Judiciary clears Cleary

Sports

BRISBANE: Nathan Cleary has been cleared by the match review committee after he was placed on report for a lifting tackle in Saturday’s 10-6 preliminary final win over Melbourne.
It was welcome news for coach Ivan Cleary, whose planning to avenge last year’s grand final loss had been so precise that the Panthers waited five months to exploit a Storm weakness exposed by the Roosters earlier this year. Cleary laid on a fourth-minute try that was a carbon copy of one scored by Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu against the Storm in round six as Penrith stunned the premiers 10-6 but the star playmaker was placed on report for a lifting tackle on Kenny Bromwich.
Ivan had watched Roosters captain James Tedesco kick to the corner from dummy half under the Melbourne goalposts after noticing that Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr had come in-field and Nathan practiced the move last week.
The tactic paid off when Nathan jumped into dummy half and kicked across-field for an unmarked Stephen Crichton to score and the converted try proved decisive in an epic preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium.
“We stole it off the Roosters,” Ivan said. “I was actually watching that game so I remembered it.
“Sometimes that sort of stuff works, sometimes it doesn’t and sometimes you don’t even use it. Today, to the boys’ credit, they had the courage to do it and executed it well.” Results: Fri, Sept 24 — Rabbitohs 36 Sea Eagles 16; Sat, Sept 25 — Storm 6 Panthers 10. – NRL


Panthers No.7 hails ‘medical people’

BRISBANE: Nathan Cleary has hailed the medical people behind his shot at grand-final redemption, praising their positivity for keeping his National Rugby League season alive.
The Penrith co-captain breathed a massive sigh of relief yesterday after avoiding a charge for his lifting tackle on Melbourne forward Kenny Bromwich, leaving him free to play in Sunday’s grand final against South Sydney.
However, concerns remain for the Panthers, with forwards James Fisher-Harris and Tevita Pangai both set for scans on injured knees today.
Late-season recruit Pangai is believed to be the main worry, amid fears medial ligament damage could rule him out of the decider.
At least the Panthers now know they will have their star halfback on deck on grand final night, a prospect that looked in doubt after he injured his shoulder in State of Origin two.
Cleary’s availability is crucial to the Panthers. He has won 19 of 20 games at all levels this year while he and Jarome Luai have a 40-3 record together in the halves.
The 23-year-old is adamant that he has got to the point where his battered right shoulder is not front of mind when he takes the field, despite appearing to be carrying it at times.
He saw multiple specialists on return to Sydney after the Origin two win, with scans showing a cartilage tear after a shoulder subluxation.
Ultimately, it was decided that the could roll the dice and play out the season, with surgery inevitable afterwards. – Yahoo Sports Australia


Strong defence carries Penrith Panthers to grand final

Melbourne’s Josh Addo-Caar tackling Penrith Panthers co-captain Nathan Cleary during their semifinal clash at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on Saturday. The Panthers won 10-6. – rnzpic

BRISBANE: Defence wins premierships.
It’s a mantra that has survived 113 years of rule changes, rugby league dramas and the overhaul of a competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League to National Rugby League.
And on Saturday, Penrith proved that in the most up-tempo attacking season in recent memory, the old adage still rings true with their 10-6 preliminary final win.
Beyond that, the 80 minutes at Suncorp Stadium also showed why the Panthers will enter Sunday’s grand final against South Sydney as favourites.
For all the hype about their attack over the early parts of the season, the Panthers’ defence remained immense.
They have conceded an average of 11.9 points per game in both 2020 and 2021, the best of any team since Melbourne in 2007.
All that, in a time where attack has been king.
The Storm had averaged one try for every seven play-the-balls they had in an opposition’s 20-metre zone this year.
On Saturday, Melbourne had 28 tackles in Penrith’s red-zone.
And it took 63 minutes for the Panthers to finally break, when Cameron Munster grubbered for a chasing Ryan Papenhuyzen to score his team’s sole try.
“A couple of years ago we sat down and really wanted to make this team and this club a genuine top-four team and premiership threat,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said.
“Historically you can’t do it without good defence. It’s the foundation of what we do.
“We spend a lot of time on it. We really value it.” – Yahoo Sports Australia


Coach Bellamy laments missed opportunities

BRISBANE: Craig Bellamy was proud of the hurdles his side had overcome in 2021 but equally at a loss as to why they produced their worst attacking performance of the season to bow out of the title race against Penrith on Saturday.
The Panthers got their ultimate revenge on last year’s grand final result with a 10-6 win over a Storm outfit that fumbled their way through a gruelling 80-minute marathon in humid conditions at Suncorp Stadium.
The result ended Melbourne’s mission for back-to-back premierships and sets up an enthralling 2021 Telstra Premiership grand final involving Penrith and South Sydney.
Bellamy was adamant the Storm weren’t underdone leading into the clash but conceded the club’s last two years being away from Melbourne had begun to wear thin in recent weeks.
Melbourne struggled for any cohesion in the opening stages before being dealt a double blow losing Christian Welch (head knock) and Brandon Smith (head knock/shoulder) to injuries.
Their attack never completely recovered from a completion rate of just 57 per cent at half-time with errors at key stages killing off any chance at breaking Penrith’s gritty defence.
Storm centres Justin Olam and Reimis Smith were guilty of errors at key moments while Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster struggled to build any momentum.
“We got what we deserved tonight,” Bellamy said.
“The Panthers got what they deserved, they were the best team on the night.
“We dropped a couple of really good opportunities.
“It’s really hard to take, actually.
“That was, with our attack, one of our poorest performances of the year.
“Having said that I can’t be too critical tonight after what these guys have done for two years, winning the competition last year and minor premiership this year.” – NRL


Departures leave big hole at Storm

Melbourne Storm’s five-eighth Cameron Munster in action against the Panthers on Saturday. He failed to fire, costing them a second-straight grand final appearance. – nrlpic

BRISBANE: Dale Finucane looms as the hardest man to replace for Melbourne as Craig Bellamy admits he, Nicho Hynes and Josh Addo-Carr leave the club with a big hole to fill.
The Storm’s first season without retired longtime skipper Cameron Smith finished one week earlier than most expected as Saturday’s 10-6 National Rugby League preliminary final loss to Penrith ended their title defence
But the powerhouse club’s 19 straight wins in 2021 showcased their ability to always replace from within, doing it in the year after they lost the last member of their famed Big Three.
Finucane helped lead Melbourne into their new era without Smith, named as co-captain with Jesse Bromwich earlier this year.
But he now moves to Cronulla alongside breakout star Hynes, while Origin winger Addo-Carr heads to Canterbury.
The Storm will bring Xavier Coates in for Addo-Carr’s wing, while Nick Meaney is Hynes’ replacement. – Seven News