Superstar Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary couldn’t hide his emotions after seeing the Broncos come from behind to end their quest for an unprecedented fifth-straight NRL premiership on Sunday. Brisbane trailed 14-0 at halftime of the preliminary final but surged home after another incredible second half performance to snatch a 16-14 win that books their place in Sunday’s grand final against Melbourne.
Reece Walshย set up a brilliant late try with an audacious offload for Deine Mariner to cross out wide, locking the scores up at 14-all. Walsh then handed the kicking tee over to Adam Reynolds after missing an easy shot at goal earlier in the half, with the Broncos skipper showing nerves of steel to slot the sideline conversion and put Brisbane in front
There was still time for Penrith to conjure a miracle but the normally unflappable four-time reigning premiers got it all wrong in the dying stages. After advancing deep into Brisbane’s half, Cleary made a late decision to run back to the 40-metre line on the fifth tackle and attempt a two-point field goal to send the game into extra time.
It appeared to be an afterthought though, as Isaah Yeo’s rushed pass left the Penrith No.7 racing back to set up for the kick, and Brisbane’s defenders with enough time to close him down. Cleary had no choice but to offload to fullback Dylan Edwards, whose attempted two-point field goal fell well short and signalled an end to Penrith’s season.
Speaking after the heartbreaking defeat, Cleary admitted it was a “horrible” feeling to lose a finals game in such a manner. Incredibly, the last time his Panthers had tasted defeat in any finals clash was the 2020 grand final defeat to Melbourne, and Penrith’s No.7 said it was an equally hollow moment on Sunday.
“It’s a horrible feeling, losing, being knocked out,” the Panthers co-captain said. “I just haven’t felt that in a while. I definitely don’t want this feeling again.” He admitted that Penrith’s attempts to snatch a late try to win the game made the subsequent attempt at a two-point field goal that much harder.
“It’s obviously a pretty difficult one when you’re trying to score a try and you’re 20 metres out and you’ve got to get all the way back,” Cleary added. “It just didn’t quite work out.”
Ivan Cleary rejects claims that Penrith’s dynasty is over
Penrith’s dynasty has been built on defence and composure at the death, with Cleary so often icing those clutch big-game moments. And it made the scenes harder to fathom from a Panthers perspective as their dream of a historic fifth straight title ended in despair.
But Panthers coach Ivan Cleary bristled at suggestions after the game that it signalled an end to their incredible dynasty. For the first time in years, Penrith won’t be losing key players to rival clubs, with Dolphins-bound back-up half Brad Schneider the only departure for 2026. And Penrith’s coach is confident they’ll have a squad capable of competing for another premiership next year.
What’s over?” the Penrith coach said bullishly when asked about their dynasty ending. “I’d like to think there’s more in us. Obviously we’re not going to win it this year, but we definitely showed a fair bit to fight back from a poor start (this year).
“There’s probably some lessons in there, but ultimately we were just not quite good enough this year. But I feel like we got some real strides with some young guys this year. The core of our team is still going to be there next year. Hopefully they use this feeling, which we haven’t had for a while, to spur us on into next year.”
