Received

Brad Fittler looks set to experience one of the most testing weeks of his State of Origin coaching tenure as he weighs up selecting a halfback replacement for the injured Nathan Cleary.

The NSW No. 7 limped out of Penrith's 26-18 win over St George Illawarra and is set to undergo scans on his left hamstring on Monday.

The initial diagnosis from the Panthers was that the playmaker had suffered a low-grade tear, with his father Ivan describing his chance of playing Game II as "very unlikely".

Cleary cut a forlorn figure on the sidelines at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday and Fittler is likely to be experiencing similar feelings as the Blues bid to save the series on June 21 in Brisbane.

"It's disappointing for him because he loves playing for Penrith, he's a key factor for us performing well," said Panthers lock Isaah Yeo.

It's the same as Origin, it's disappointing because he's worked so hard on his game.

"That's footy sometimes, you have those unlucky moments.

"But what I do know is that he'll attack his rehab better than anyone."

Jack Cogger did an admirable job slotting in when Cleary went off against the Panthers and Fittler will spend the next week agonising over who steps in to fill the void at Origin level.

Cronulla's Nicho Hynes, Parramatta No. 7 Mitchell Moses and Brisbane halfback Adam Reynolds are all possible candidates to replace Cleary if his scans show a tear.

All three have experience within the Blues set-up, with Hynes debuting off the bench in last week's series opener in Adelaide.

Moses won his sole Blues cap in 2021 while Reynolds last featured for NSW in 2016.

Cleary's absence may force a spine shake-up with Jarome Luai's berth as the No. 6 possibly up in the air with his Panthers' teammate unavailable.

The Blues must win in Brisbane to have a shot at sealing the series in Game III in Sydney on July 12.

"Clez's job is to direct us and tell us where to go," said Penrith winger Brian To'o.

"Whether he plays or not, I'm sure whoever steps up will get the job done.

"Nicho is definitely someone who takes a lot of pride in playing footy and he can live up to the jersey and do his job for the team."

© AAP 2023

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will arrive back in Australia following a whirlwind regional tour where he celebrated long-held diplomatic ties and spruiked future opportunities to work together.

Mr Albanese spent the weekend in Vietnam where he took part in several bilateral meetings, including with his counterpart Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The pair discussed Australia's pledge to support Vietnam to make the transition to clean energy.

Australia will commit $105 million in funding to support sustainable infrastructure planning, stimulate private investment in clean energy infrastructure and provide assistance for Vietnam to develop its critical mineral sector.

During the meeting, Mr Albanese also discussed the importance of national sovereignty and stability in the region.

"Prime Minister Chinh very much welcomed the opportunity that we had to outline in a comprehensive way, what my government's view is about operating in the region, but also the way that we see international relations operate," Mr Albanese told reporters in Hanoi.

"We want to see a stable, secure, peaceful and prosperous region and that's why this visit is important.

"Vietnam is an important friend of Australia."

Mr Albanese met with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong as well as the President of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue before attending an official dinner hosted by Prime Minister Chinh to signal the end of the trip.

The tour marked 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam and the prime minister acknowledged there were many more opportunities for the two nations to deepen their engagement with each other.

"All of this connection and co-operation comes together in our plans to elevate our relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Mr Albanese said.

"(We) discussed how we can do that as soon as possible, to signal the trust that we have in each other as top-tier partners and enduring friends."

Prime Minister Chinh said he and Mr Albanese spoke in a "frank and candid manner" and noted the high level of trust between the two leaders.

"The two sides have reviewed all areas of cooperation and note with satisfaction the flourishing relationship between our two countries as we strive towards a brighter future," he said.

"Political trust, mutual understanding and respect are constantly bolstered via delegation exchanges and contacts at the high level and between our two peoples."

Mr Albanese's trip to Vietnam followed a visit to Singapore, where he delivered a major foreign policy speech in which he called out the risks from any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in Taiwan or the South China Sea by force.

The prime minister invited his Vietnamese counterpart for a bilateral visit to Australia and looked forward to welcoming him to the ASEAN conference next March.

© AAP 2023

Two Australians who were facing the death penalty in Vietnam have been granted clemency, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.

Speaking upon his return from Vietnam, Mr Albanese said there had been a "substantial breakthrough" in the cases of two Australians sentenced to capital punishment.

"I made representations to the (Vietnamese) prime minister yesterday morning, and by yesterday afternoon the president had signed the clemency orders," he told ABC's 7.30 on Monday night.

"Australia very much welcomed this. We make representations on behalf of Australian citizens and we are very pleased that Vietnam has has agreed to the request and we thank them for it."

Mr Albanese did not name the Australians due to privacy reasons.

"The families have been informed and they're very relieved," he said.

"They passed on their thanks to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials who've been working on this for some time."

The prime minister said Australia was building a "strong relationship" with its southeast Asian partners, and in particular with Vietnam.

He said the government also made representations on behalf of another case, with the government seeking an international prison transfer.

"We make representations, we do it diplomatically and we always hope for positive outcomes in the interests of Australian citizens," Mr Albanese said.

On a possible visit to China, the prime minister said authorities were looking at locking in a date, but there remained "dialogue" over the trip.

Mr Albanese said trade bans on stone fruit had been lifted.

"We want to see all of the impediments removed but we continue to engage," he said.

"We think that dialogue is a positive thing, and if we can determine a mutually suitable date then I've said that I'm certainly up for travelling to China at some stage.

"That would be a positive thing."

Mr Albanese said Australia will welcome China's assistant foreign minister next month.

© AAP 2023