As always with Penrith, the influence of co-captain Isaah Yeo is key. No forward in the game keeps an opposition defence in two minds quite like the Panthers No.13.
Most sides have a lock playing as a playmaking link these days, but none offer a run threat as often as Yeo – his 33 touches against Cronulla boiled down to 15 runs for 147 metres and 18 passes.
Running as often as he passes naturally holds a defensive line back that extra split-second, and allowed Yeo to step through tired efforts from Addin Fonua-Blake and Tom Hazleton for Penrith’s first try.
“[Yeo] is always massive for us, one of his biggest strengths is you don’t know what he’s going to do,” Tago says.
“And it makes defenders turn in, especially in the middle, they’ve got to sort of compress because he’s got a good run on him. Especially near the tryline.”
When the Panthers came calling again, Yeo sets up at first receiver on the right edge, just outside the right goalpost, as Cleary goes to work.
He starts next to Yeo, shuffles to the left side of the ruck and dummy-half Mitch Kenny sets up to direct play accordingly.
Cleary’s movements manoeuvre Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy out of position, in the same way former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has spoken of using eye contact and body language to bend an NFL scrimmage line to his will.
“Everyone has a role, we want to see where [Cronulla fullback Will] Kennedy is out the back,” Cleary explains.
“We spoke about [wanting] to do it during the week and we tried to get it on earlier in the game, but sort of stuffed it up. And then it was just there in the pocket.”
The execution: ‘We don’t really have to say anything’
With Kennedy only a few steps behind the play, but behind nonetheless, Cleary and Kenny swing back to the right.
Yeo takes the ball with Cronulla’s three closest defenders to the ruck pushing up and holding given Cleary has Tago as a flat running option along with Liam Martin and Paul Alamoti sweeping around to his right.
Their presence holds winger Ronaldo Mulitalo in place out wide until it’s too late.
Cleary’s chip kick is perfect, Tago switches from run threat to kick chaser, catches it on the fly and scores in the same motion.
Try time: Izack Tago finishes off Cleary’s masterpiece.Credit: Getty Images
“We practiced it once in the off-season,” the Panthers centre says. “So, happy it came off. There’s a few cues that we look at, depending on what the defence does. So, it’s more up to them [opponents], and both of us just looking up and seeing that.
“[We] don’t really have to say anything, we’re just looking up at what they’re doing.
“I’ve got to give the credit to ‘Clez’ [Nathan Cleary]. The kick, and the chase, to be honest, was well-timed and perfectly dropped, so he’s put it on a platter for me”.
By full-time, Cleary, Yeo and Penrith’s indefatigable Liam Martin had led the Panthers home against one of their most prominent premiership threats.
Brian To’o (hamstring) watched from the sidelines, as did winger Casey McLean for all but three minutes after being ruled out by a HIA.
Cleary wore a heavy shot from Sharks back-rower Briton Nikora, but after a couple of minutes to check all his ribs were still there, recovered to throw the critical pass for a Daine Laurie try.
With a two-point game and 12 minutes to play, Penrith and Cronulla both had their chances at landing the knock-out blow.
When the Panthers lined up a 75th minute scrum play that caught Sharks winger Sam Stonestreet at marker 30 metres from his sideline, Cleary isolated Nicho Hynes at centre and Laurie was diving over for the match-winner a moment later.
Just has been the case for the past four seasons, no-one nails the big moments better than Cleary and co.
The Herald’s travel expenses to Las Vegas have been partly funded by the NRL.
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