Knights spirits crushed by ‘ice’ Cleary field goal
His teammates call him the Iceman, and Nathan Cleary truly delivered on that nickname in Penrith’s win over Newcastle.
With the Knights leading virtually all night, a spirited second half fightback from the Panthers put the game into golden point with Cleary slotting the match-winning field goal.
A stoked Cleary said the work of his teammates led to a match-winning opportunity.
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“I definitely thought about it after Leniu’s run after the kick off, I was thinking you know ‘this might be a chance’,” he told Fox Sports after the match.
“Got to give a massive shout out to Dylan Edwards, he’s just there all the time and he took that last carry and got us in a really good position. I actually wasn’t going to kick just before that, but I saw him get a quick play the ball and had the wind behind me.”
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Cleary added there was a definite need for him to step up after two shocking field goal attempts in regular time.
“I definitely practice it but I had to make up for the two before that – they were shanks,” he said.
“I owed it to the team. I just got in a good position with the wind and yeah I was pretty happy with that.”
Cleary’s halves partner Jarome Luai told the ABC the field goal was “ice”.
The Panthers didn’t have it at all their own way though. Newcastle showed significant improvement, and save for a third minute penalty goal, led basically from the get-go.
Tries to Tyson Gamble, Tyson Frizell and Phoenix Crossland put the Knights out to a 14-6 lead at half-time.
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Penrith were rejuvenated after the break though with Cleary slotting a penalty goal in the 54th minute. Jaeman Salmon then crossed three minutes later to tie up proceedings.
Newcastle looked as if it had the win when Tyson Gamble hit a monster field goal to make it 15-14 with four minutes left.
Cleary tied it a minute later, before he and Jackson Hastings both missed chances to win it in regular time.
The Kangaroos halfback then put the finishing touches on the performance, sending his side out as 16-15 winners at McDonald Jones Stadium.
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