NRL 2025: Nathan Cleary the hero as the Penrith Panthers pip the Dogs in a thriller
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Not shy of the big moments, Panthers star Nathan Cleary has delivered one for his team to lead them to a thrilling 8-6 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday night.
With the Panthers trailing 6-2, Cleary charged down a Matt Burton kick before regathering it with no one near him to score in the 55th minute.
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'What a moment. Did anyone have that on their bingo card in this match?' Andrew Voss said.
Because of a groin issue he carried into Origin 2, Cleary didn't kick for goal, with Dylan Edwards instead holding the tee.
Nathan Cleary proved the match-winner for the Panthers. Photo: Fox Sports
Edwards slotted the conversion in what proved the final scoring play of the match.
Edwards missed a simple penalty goal in the dying minutes which opened the door for the Bulldogs to steal the win.
The Bulldogs had one last chance to hit the front with the final play and it looked on when Stephen Crichton made a mini break close to the line but his pass was knocked down and went into touch.
Fox League's Bryan Fletcher labelled it the 'game of the year' on The Late Show with Matty Johns.
Cleary and Luke Garner celebrate after the final whistle. (Photo by)
There was some drama inside the final three minutes, with the Bulldogs awarded a penalty after Brian To'o was placed on report for a contentious high shot.
With the kick to be 30 metres out and on the sideline, the Bulldogs elected to kick for touch instead of attempting the game-tying kick.
The game featured several bruising hits, with the tenacity of both teams the highlight.
'It's semi-final like. The intensity has been high, it's been end-to-end,' Michael Ennis said on Fox League.
The Dogs fell short in a lowscoring classic. (Photo by)
Fullback Connor Tracey was outstanding in the first half, recording two incredible try savers on Blaize Talagi.
'That is a hell of a play. He hits him with everything he has,' Cooper Cronk said in commentary.
But the Panthers held on to show their title defence is far from over.
They're coached by a former Panthers assistant in Cameron Ciraldo and some of their best players won comps with Penrith.
But the Bulldogs found out they're not quite there yet as they try to replicate what the mountain men have achieved lately.
They were dogged in defence as they have been all year, but you have to be perfect if you want to beat the best.
Ciraldo said on Wednesday that he had a plan A, plan B and plan C for how to use Lachlan Galvin, but he had to come up with something new just one minute into the contest when front-rower Daniel Suluka-Fifita was forced off.
The starting prop was ruled out by the independent head doctor after a heavy collision from the opening kick-off which threw their interchange plans into disarray.
Galvin came on 12 minutes into the second half for Reed Mahoney, with Toby Sexton shifting to dummy-half just as we saw when the Bulldogs beat the Eels.
The mid-season recruit gave away a penalty and struggled to make an impact after Sexton and Mahoney had earlier combined to set up Jacob Preston for the game's first try on the back of some lovely short passes through the middle.
To'o got through plenty of work but there have to be concerns after he required strapping to his left knee in the first half and battled for the rest of the night.
To'o overcame a hamstring injury to score a hat-trick for the Blues last week but never looked comfortable on Thursday in a worrying sign ahead of game three on July 9.
