Nathan Cleary is at risk of being rubbed out of Penrith’s preliminary final after booting the Panthers to a thrilling 19-12 finals win over the Sydney Roosters.
In a cracking Sunday afternoon qualifying final, Cleary was sin-binned for collecting Hugo Savala’s leg before breaking a 12-12 deadlock with a late field goal at Parramatta Stadium.
Brian To’o then iced the win with a 77th minute try after pouncing on a spilled Roosters pass.
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The result means the Roosters will host Cronulla in a do-or-die semi-final on Saturday night, while Penrith are one win away from their sixth grand final in seven years.
But all eyes will be on the NRL’s charge sheet on Monday, with Cleary anxiously awaiting what sanction he will face for crashing into Savala’s leg after the Roosters player kicked in the first half.
The Panthers star immediately gave a worried look, before referee Gerard Sutton told him his action had “force”, was “very dangerous” and “carried a high risk of injury”.
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If Cleary was to receive a grade-two dangerous contact charge on Monday, the game’s best player would be facing a ban from the preliminary final with an early plea.
If he elected to challenge the charge, he would then risk being rubbed out of the grand final if found guilty.
A grade-one charge would only attract a fine for Cleary, and prove a massive boost in Penrith’s bid for a fifth premiership of their dynasty.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary was adamant the challenge was not worthy of a suspension.
“God no, of course not,” said Cleary.
“He was just trying to make a play and he was thinking the right thing but he got the angle wrong.
“I must say though, the same thing happened to him earlier in the game, but anyway.
Cleary’s challenge on Savala could have huge implications in the premiership race. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
“We just had to manage our way through that period and then it was a dogfight for most of the second half, like a real semi-final.
“You could tell he was disappointed. Hugo (Savala) is not injured, it’s just a black and white thing we’ve brought into the game.”
The Roosters failed to make use of Cleary’s absence, with Savala missing the ensuing penalty goal and being denied a try for a double movement after the break.
That was one of the few chances during a scoreless opening 32 minutes of the second half, before Cleary stepped up as the game’s ultimate ice man.
To’o iced the game with a late intercept try. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer )
Sat in the attacking line after a searching Moses Leota run, Cleary was able to slot over the one-pointer with no pressure from Roosters defenders.
Daly Cherry-Evans then attempted to reciprocate moments later, but sprayed a shot from 20 metres out to the right before To’o’s sealer under the posts.
“Execution of moments (cost us). It was a good contest, both teams were in there fighting,” said Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
“You’re looking for those little opportunities where can take advantage. Cleary took his with the one-point and we had some that we missed.
“We missed them and they got them. That’s the tale of the tape really.”
Cleary’s boot had also wreaked havoc early on Sunday, with the Roosters unable to handle three of his bombs and Liam Martin leaping to score off one of his shallow cross-field kicks.
The Penrith halfback also changed the point of attack and went back inside to Dylan Edwards for the Panthers’ second try, with the fullback swerving his way over to make it 12-12 after 38 minutes.
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Mark Nawaqanitawase’s freakish ability had kept the Roosters in the match in the first half, with two key intercepts.
The Roosters winger first helped deny a Penrith try when he reached out and held onto an Isaiah Papali’i ball in the third minute.
He then gave the Roosters a 12-6 lead when he stretched out to stop a Penrith break, juggled the ball three time as he fell, got up and ran 45 metres to score.
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Signing off
That’ll do us for today, thanks for stopping by today.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow morning when the charge sheet drops and we have an answer of what’s next for Cleary.
Take it easy!
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Panthers press conference
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and co-captain Isaah Yeo are speaking now.
Cleary doesn’t think the challenge from Nathan Cleary is worth a suspension.
“God no, of course not,” said Cleary.
“He was just trying to make a play and he was thinking the right thing but he got the angle wrong.
“I must say though, the same thing happened to him earlier in the game, but anyway.
“It was similar to last week (against the Tigers) where we lost a half just before halftime.
“We just had to manage our way through that period and then it was a dogfight for most of the second half, like a real semi-final.
“You could tell he was disappointed. Hugo (Savala) is not injured, it’s just a black and white thing we’ve brought into the game.”
Isaah Yeo is speaking for the first time since he came back from his torn pec.
“We just saw how it was going, to be fair. We gave it some time to settle down and see how it felt when I was training,” Yeo said when asked how he’s come back on the field.
“So far we’ve had confidence in it, it feels a bit better than last week.”
Cleary wraps Blaize Talagi who came into the team at centre today as a late change.
Roosters press conference
Roosters coach Trent Robinson and captain James Tedesco are speaking now.
“Execution of moments (cost us) – it was a good contest, both teams were in there fighting,” Robinson said.
“You’re looking for those little opportunities where can take advantage. Cleary took his with the one-point and we had some that we missed.
“We missed them and they got them. That’s the tale of the tape really.”
He says he gave his team a big wrap in the sheds but points out that their catching and penalties cost them and he says the loss came down to more than just the Cherry-Evans miss.
“We had other moments as well. Daly is an ice man, he’s iced them for us and he’ll ice them again in the next few weeks,” said Robinson.
Robinson is tight-lipped about the Cleary challenge but he thinks the referees got the call right.
“They got it right, the level of force and the sin bin, I thought it was quite simple and I don’t have much more to say other than that.”
He says he’s not sure whether Angus Crichton is going to play against Cronulla next week.
