Cleary breaks his leg, then 12-man Newcastle break Penrith’s heart

Newcastle are through to an NRL grand final. Can you believe it?

And for the sake of next Sunday’s decider being competitive, it was probably best Penrith lost.

Who knows what kind of team the Panthers would have fielded against a full-strength Sydney Roosters given their injury toll, Nathan Cleary’s broken leg topping that list.

A 12-man Knights team caused one of the great September boilovers with a 22-14 win at Accor Stadium.

Cleary suffered a suspected compound fracture of his left leg in the 35th minute after an ugly hip-drop tackle by Phoenix Crossland. The Knights hooker was sent off as Cleary was rushed to hospital.

Cleary was relegated to the bench at the start of the game because of concerns over stress fractures in his right foot – but the injury to his left leg, which ended up in an awful position, ended his afternoon, crushed hopes of a fifth premiership and will end his World Cup hopes on home soil.

Blaize Talagi hobbled off with an Achilles injury late in the game, Dylan Edwards had his left knee heavily strapped and Isaah Yeo was doing his best with one pec.

The loss of Cleary was impossible to ignore. Some of the Panthers’ last-tackle options were ordinary. None were worse than Tom Jenkins thinking it was a good idea to kick on the first tackle from the scrum.

The absence of a calm playmaker was evident as Penrith continually pushed for points late, only for Sandon Smith to take an intercept and score a long-range try to secure one of the great Newcastle wins.

Smith had scored a try earlier in the half when Penrith’s Billy Phillips was penalised for a high tackle on Fletcher Sharpe, and the playmaker decided to tap and run while the Panthers had their backs turned.

Penrith argued a quick tap was not allowed when there had been an act of foul play.

Referee Gerard Sutton told Edwards: “It wasn’t quick, foul play had been cleared, and you had plenty of chances to reload.”

Penrith should have been more alert, and it summed up their afternoon.

Newcastle are through, and they thoroughly deserve to have their moment in the sun. Nobody gave them a chance coming into the finals series, but they are riding a Merewether-like wave of confidence.

Coach Justin Holbrook should take a bow for coming in and taking last year’s wooden spooners all the way to the big dance.

And to think he will do it against the club he was coaching at last season.

Kalyn Ponga was a star, with his brutal shot on prop Moses Leota with four minutes remaining nothing short of inspirational. He was also involved in a remarkable play to deny Casey McLean from getting across the line late.

Smith, another former Roosters player, bagged a double, back-rowers Jermaine McEwen and Francis Manuleleua play with no fear, and centres Bradman Best and Dane Gagai will ask plenty of questions of Roosters opposites Billy Smith and Rob Toia.

Judging by the sea of red and blue among the 57,102 inside Accor Stadium on a drab Sunday afternoon, the Newcastle locals genuinely believe they can party like it is 2001.

The Panthers took a 14-6 lead into half-time after Lindsay Smith reached out to score before the break.

Penrith players would have been experiencing all sorts of emotions after witnessing Cleary yell out in pain and be placed on the back of a medicab. They all made a point of giving him an encouraging pat before he was wheeled up the tunnel.

Crossland became the first player sent off for a hip-drop tackle, with Sutton explaining to Ponga: “Initially he’s up high, he makes a definite action to twist. He comes down on the leg with weight. There’s extreme risk of serious injury. You’re off.”

The Knights opened the scoring via Manuleleua after Best blew past Talagi.

Talagi got one back for Penrith when he was able to pounce on a Jack Cogger grubber, uncontested, to level the scores.