NRL grand final 2020: Nathan Cleary speaks out on intercept
At a crucial time in the NRL grand final, Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary made an unforgivable error.
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Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary doesn’t regret throwing the intercept pass that led to an 80m runaway try to Melbourne’s Suliasi Vunivalu in Sunday’s NRL grand final.
“I think if I had my time again, I’d do it again,” a devastated Cleary said.
“I’m glad that I saw it and went with it but I didn’t execute it, and that’s what you need to do on the biggest stage.”
What Cleary “saw” was a Storm defender rushing off his line in defence.
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Trailing 10-0 after 30 minutes and with nothing going their way, Cleary made the decision to throw a floating cut-out pass, on the third tackle, hoping it would hit his centre Stephen Crichton.
Instead, the ball found a flying Vunivalu who streaked way to score.
But Cleary, 22, insisted the pass wasn’t a rush of blood or a play borne out of a desperate bid to get his side back into the contest.
“I saw it … I saw Brenko Lee out of the line, that’s why I threw it,” Cleary said.
“I just didn’t execute it well enough. I just threw it too high and Vunivalu did pretty well.”
Cleary admitted his performance in the biggest game of his young career was far from his best.
Game management has always been Cleary’s strong suit but the halfback said he didn’t take control of the side when he needed too.
“There’s just a few things I could have done better. Just controlling the team,” Cleary said.
“I felt like we were getting a bit frantic. Especially in the second half we just needed to stay in it. We were giving away way too much ball and doing things we don’t usually do.”
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Despite his disappointment, Cleary believes the Panthers can go one better next season.
“I think all of us a team we blew so many opportunities and we gave up so much ball. It was 20-26 at the end of the day, it’s hard to take but us as a group we will let it fuel us,” he said.
Cleary also revealed the reality that Penrith’s 17-game winning streak had come to an end in the most cruel fashion had left him in tears and teammate Viliame Kikau inconsolable.
“A few [tears], it’s hard not too. It’s a pretty emotional time. A lot of the boys were [crying] and it’s hard to see your mates like that too,” he said.
“I just wanted to let him know we’ll work hard to get back to this spot and hopefully change the result.
“He was pretty devastated so I was trying to look out for a mate. He has been a massive part of what we have done this year.”
For now, Cleary will turn to NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler to help soothe the heartbreak of a grand final loss.
Cleary will join the Blues camp ahead of game one of the State of Origin series on November 4.
“I’m lucky enough to go into Origin camp so I can’t let it sting for too long,” Cleary said.
“I’m probably in a lucky position where I actually get to play some footy now to try and put it behind me.
“But it will definitely sting for the next few days.”
WHY REFS CAN’T BE BLAMED FOR PANTHERS’ DEMISE
Paul Crawley
Don’t’whinge about the ref. And this time we can’t blame it on the wrestle.
The Melbourne Storm won that one fair and square.
And anyone blowing up about referee Gerard Sutton supposedly favouring Cam Smith’s celebration need to pull their heads in and get over it.
The fact is the Storm were the better team on the night and their experience exposed the young Penrith Panthers on the biggest night of their lives.
Smith was tremendous and earned every accolade for another outstanding show of leadership.
Nathan Cleary?
Well, the young playmaker will learn from what went wrong in the first half.
But he showed the way he finished off the game that he will come back the better for it.
But when all is said and done and we have time to look back on the season that was, what we should appreciate as much as anything to come out of Sunday night is that we now have our wonderful game of rugby league back from the choke hold that dominated the last decade.
That’s’ not to say both teams weren’t guilty of pushing the boundaries in the ruck and with line speed.
But from my seat smack bang on halfway it went both ways.
What was just as obvious is that the breakneck speed of the football right until the fulltime siren was befitting of the occasion.
But it was the Storm who weathered the Panthers’ opening onslaught (and a majority of possession that went against them in the first half) to fight back through sheer professionalism and perseverance.
What they also did was make their opportunities count when they were presented.
In contrast Penrith made crucial mistakes at vital times.
And while their fightback was brave, there is no use complaining about the so called controversial calls that went against them early.
The fact is the match officials got the most crucial of them spot on.
For starters, Tyrone May might not have meant to get his foot in the way but it can’t be denied that it robbed Justin Olam of a tryscoring touch down.
So it was worthy of a penalty try.
As for the try denied to Josh Mansour, Stephen Crichton was guilty of obstruction as the rules are set out.
So again it was the right call.
And there was just no denying the Storm’s 22-0 halftime was thoroughly deserved.
Then when another call went against the Panthers early in the second half and Ryan Papenhuyzen put the foot down, it was always going to be incredibly tough to come back from.
They sure gave it a red hot crack but it all came too late.
Even though they won the second half 20-4 it just wasn’t enough.
The young Panthers will be shattered by the result and especially how they allowed the scoreboard to run away from them.
But they really should be proud.
They had a tremendous season and no team has more reason to come back with more confidence in 2021.
For now, it’s Melbourne’s time to celebrate.
Smith and Craig Bellamy have done it again.
Over the years there have bee9n plenty of reasons to question and criticise some of their tactics.
But what we can’t question is an attitude that sets them apart.
No matter how the game is played they just find a way.
That no one can dispute.
PANTHERS’ FAIRYTALE ENDS IN CHAOTIC GRAND FINAL
Dean Ritchie
After a Sydney downpour, this was rugby league’s Purple Rain – and the Prince was Cameron Smith.
Smith’s mighty Melbourne Storm spectacularly secured a third premiership in nine years with a 26-20 COVID-season NRL grand final win over crowd favourites, Penrith. It was an extraordinary match.