Next week’s fixtures confirmed
We have confirmation from the NRL as to next week’s schedule.
First up, the Roosters will play Cronulla at the SFS on Saturday night. The loser is gone, the winner heads to Brisbane to play the Dolphins for a spot in the grand final.
Then on Sunday afternoon the Knights travel to Auckland to face the Warriors at Eden Park. Winner plays the Panthers in the prelim.
Fulltime: Panthers 19 def Roosters 12
That’s it, Penrith hang on in one of the games of the season.
All eyes now to the judiciary to see whether Nathan Cleary will be suspended for the preliminary final.
The Panthers will play the winner of next week’s Warriors-Knights clash.
The Roosters were excellent in defeat and can leave here with their heads held high. They’ll have to rebound for a sudden-death semi-final against Cronulla, the winner of whom will travel to Brisbane to face the Dolphins.
Finals footy, you just have to love it.
78′ Panthers recover the short kick off
Martin flies high to claim the kick to cap an excellent game from him and I doubt the Roosters get the ball back.
77′ To’o scores the winner!
The Roosters try and line up a sweep to their left, Savala’s pass goes to ground, To’o scoops it up and runs 30 metres to score a well-deserved try and wrap this game up.
Savala was trying to hit Tedesco but the ball wasn’t on the mark.
Edwards kicks it from in front and at 19-12 with two minutes left we can just about pencil the Panthers in for another prelim, their seventh in a row.
75′ DCE can’t level it up
Leota makes an error on the exit set! The Roosters will have a chance to strike right back.
Foketi has been cited by the independent doctor and is done for the day. Bucher comes on.
Cherry-Evans has a chance from point-blank range and he shanks it bad. He’s usually one of the best in the business!
Panthers ball from the 20. Time running short now.
72′ Cleary gives Penrith the lead
Cherry-Evans puts in an excellent clearing kick, or it seems excellent until it takes one bounce too many and goes dead by a hair. Seven tackle set for Penrith.
They roll up the field, a Leota charge on the fourth gets them in prime position and Cleary punches the field goal over.
We have a leader, at last. Penrith are up 13-12.
68′ The stalemate continues
Talagi slips as he comes toward the defensive line and Smith gets him right in the face. That’s a penalty and Penrith have another shot at cracking the Chooks.
Cleary floats a cut out pass for To’o but he’s a bit too narrow for it and his kick inside deflects to Foketi. Rooster ball.
65′ Roosters follow suit
An error from Edwards gives the Roosters a fresh set inside the 20, they go down their right but Toia loses it. Cole tries to put McLean away off the error and he does but his ball is called forward.
No advantage. Panthers ball. Getting close to field goal territory…..
63′ Panthers can’t ice it
More set-for-set footy, Cherry-Evans has started kicking early to try and tuck one in behind To’o but can’t quite nail it, and Penrith again get the break after a dangerous tackle from Smith.
They strip the Roosters for numbers down the left, if McLean can nail the catch and pass Jenkins will score but he can’t get it right under heavy pressure from Nawaqanitawase.
Roosters ball. Getting to the big time stuff now.
58′ Panthers hold their own
Jenkins loses the ball in contact on his own 20! Now the Roosters have a chance to take the lead – Watson, who was involved in the tackle on Yeo at the other end, is in there again.
But Kenny returns the favour with a great tackle on Collins, he hits right under the ball and forces it free.
55′ Panthers can’t break the deadlock
We go set-for-set for a good five minutes and the Roosters crack first with a Wong error inside his own 30.
Feels like the next score will be big. Cole takes them on down the short side and tries to put Phillips over, he drops the ball but it’s a Panther penalty for offside. They take the tap.
Just two tackles later Yeo puts it down right in the shadows of the posts. Roosters survive!
50′ Penrith lose their challenge
Cleary puts up a kick that To’o contests and it falls for Scott, Penrith want a restart but the ref says knock on.
They challenge. I think they’ll get it as well, Tupou looks to have knocked on here – but the Bunker says To’o got it first.
Both teams have now lost their challenges.
49′ Panthers make the right call
Jenkins takes Nawaqanitawase out in the air on a contest and the Roosters get easy passage from their own end.
They spread it left and seem to have the numbers but Talagi and To’o time their jam beautifully and force an error from Tupou.
Penrith ball and they’ll get Cleary back by the end of the set.
46′ Roosters hold on after crazy kick
Nawaqanitawase drops a bomb and Penrith are on the attack inside the 20.
To’o cuts back on the inside and puts a kick but it bounces off the post hard and falls for Leniu! Roosters hold on. Cleary back in three minutes.
43′ Savala can’t resist it
A short-side rush on the last ends with Jenkins knocking down a pass to save a try but the Roosters have a full set inside the ten against 12 men.
Savala takes them on off the scrum! Geez he’s close, we go upstairs and it looks he promoted the ball after it hit the ground.
Panthers penalty, a lucky escape for the Riff.
Second half is underway
And we’re halfway home – Roosters kick off, Cleary will be missing for the next eight minutes.
Nathan Cleary on report
I think Cleary will be facing a dangerous contact charge – a Grade 2 would mean he’d be facing a one-match suspension.
Will it be a Grade 2? We’ll have to wait and see until tomorrow morning when the charge sheet comes out but contact on a player’s kicking leg is a bad area to be in.
My gut tells me it’ll be a Grade 1, which means he’d escape with a fine, but you never can tell with the judiciary sometimes.
dan