Originally published as Nathan Cleary the hero as the Panthers pip the Dogs in a thriller
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Ivan Cleary has declared the hallmarks of Penrith's success are back after the Panthers made it four straight wins with an 8-6 defeat of Canterbury. In one of the best games of the season so far on Thursday, Nathan Cleary produced the defining moment when he charged down a Matt Burton kick and scored in the second half. It was Penrith's only try after they trailed 6-2 at halftime, but proved enough to overcome a Bulldogs side beaten only twice previously this year. Last on the ladder a month ago, Penrith are now entrenched in the top eight and could finish the weekend as high as sixth if results go their way. The four-time defending premiers' revival has come on the back of effort plays like Cleary's charge-down, which was just the second of his career. A win over Wests Tigers three weeks ago was also sealed with a try-saving Scott Sorensen tackle, while they beat the Warriors last week without any Origin players. "There are definitely way more things like that happening, that just weren't there earlier in the year," coach Ivan Cleary said. "We have to keep doing it. "We started doing it against Parramatta (four weeks ago), they threw heaps at us and we defended well. "And then in the Tigers game, Soz and Nat made that play at the end of the game. That started it. If you get some results, you see that kind of effort is worth it." Cleary did not kick goals due to his groin issue, but got through the game unscathed 13 days out from Origin III. But there were fresh fresh concerns for NSW winger BrianTo'o, who picked up a knee injury and was placed on report for a high tackle late. Cleary, though, can feel something building again. "There is definitely that feel of confidence in what we're capable of that probably wasn't there at the start of the year," the halfback said. "It's those effort things. Over the four or five years, I don't think we've ever been the silkiest team but we've definitely been the team that's worked hard. "We've let go of looking too far ahead. There were times at the start of the year when we were looking at the ladder thinking can we make the top eight? "But now we've let go, just tried to build confidence and see where we go." In an absorbing first half the Panthers got on the board via a penalty goal for a Viliame Kikau high shot, before Jacob Preston bagged Canterbury's only try. But that did little to sum up 40 minutes that went from end-to-end, only for both sides' defences to hold on. After Cleary's match-defining charge-down with 26 minutes left, the Bulldogs still had late chances to win it. Canterbury opted against a penalty kick at goal to level the scores from the sideline with three minutes to go, before Matt Burton spilled the ball a few plays later. A Stephen Crichton pass also went into touch on the siren. The result means Canterbury will be knocked off the top of the ladder for the first time since March if Canberra beat Newcastle on Friday night. But the Dogs lost no admirers, playing 80 minutes with 16 men after Daniel Suluka-Fifita was concussed in the first tackle of the game. They blunted almost everything Penrith threw at them, with Crichton denying one Casey McLean try and Connor Tracey producing another great try-saver on the centre. Canterbury's defence also rushed Cleary at every opportunity, and it was telling that Penrith's only try did not come from structured play. "We've played them three times in the past three years," Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said. "We got pumped the first time, last year we showed some good signs we could hang in there a bit longer. "And tonight we went toe-to-toe for 80 minutes." Ivan Cleary has declared the hallmarks of Penrith's success are back after the Panthers made it four straight wins with an 8-6 defeat of Canterbury. In one of the best games of the season so far on Thursday, Nathan Cleary produced the defining moment when he charged down a Matt Burton kick and scored in the second half. It was Penrith's only try after they trailed 6-2 at halftime, but proved enough to overcome a Bulldogs side beaten only twice previously this year. Last on the ladder a month ago, Penrith are now entrenched in the top eight and could finish the weekend as high as sixth if results go their way. The four-time defending premiers' revival has come on the back of effort plays like Cleary's charge-down, which was just the second of his career. A win over Wests Tigers three weeks ago was also sealed with a try-saving Scott Sorensen tackle, while they beat the Warriors last week without any Origin players. "There are definitely way more things like that happening, that just weren't there earlier in the year," coach Ivan Cleary said. "We have to keep doing it. "We started doing it against Parramatta (four weeks ago), they threw heaps at us and we defended well. "And then in the Tigers game, Soz and Nat made that play at the end of the game. That started it. If you get some results, you see that kind of effort is worth it." Cleary did not kick goals due to his groin issue, but got through the game unscathed 13 days out from Origin III. But there were fresh fresh concerns for NSW winger BrianTo'o, who picked up a knee injury and was placed on report for a high tackle late. Cleary, though, can feel something building again. "There is definitely that feel of confidence in what we're capable of that probably wasn't there at the start of the