‘Self-loathing' and ‘embarrassment' ends with Cleary getting his mojo back
Cleary's father and coach Ivan said Nathan had 'negotiated pretty hard' to play, but he opted to start him from the bench to manage his workload.
In a hard-fought contest, the four-time premiers proved their title defence is very much alive, barely six weeks after they were in last position.
If rival teams were not already nervous enough, the Panthers got the job done against Parramatta despite resting NSW Origin stars Liam Martin, Dylan Edwards and Brian To'o.
Fellow Blues Isaah Yeo and Cleary both played, but Cleary started from the bench for only the second time in his illustrious career.
With eight regular-season rounds to play, the Panthers are still five points adrift of the top four, but with their next four games against strugglers South Sydney, Wests Tigers, Gold Coast and Newcastle, anything would appear possible.
'We lost five in a row, so we just won five in a row, so it's taken a long time to get the ledger back,' Ivan said. 'We'll finish where we deserve. We're still trying to build. We need to play better than what we did today.'
A try after the half-time siren lifted Penrith into the lead for the first time.
Trailing 10-6, the Panthers kept the ball alive and swung it from the right edge to the left, where back-rower Luke Garner scored to give the visitors a 12-10 advantage and a psychological boost as they headed into the sheds.
Fielding a restructured team in which Kiwi international five-eighth Dylan Brown started at hooker for the first time in his career, Parramatta drew first blood after rampaging Fijian back-rower Kitione Kautoga crashed over for the opening try.
Penrith responded eight minutes later when winger Thomas Jenkins reached out one-handed and planted the ball for his ninth try of the season.
A penalty goal from Paul Alamoti then locked the scores at 6-6, before Eels centre Bailey Simonsson, in his comeback game from an injury that sidelined him for 10 weeks, flicked a freakish pass and Zac Lomax finished in the corner.
Panthers centre Izack Tago increased his team's lead 16 minutes into the second half when he weaved between front-rowers Jack Williams and Junior Paulo and stretched out to score one-handed next to the posts.
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Cleary scored a try of his own in the 72nd and, with two points in safe keeping, earned a deserved early mark soon afterwards.
Penrith iced the win with a barging Lindsay Smith try from dummy-half two minutes from full-time.
Disappointed Eels coach Jason Ryles indicated he would continue with rookie Joash Papalii at five-eighth, saying: 'Our future is now.'
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Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Hynes tears into Cleary critics with passionate plea
Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has leapt to the defence of Nathan Cleary, who he says is a victim of tall poppy syndrome following last week's shock State of Origin defeat. The former Dally M Medal winner has warned the rest of the NRL that the Panthers star could take his game to scary heights after his Blues heartbreak. A shattered Cleary spoke with humility after NSW lost game three at home and conceded he was yet to own the Origin arena after falling to an 0-3 record in series deciders after the Maroons rallied around skipper Cameron Munster and played a faultless opening 67 minutes. The discourse around Cleary has ranged from him being the GOAT (greatest of all time) to someone who can't win the big one, which doesn't quite stack up given he's won four titles in a row and is doing things we've never seen on a footy field. Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon was stunned by the criticism Cleary copped after the decider, and Hynes took it a step further in the sheds after his side's win over the Dolphins. Nicho Hynes has thrown his support behind Nathan Cleary and can't understand the criticism of one of the game's biggest stars. Richard Dobson Credit: News Corp Australia 'It can be challenging at times,' said Hynes, who now has a private Instagram account and blocks out all the outside noise having copped similar criticism after losing games for NSW. 'In the past I've let it get to me a fair bit, but I've put things in place at the moment so I don't see any of the stuff that's being spoken about me as long as the coaching staff, my teammates and my family value what I'm doing for the club and the effort I'm putting in. 'I felt for Nathan the other night. Although I haven't seen any of what's going on, I have heard whispers around and people talking about what he's going through and the things he's been copping. 'He's a four-time premiership winner in a row, he's tactically probably the best player in our game. I think Munster's the best football player we've had for a long time in the game, but Nathan's tactically so good and Queensland just lifted the other night. 'They lifted, the whole state lifted and the whole team did for Munster and it just goes like that sometimes. As a halfback, you do wear a lot of it and that just comes with being the No.7 on a rugby league team, it's like the quarterback in the NFL. 'I know he strives for perfection and there are days sometimes it just doesn't turn out. He's going to come back better for it. 