NATHAN Cleary kicked a 72nd minute field goal despite an injured foot before a late Brian To’o try piloted Penrith into the penultimate weekend of the season.
Cleary had earlier been given an enforced 10-minute rest by referee Gerard Sutton and was limping as he took the shot from 10 metres out in front
Then with three to go, To’o pounced on a loose ball 20 metres from the Roosters’ line and streaked away to score for a 19-12 win over Sydney Roosters at CommBank Stadium.
The first half finished with the scores 12-12 – and with Nathan Cleary in the sin bin. It remains to be seen if he will be suspended.
Cleary was pinged making contact with the legs of a kicker – Roosters five-eighth Hugo Savala – and given his marching orders. Savala missed with the ensuing penalty goal and Cleary returned without the
Only a couple of minutes earlier, Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards had flashed past an exhausted Victor Radley to score Penrith’s second try.
Liam Martin opened the scoring for the Panthers in the 12th minute, Robert Toia charging onto Daly Cherry-Evans’ pass to score in the south-western corner in the 22nd minute.
In the 25th, Sydney Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase scored the most skilful intercept try you will ever see.
He got a hand to a Penrith pass, juggled the ball one handed, diving forward onto the turf to control it – and then had the time, speed, skill and athleticism to get back to his feet and race 40 metres to the line.
PENRITH 13 (Martin Edwards To’o tries Cleary 2 goals field goal) SYDNEY ROOSTERS 12 (Toia Nawaqanitawase tries Savala 2 goals). Crowd: 22,148
Teams:
PENRITH: Dylan Edwards, Tom Jenkins, Casey McLean, Blaize Talagi, Brian To’o; Jack Cole, Nathan Cleary (c); Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny, Liam Henry, Isaiah Papali’i, Liam Martin, Lindsay Smith. Res: Isaah Yeo, Scott Sorensen, Billy Phillips, Billy Scott.
ROOSTERS:James Tedesco (c); Daniel Tupou, Billy Smith, Robert Toia, Mark Nawaqanitawase; Hugo Savala, Daly Cherry-Evans; Naufahu Whyte, Reece Robson, Lindsay Collins, Siua Wong, Egan Butcher, Victor Radley. Res: Salesi Foketi, Connor Watson, Spencer Leniu, Nat Butcher, Cody Ramsey, Tommy Talau.
Referee: Gerard Sutton.