The Panthers’ 17-year wait for a title continues for heartbroken fans. It was 22-0 at halftime – only the second time in rugby league history a side led by more than 20 points at the break.
It was a demoralising opening period for a Penrith side which hadn’t been thrown into such a high-pressured and chaotic situation this year.
After 17 successive wins, Penrith was denied an 18th birthday present. There was a theory a bad game was close after so many wins – sadly it arrived during a horror first half in the grand final.
This was a sad end to what had been an exciting and exhilarating season for Sydney’s self-confessed westies. The city of Penrith – and its 200,000 residents – was left rocked at how their side collapsed in the first half.
But the Panthers did finally roar.
A late four-try Penrith rally, and the sin-binning of Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes and hooker Brandon Smith, was not enough despite giving their fans something to feel good about. The Panthers certainly didn’t give up.
The clock was stopped with three seconds remaining after Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary scored a late try and declined the kick at goal.
From the kick off, Penrith flung the ball around brilliantly in a desperate attempt to score the match-winner after the siren. It wasn’t to be though. It was a frenetic finish to a wonderful season.
Even Storm coach Craig Bellamy feared a Panthers comeback in the dying minutes.
“When they got to 10 points (behind), I thought we could have got run down, yeah,” Bellamy told Channel 9.
“At the end of the day, they hung in there and, it was a big relief when we got the ball back there. So it was great.”
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Decked in their traditional purple and white strip, the Storm were clinical, professional and powerful. Prince’s 1984 classic Purple Rain could be re-titled Purple Reign.
There could now be an argument Melbourne has enjoyed the most sustained success since the legendary St George sides of the 1950s and 60s. It was their ninth grand final in 18 years.
And Smith enjoyed the golden farewell we all expected. He scored a try and kicked three goals.
Fittingly, Smith leaves the NRL as a grand final winner alongside other legendary figures including Mal Meninga, Mick Cronin, Ray Price, Royce Simmons, Steve Menzies and Cooper Cronk.
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Smith will retire as one of – if not the – greatest players of all-time. His long-time accomplice, master coach Bellamy, has now won three premierships and had a further two stripped for salary cap dramas. He rises to another level in coaching greatness.
Bellamy was still roaring and screaming in the coaching box even with his side ahead by 20 points inside the final 13 minutes.
“They’re a really special bunch of guys,” Bellamy said.
“With all due respect, I don’t think they’re an overly talented team compared to some of the other sides we had, but they just keep hanging in, keep getting the job done.”
Melbourne deserved Sunday night’s win just through sustained excellence. The Storm’s win was even more meritorious given the club was based on the Sunshine Coast for five months.
Cleary felt the pressure, throwing an intercept pass that led to an 80 metre try to Storm winger Suli Vunivalu. He was also caught out in defence, which led to a Ryan Papenhuyzen try.
Storm stars Papenhuyzen, Dale Finucane and Josh Addo-Carr are now ready for NSW State of Origin selection. Melbourne was placed under some pressure during the first half but their scrambling defence was effective.
Melbourne just kept grinding away — they are relentless. The last western Sydney club to win a grand final — after Penrith’s loss — remains Wests Tigers back in 2005.
Despite the heavy loss, Penrith will still have a strong NSW representation with Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai on Sunday night named in the Blues’ 27-man squad.
Before a crowd of 37,303, most of them shattered Penrith fans, Melbourne dropped the ball on tackle one of the game. But that’s where their issues ended.
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In just the fifth minute, Penrith’s Tyrone May illegally kicked the ball from the arms of Storm centre Justin Olam, who was about to score a try. Video referee Steve Chiddy awarded a penalty try.
And the match was just about over when giant-striding Vunivalu scored. It pushed the score out to 16-0 after Smith kicked two previous penalty goals.
And with six seconds remaining in the first half, Smith scored and converted to give Melbourne a 22-0 lead. Papenhuyzen ran 80 minutes early in the second half to give Melbourne a 26-point lead.
That’s when Penrith began to fire up but they just couldn’t get there.
“Super disappointed,” Cleary said. “This is going to hurt for a long time.”.
Panthers forward James Fisher-Harris was placed on report for a late hit on Melbourne’s Brandon Smith.
The pre-game introduction of players was amazing – the cheers for Penrith players deafening, even for 40,000 people, as were the jeers for Smith. And the noise went to another level when Penrith ran out to AC/DC’s Hells Bells.
Unbelievably, the two major football titles now sit just 1.7kms apart. The NRL trophy is at Goschs Paddock – where Melbourne Storm train – while the AFL trophy at Richmond’s Punt Road, just down the street.
PENALTY TRY DRAMA
The NRL grand final started in unique circumstances with the Storm awarded a penalty try in just the third minute.
Penrith’s Tyrone May was penalised for attacking the tryscorer, Justin Olam, with his foot.
It was the first penalty try since Jamie Lyon’s in the 2013 decider between Manly and the Roosters.
“Tyrone May has used the foot to kick the ball out of the possession of Justin Olam,” bunker official Steve Chiddy said.
“In our opinion, we believe a try would have been scored.”
Phil Gould in Nine commentary said: “That’s incredible. I don’t know what Tyrone May could have done any differently there.”
“It is not what I would call indiscriminate kicking but the referee ruled he’s played at the ball with his foot.
“It is illegal to play at the ball with your foot.
“That is a stunning start to this game. Stunning.”
Originally published as NRL grand final 2020: Nathan Cleary speaks out on intercept