'It's like me, I always strive for perfection and I'll never reach it, but I'm going to keep trying and I'm going to keep working hard for this club and put my best foot forward and not worry about what people have to say. 'I know what I'm doing and if anyone could do a better job they would be. They just sit on the couch and watch the footy and have their opinion when their opinion doesn't really matter. 'You guys in the media have your opinion because you have to, it's your job. You write about it and I don't listen to it. I just keep working hard, doing my best for this team and sometimes you don't get the win. 'There's always a winner and a loser and we've been losing at the moment and that's fair enough, some criticism will come our way and I've just got to deal with it, keep moving on and keep fighting.' Baseball legend Reggie Jackson had a famous quote back in the day that 'Fans don't boo nobodies', and that was on show on Sunday when Eels supporters booed Cleary when he was shown on the bench before the Penrith playmaker came on and led his side to victory. 'It's the Australian way sometimes. They want to bring people down all the time, whether you're at the top of your game or you're not or you're a high-profile person,' Hynes said. 'This is tall poppy syndrome and in Australia it's real. They just want to bring everyone down. 'In our game there is only one winner at the end of the day in October and only one halfback wins it every year. Nathan Cleary's been that one. 'People coming at me, are they saying every other halfback is a failure in this competition? There's only one person who gets to win it, one No.7 wins it every year, so all of us other halfbacks are chasing that. 'Are they calling Mitchell Moses a failure? I don't think so because he's a great player, won an Origin series last year and he hasn't won a comp yet.' Hynes said he didn't need external validation and was only focused on the opinions of his teammates, coaches and those close to him, but he'd happily offer his praise to Cleary if he thought it would help. 'I thought about messaging him over the last couple of days and saying 'you're the GOAT, don't worry about it',' he said. 'But I know what it's like when people message you telling you not to worry about the things that are being said about you. You straight away think about what's being said. 'He's a professional, he's been through it all before. I have been thinking about him a lot, I just didn't want to be another person to message saying 'don't worry about it' because I don't even know what's going on and what's been said. 'The boys come in and say 'what happened about this person?' I don't know because I just don't care anymore about what's going on in this world, about rugby league. 'If he does see this, I honestly am thinking about him and I do love him as a person. He's a genuine, really good person. 'I'm scared for the competition now, how he's going to bounce back.'
The Advertiser
20 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Overlooked lock given another chance to push Test case
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto will have another chance to push his case for Wallabies selection, with the lock included in the First Nations and Pasifika squad to face the touring Lions in Melbourne. After turning out in the AUNZ invitational side last Saturday, the Queensland lock said he was waiting by the phone if required by Test coach Joe Schmidt. Coach Toutai Kefu included four players from that disappointing 48-0 loss in Adelaide, with Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Pete Samu and Kalani Thomas also backing up. Dumped Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, who is of Samoan heritage, will also get another chance after being left out of the squad for the first Test this Saturday in Brisbane. Fijian Drua forwards Mesake Doge and Mesake Vocevoce have been called into the squad as the first current Fijian internationals to face the Lions since the famous 1977 win. Former Australia Under-20 props Lington Ieli and Marley Pearce will get another shot at the tourists, while Brumbies No.8 Tuaina Taii Tualima joined previously named back-rowers Rob Leota, Seru Uru and Charlie Gamble. Halfbacks Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa and Harrison Goddard have been included, with Kurtley Beale and Jack Debreczeni set to share the flyhalf duties Star centres Lalakai Foketi and David Feliuai are among the backs named, alongside Brumbies flyer Andy Muirhead. In total, the group is made up of 20 players of Pasifika heritage and seven of First Nations heritage. "There is a nice blend of youth and experience within the group, with countries and territories represented across the Pacific and Indigenous Australia," Kefu said. "The players are aware at how big an opportunity this is to perform for their communities and grow the game of rugby. "We have seen how strong the Lions are in recent weeks. The coaching staff and all the players will be working as hard as possible to prepare for this match and try to pull off something special in Melbourne." Meanwhile, the Lions have added Scotland's Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham as injury cover for Tuesday night's match at Marvel Stadium. The three have been pulled from Scotland's squad in New Zealand ahead of their Test against Samoa in Auckland. Winger Graham arrived Monday after he drew two yellow cards and left Scotland a man down for the last part of their 29-14 loss to Fiji in Suva. Glasgow Warriors loosehead prop Sutherland, who