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Nathan Cleary converts Isaiah Papali\u2019i\u2019s try.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Many of Cleary\u2019s most effective kicks were those that skidded along the slipper surface.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it would be quite hard for the back three to control the ball on the ground,\u201d Cleary told Fox League.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, when it\u2019s windy I think it\u2019s sometimes hard to put up those higher kicks, you don\u2019t know where they are going to land.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just felt I had a bit more control of the lower ones. We got a few decent results. I also kicked one dead in the second half that hit us in the bum a bit, they scored that set. A few things to work on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps his greatest trick, however, was the way he manufactured the opening try. It came in the last tackle, when he opted to pass and caught the Warriors, who were expecting a kick, off guard.<\/p>\n
The Warriors wouldn\u2019t go quietly. When Brad Schneider, a surprise starter at hooker in the absence of Mitch Kenny, burrowed over early in the second half, it felt like the Panthers would run away with it. Yet they didn\u2019t go away, a try to the barnstorming Leka Halasima keeping the Warriors and their fans in the contest.<\/p>\n
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The Panthers celebrate a try against the Warriors on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
In tight contests like this, the result often hinges on the bounce of the ball. It was appropriate that, off the boot of Cleary, it bounced Penrith\u2019s way. One of his clearing kicks was allowed to bounce, sat up for the chasing Luke Garner, who found the support required to seal the deal.<\/p>\n
There were other moments that proved pivotal. Dylan Edwards\u2019 effort to prevent a 40-20 was matched only by a similar piece of brilliance to get out of his in-goal from Paul Alamoti, a shock inclusion at the expense of Tom Jenkins.<\/p>\n
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Another factor was the speed and ferocity of a Penrith defensive line that conceded only one try. It had the effect of not only denying but creating points, forcing a turnover that allowed Brian To\u2019o to streak away for the clincher.<\/p>\n
It left the Warriors to lament what could have been. They bravely fought on for much of the season without their two most influential players, NSW forward Mitch Barnett and halfback Luke Metcalf. They will have high hopes for the next season when both are back on board.<\/p>\n
The result has catapulted Penrith into a position that appeared unthinkable just a few short months ago. They sat in last spot after losing to eventual wooden spooners Newcastle after a dismal night at Bathurst in round 12. It prompted, in coach Ivan Cleary\u2019s words to suck the team in a \u201cvortex of self pity<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n Having negotiated a play-off against former assistant Andrew Webster, Cleary senior will come up against another in the form of Cameron Ciraldo.<\/p>\n