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Penrith Panthers<\/a> star halfback Nathan Cleary<\/a> will be free to play Round 1 after having his high tackle charge downgraded at the NRL<\/a> judiciary on Monday evening.<\/p>\n Cleary was charged for a high shot which saw him sin binned during Friday evening’s pre-season challenge match against the Wests Tigers<\/a> at Leichhardt Oval.<\/p>\n The Grade 2 charge would have seen him banned for two matches, however, Cleary – who was defended by father and coach Ivan Cleary<\/a> – went to the judiciary seeking a downgrade which means the sanction would be a fine rather than a suspension.<\/p>\n The panel found Cleary’s defence – which argued the first contact was not directly with the head of Tigers’ gun outside back Heamasi Makasini<\/a>, but rather well below that before bouncing up – was warranted in deciding to downgrade his charge.<\/p>\n The coach in his defence confirmed they were not absolving the halfback of the tackle in only seeking a downgrade.<\/p>\n The NRL’s prosecution had argued that the recoil of Makasini’s head in the tackle was consistent with the force of a Grade 2 charge, rather than Grade 1.<\/p>\n Cleary will now be cleared to play Penrith’s season opener against the Brisbane Broncos<\/a>.<\/p>\n Had he been found guilty, he would have faced a three-match suspension.<\/p>\n Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Tackle 2026 NRL Season Guide!<\/a> Packed with 130+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 NRL Season Guide<\/a> is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n
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