played in two Tests on the previous Lions tour in South Africa, will join the camp in Melbourne later in the week along with Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman. FIRST NATIONS AND PASIFIKA XV SQUAD: Forwards: George Blake (Cook Islands), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Feao Fotuaika (Tonga), Lington Ieli (Fiji), Marley Pearce (Maori and First Nations), Richie Asiata (Samoa), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa and Maori), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa), Darcy Swain (Samoa), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Seru Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Rob Leota (Samoa), Pete Samu (Samoa), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa) Backs: Issak Fines-Leleiwasa (Fiji), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Kalani Thomas (Maori), Kurtley Beale (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Islands), David Feliuai (Samoa), Lalakai Foketi (Tongan and Maori), Isaac Henry (First Nations), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations), Andy Muirhead (First Nations), Kye Oates (First Nations), Triston Reilly (First Nations) Lukhan Salakaia-Loto will have another chance to push his case for Wallabies selection, with the lock included in the First Nations and Pasifika squad to face the touring Lions in Melbourne. After turning out in the AUNZ invitational side last Saturday, the Queensland lock said he was waiting by the phone if required by Test coach Joe Schmidt. Coach Toutai Kefu included four players from that disappointing 48-0 loss in Adelaide, with Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Pete Samu and Kalani Thomas also backing up. Dumped Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, who is of Samoan heritage, will also get another chance after being left out of the squad for the first Test this Saturday in Brisbane. Fijian Drua forwards Mesake Doge and Mesake Vocevoce have been called into the squad as the first current Fijian internationals to face the Lions since the famous 1977 win. Former Australia Under-20 props Lington Ieli and Marley Pearce will get another shot at the tourists, while Brumbies No.8 Tuaina Taii Tualima joined previously named back-rowers Rob Leota, Seru Uru and Charlie Gamble. Halfbacks Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa and Harrison Goddard have been included, with Kurtley Beale and Jack Debreczeni set to share the flyhalf duties Star centres Lalakai Foketi and David Feliuai are among the backs named, alongside Brumbies flyer Andy Muirhead. In total, the group is made up of 20 players of Pasifika heritage and seven of First Nations heritage. "There is a nice blend of youth and experience within the group, with countries and territories represented across the Pacific and Indigenous Australia," Kefu said. "The players are aware at how big an opportunity this is to perform for their communities and grow the game of rugby. "We have seen how strong the Lions are in recent weeks. The coaching staff and all the players will be working as hard as possible to prepare for this match and try to pull off something special in Melbourne." Meanwhile, the Lions have added Scotland's Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham as injury cover for Tuesday night's match at Marvel Stadium. The three have been pulled from Scotland's squad in New Zealand ahead of their Test against Samoa in Auckland. Winger Graham arrived Monday after he drew two yellow cards and left Scotland a man down for the last part of their 29-14 loss to Fiji in Suva. Glasgow Warriors loosehead prop Sutherland, who played in two Tests on the previous Lions tour in South Africa, will join the camp in Melbourne later in the week along with Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman. FIRST NATIONS AND PASIFIKA XV SQUAD: Forwards: George Blake (Cook Islands), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Feao Fotuaika (Tonga), Lington Ieli (Fiji), Marley Pearce (Maori and First Nations), Richie Asiata (Samoa), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa and Maori), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa), Darcy Swain (Samoa), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Seru Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Rob Leota (Samoa), Pete Samu (Samoa), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa) Backs: Issak Fines-Leleiwasa (Fiji), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Kalani Thomas (Maori), Kurtley Beale (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Islands), David Feliuai (Samoa), Lalakai Foketi (Tongan and Maori), Isaac Henry (First Nations), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations), Andy Muirhead (First Nations), Kye Oates (First Nations), Triston Reilly (First Nations) Lukhan Salakaia-Loto will have another chance to push his case for Wallabies selection, with the lock included in the First Nations and Pasifika squad to face the touring Lions in Melbourne. After turning out in the AUNZ invitational side last Saturday, the Queensland lock said he was waiting by the phone if required by Test coach Joe Schmidt. Coach Toutai Kefu included four players from that disappointing 48-0 loss in Adelaide, with Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Pete Samu and Kalani Thomas also backing up. Dumped Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, who is of Samoan heritage, will