NEW South Wales, there’s hope.

It may be just a small glimmer but it’s there.

Nathan Cleary is pencilled in for a 10 week stint on the sidelines with a knee injury but the Penrith half could be back on the field much sooner.

In fact, the Panthers hope to have Cleary back from his grade three MCL injury in as little as six weeks.

This means he’s still in the running for the Blues but he’s racing the clock to get back on the park in time to push his case for a start in Origin I.

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The series kicks off in Melbourne on June 6 with an early return potentially giving Cleary potentially as many as three games to show Brad Fittler he’s the man to wear the No.7.

“He’s young and he works really hard on his injuries and it could be anywhere from six to 10 weeks,” Panthers general manager of football, Phil Gould, told 100% FOOTY.

“We’d like to think it’s on the lower end of that.

“He’s a tough boy because he did it in the 10 or 12th minute and played right up to halftime with it and didn’t want to come off. It was the medical team that (made the decision).

“He wasn’t even going to tell the medical team. The medical team found out he had a problem with his knee, checked it.

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“It’s a grade three. It’s a fairly significant tear and you can’t go out with it like that because you’ll risk your cruciate ligament then because your knees not stable enough.”

With the door ajar for a Cleary Origin nod in 2018, former Blues skipper Paul Gallen said he wouldn’t hesitate throwing the 20-year-old into the pressure cooker that is Origin if he’s healthy.

Nathan Cleary lays on the ground after being tackled. Source: News Corp Australia

Gallen couldn’t speak highly enough of the playmaker, who is in just his third season of first grade.

“I would have Cleary, no doubt,” Gallen said.

“If he gets back in six week, there’s no reason why he can’t get two or three weeks under his belt and play. I think he’s the best halfback in the competition by a long way.

When asked if Origin would be a motivating factor for Cleary to fast track his return to the field, Gould said there is no doubt.

“A 20-year-old lad, dreaming of big things, it’s everything they think about. He’s no different,” Gould said.