep forward Liam Martin has been named to return from a calf complaint for Friday night’s Round 3 clash with the Roosters. Martin was considered a strong chance to play against Cronulla but was given an extra week off and has been training strongly.
“He’s over the injury, we’re just looking to get a few more k’s in the legs. He’s definitely a good chance,” Cleary said before Martin was named to start on Tuesday afternoon.
Gehamat Shibasaki axed after Broncos great’s prediction
Meanwhile, Broncos centre Shibasaki has been axed after his lacklustre start to the season with struggling Brisbane, as predicted by club great Thaiday. Coach Maguire has named Grant Anderson on the wing in what is a first start after his switch from Melbourne, with Deine Mariner shifting to centre.
Shibasaki was one of the feel-good stories of 2025 after winning an Origin series with the Maroons and the Ashes with the Kangaroos after starting the season on a train-and-trial contract. But he’s struggled so far this year – particularly in defence – missing a combined seven tackles in back-to-back defeats. The Eels exposed Brisbane’s left edge defence in their shock Round 2 win, with Shibasaki and Ezra Mam found out on multiple occasions. And Thaiday said Shibasaki would benefit from a stint in reserve grade in a bid to return to form.
Broncos centre Gehamat Shibasaki is facing calls to be axed after struggling defensively in back-to-back defeats for the NRL premiers. Pic: AAP
“As much as I love Gehamat Shibasaki and he had such a great season last year, there’s been a couple of things where he’s been lacking,” Thaiday told Wide World of Sports’ QLDER program. “He was brilliant defensively last year and got some really good reads right, but he’s just been a little bit off this year.
“It was a massive year, so maybe there’s a little bit of fatigue. You never want to see it but if it does happen, I’d sit down with Gehamat and have a coffee with him and have a chat with him and tell him it’s not the end of the world (if he’s axed). It’s an opportunity to get better.”