also get another chance after being left out of the squad for the first Test this Saturday in Brisbane. Fijian Drua forwards Mesake Doge and Mesake Vocevoce have been called into the squad as the first current Fijian internationals to face the Lions since the famous 1977 win. Former Australia Under-20 props Lington Ieli and Marley Pearce will get another shot at the tourists, while Brumbies No.8 Tuaina Taii Tualima joined previously named back-rowers Rob Leota, Seru Uru and Charlie Gamble. Halfbacks Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa and Harrison Goddard have been included, with Kurtley Beale and Jack Debreczeni set to share the flyhalf duties Star centres Lalakai Foketi and David Feliuai are among the backs named, alongside Brumbies flyer Andy Muirhead. In total, the group is made up of 20 players of Pasifika heritage and seven of First Nations heritage. "There is a nice blend of youth and experience within the group, with countries and territories represented across the Pacific and Indigenous Australia," Kefu said. "The players are aware at how big an opportunity this is to perform for their communities and grow the game of rugby. "We have seen how strong the Lions are in recent weeks. The coaching staff and all the players will be working as hard as possible to prepare for this match and try to pull off something special in Melbourne." Meanwhile, the Lions have added Scotland's Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham as injury cover for Tuesday night's match at Marvel Stadium. The three have been pulled from Scotland's squad in New Zealand ahead of their Test against Samoa in Auckland. Winger Graham arrived Monday after he drew two yellow cards and left Scotland a man down for the last part of their 29-14 loss to Fiji in Suva. Glasgow Warriors loosehead prop Sutherland, who played in two Tests on the previous Lions tour in South Africa, will join the camp in Melbourne later in the week along with Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman. FIRST NATIONS AND PASIFIKA XV SQUAD: Forwards: George Blake (Cook Islands), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Feao Fotuaika (Tonga), Lington Ieli (Fiji), Marley Pearce (Maori and First Nations), Richie Asiata (Samoa), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa and Maori), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa), Darcy Swain (Samoa), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Seru Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Rob Leota (Samoa), Pete Samu (Samoa), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa) Backs: Issak Fines-Leleiwasa (Fiji), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Kalani Thomas (Maori), Kurtley Beale (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Islands), David Feliuai (Samoa), Lalakai Foketi (Tongan and Maori), Isaac Henry (First Nations), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations), Andy Muirhead (First Nations), Kye Oates (First Nations), Triston Reilly (First Nations)
7NEWS
20 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Fresh details emerge over Darcy Parish's ‘friction' with Essendon over pre-season injury management
New details are emerging around Essendon's injury crisis, with gun midfielder Darcy Parish 'causing friction' with club officials over the management of his back injury during the pre-season. 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary exclusively revealed the fresh development, which centres around Parish's back problem in the pre-season. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Parish struggled with the back complaint throughout the pre-season and after consultation with club staff, he underwent an initial procedure. But there was lingering pain following that and Parish decided to consult an independent third party, which 'raised eyebrows', according to Cleary. 'December, has a back injury, works with the Essendon medicos to go under the knife for a procedure on his back. That doesn't go well and he's in pain for several weeks off the back of it,' Cleary said on The Agenda Setters. 'He then seeks independent third-party advice around his back injury, which caused some friction and raised eyebrows internally with the club. 'On the back of that second opinion, they found the initial procedure didn't go to plan.' Parish ended up undergoing a second procedure in Queensland, which fixed the issue. St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt said Parish's decision to go seek his own advice was very unusual. 'That's not common that a player would do that,' he said. Parish, a 2021 All-Australian, ended up missing the first 11 matches due to back and calf injuries. He played his first game of the season in Round 13 against Carlton, but only managed two more games before he was sidelined again with another calf injury. The revelation surrounding Parish is the latest in a long list of issues for the club. The Bombers have been hit hard by injuries this year, which has prompted a probe into the alarming situation. Nic Martin (knee) and Will Setterfield (foot) were the latest two to be ruled out for the season, joining a long list of sidelined first-team regulars that includes Nick Bryan, Sam Draper, Jye Caldwell, Kyle Langford, Ben McKay, Harrison Jones, and Zach Reid. Cleary last week reported that senior players were losing faith in the high-performance team that could lead to some potentially leaving the club.
