Cleary shines against Dragons as Panthers book knockout clash with Warriors

1 week ago 4

If you wanted a nice reminder why Penrith can go all the way, all you had to do was plonk yourself down on the packed hill at WIN Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Even looking directly into the sun, St George Illawarra fans – and the healthy number of Penrith supporters who made the trek to Wollongong – could still make out that Nathan Cleary was doing Nathan Cleary things.

The game’s best player scored a try, set up a try, kicked well – one long kick swerved left to right, then right to left to force a dropout – and embraced his running game we only wish we saw more of each week.

The 40-20 win over the Dragons means the Panthers will finish seventh and book themselves a flight to New Zealand for an elimination final, most likely to be next Saturday afternoon.

The Clearys know the club well after Ivan coached the Warriors to their last grand final in 2011. Nathan’s little brother, Jett, is starring in the club’s NSW Cup side. James Fisher-Harris, the inspirational prop who won four premierships with the Panthers, will be waiting.

To win the NRL premiership, you need hard work, luck with injuries, and one or two players with genuine X-factor – and Cleary is the greatest trump card of all.

Nathan Cleary in action against the Dragons.

The Panthers looked in cruise control for most of the first half against the Dragons and led 22-6.

Even when the Dragons scored through Corey Allan and Tyrell Sloan early in the second half, there was never a sense of panic from the four-time premiers.

Penrith lost golden-point games to Melbourne and Canberra before coach Cleary rested 16 of his troops. Only Liam Martin and Brian To’o were given another week off against the Red V. They are not a bad pair to bring back for the first week of the finals.

The freshen-up clearly worked for the halfback. He was heavily involved in the game, and showed for most of the sunny but blustery afternoon he is ready to click into gear – again – through the month of September.

He is a big-game player who gets the job done. He missed a couple of field-goal attempts in those thrillers against the Storm and Raiders, but that disappointment he felt is bad news for any team he comes up against now.

One of the best things to happen at Penrith this year is the emergence of their left-edge combination of Blaize Talagi and Casey McLean. Talagi hits well for a smaller player, and McLean is so strong and gifted with and without the ball.

Dylan Edwards had a couple of hairy moments in recent weeks – and had a few passages of play against the Dragons he would have liked over – but like Cleary, is no doubt keen for a bumper month of football.

Like so many clubs, the Dragons have struggled with injuries, especially to key personnel. The losses to Souths and then Manly were not a true reflection of the progress they had made in the second half of the year. It was the third straight week they conceded 40 points, which would have really disappointed coach Shane Flanagan.

Jack de Belin farewelled the 17,742 supporters one last time before he links with Parramatta.

The Dragons will be among the big improvers in 2026. Penrith still have a job to do in 2025.

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