year," the halfback said. "It's those effort things. Over the four or five years, I don't think we've ever been the silkiest team but we've definitely been the team that's worked hard. "We've let go of looking too far ahead. There were times at the start of the year when we were looking at the ladder thinking can we make the top eight? "But now we've let go, just tried to build confidence and see where we go." In an absorbing first half the Panthers got on the board via a penalty goal for a Viliame Kikau high shot, before Jacob Preston bagged Canterbury's only try. But that did little to sum up 40 minutes that went from end-to-end, only for both sides' defences to hold on. After Cleary's match-defining charge-down with 26 minutes left, the Bulldogs still had late chances to win it. Canterbury opted against a penalty kick at goal to level the scores from the sideline with three minutes to go, before Matt Burton spilled the ball a few plays later. A Stephen Crichton pass also went into touch on the siren. The result means Canterbury will be knocked off the top of the ladder for the first time since March if Canberra beat Newcastle on Friday night. But the Dogs lost no admirers, playing 80 minutes with 16 men after Daniel Suluka-Fifita was concussed in the first tackle of the game. They blunted almost everything Penrith threw at them, with Crichton denying one Casey McLean try and Connor Tracey producing another great try-saver on the centre. Canterbury's defence also rushed Cleary at every opportunity, and it was telling that Penrith's only try did not come from structured play. "We've played them three times in the past three years," Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said. "We got pumped the first time, last year we showed some good signs we could hang in there a bit longer. "And tonight we went toe-to-toe for 80 minutes." Ivan Cleary has declared the hallmarks of Penrith's success are back after the Panthers made it four straight wins with an 8-6 defeat of Canterbury. In one of the best games of the season so far on Thursday, Nathan Cleary produced the defining moment when he charged down a Matt Burton kick and scored in the second half. It was Penrith's only try after they trailed 6-2 at halftime, but proved enough to overcome a Bulldogs side beaten only twice previously this year. Last on the ladder a month ago, Penrith are now entrenched in the top eight and could finish the weekend as high as sixth if results go their way. The four-time defending premiers' revival has come on the back of effort plays like Cleary's charge-down, which was just the second of his career. A win over Wests Tigers three weeks ago was also sealed with a try-saving Scott Sorensen tackle, while they beat the Warriors last week without any Origin players. "There are definitely way more things like that happening, that just weren't there earlier in the year," coach Ivan Cleary said. "We have to keep doing it. "We started doing it against Parramatta (four weeks ago), they threw heaps at us and we defended well. "And then in the Tigers game, Soz and Nat made that play at the end of the game. That started it. If you get some results, you see that kind of effort is worth it." Cleary did not kick goals due to his groin issue, but got through the game unscathed 13 days out from Origin III. But there were fresh fresh concerns for NSW winger BrianTo'o, who picked up a knee injury and was placed on report for a high tackle late. Cleary, though, can feel something building again. "There is definitely that feel of confidence in what we're capable of that probably wasn't there at the start of the year," the halfback said. "It's those effort things. Over the four or five years, I don't think we've ever been the silkiest team but we've definitely been the team that's worked hard. "We've let go of looking too far ahead. There were times at the start of the year when we were looking at the ladder thinking can we make the top eight? "But now we've let go, just tried to build confidence and see where we go." In an absorbing first half the Panthers got on the board via a penalty goal for a Viliame Kikau high shot, before Jacob Preston bagged Canterbury's only try. But that did little to sum up 40 minutes that went from end-to-end, only for both sides' defences to hold on. After Cleary's match-defining charge-down with 26 minutes left, the Bulldogs still had late chances to win it. Canterbury opted against a penalty kick at goal to level the scores from the sideline with three minutes to go, before Matt Burton spilled the ball a few plays later. A Stephen Crichton pass also went into touch on the siren. The result means Canterbury will be knocked off the top of the ladder for the first time since March if Canberra beat Newcastle on Friday night. But the Dogs lost no admirers, playing 80 minutes with 16 men after Daniel Suluka-Fifita was concussed in the first tackle of the game. They blunted almost everything Penrith threw at them, with Crichton denying one Casey McLean try and Connor Tracey producing another great try-saver on the centre. Canterbury's defence also rushed Cleary at every opportunity, and it was telling that Penrith's only try did not come from structured play. "We've played them three times in the past three years," Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said. "We got pumped the first time, last year we showed some good signs we could hang in there a bit longer. "And tonight we went toe-to-toe for 80 minutes."
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