Gutted Panthers fall short of Grand Final as Cleary suffers broken leg

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

Penrith fell to Newcastle 22-14 in a Preliminary Final that left carnage in its wake, headlined by an horrific leg injury to Nathan Cleary.

Cleary, who started the game from the bench due to a foot injury, went down in an illegal tackle by Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland just before half-time.

Crossland was sent off and will almost certainly miss next week’s Grand Final against the Roosters.

“He’s in hospital now so he’s just waiting for surgery,” coach Ivan Cleary said of Nathan post-game.

The superstar halfback is facing a long recovery from the compound fracture that saw him in severe pain on the field before being taken off the ground on a medicab.

“He’ll have to get the other foot done as well because it was broken,” Ivan admitted, following two weeks of speculation about the extent of Nathan’s foot problem.

“It was a bit emotional. The show goes on, but it’s pretty hard.

“He watched the game in an ambulance apparently. It made him feel worse I think.”

Penrith went into the break leading 14-6 but failed to score a point against a 12-man Newcastle in the second half.

The injuries didn’t stop with Cleary, with Blaize Talagi suffering an achillies injury and Dylan Edwards struggling with a knee problem.

“I can’t really explain what happened in the second half so I’d rather just congratulate the Knights… on an unbelievable performance,” Ivan said.

It was a win for the ages for the Knights who advance to the Grand Final for the first time since 2001.

It will spark emotional scenes in Newcastle this week.

Panthers co-captain Isaah Yeo said the crowd got behind the Knights in the second half.

“Credit to them, I thought they were outstanding,” he said.

The Panthers will be left to lick their wounds ahead of a return to Penrith Stadium next year, in what will be Ivan Cleary’s farwell season.

Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.