Nathan Cleary stars as Panthers come from behind to beat Cowboys 24-16 at home

NATHAN Cleary’s star continued to rise when the playmaking prodigy inspired a come-from-behind win over the Cowboys to keep Penrith’s premiership dream alive.

Joshua Mansour celebrates with Nathan Cleary after scoring a try.

NATHAN Cleary confirmed he could become the first halfback since Craig Gower to lead Penrith to a premiership with the son of a gun inspiring a comeback win over the Cowboys to give the Panthers an unlikely top four shot.

In a performance that kept the Panthers fairytale run at the finals alive by making it six straight wins, the 19-year-old playmaking prodigy scored two tries and saved another to rocket his side into sixth place.

Trailing 16-6 after the injury-ravaged Cowboys scored early in the second half to set up an upset, Cleary pounced on a Tyrone Peachey kick to score the try that turned the match.

HAYNE: If I’m unwanted I’ll leave

BUZZ: Cheap tickets and $3 meat pies

Nathan Cleary scores a try.

The son of Tigers coach Ivan then held up Coen Hess to likely save Penrith from a certain defeat, a tackle that prompted coach Anthony Griffin to declare Cleary mature enough to lead the side during the NRL finals.

“He has answered every challenge so far,’’ Griffin said.

“So he is going to have to (be mature enough to lead us) because we have no other halfbacks. I am sure he will.’’

Cleary capped off the man of the match performance by scoring in the 74th minute to announce the Panthers as the NRL dark horse.

But it was the try-saving tackle on Hess when the Cowboys were leading 16-12 in the 53rd minute that has Penrith daring to dream of winning their first premiership since 2003.

“It was the play of the night for us,’’ Griffin said.

Justin O'Neill leaves the field injured.

“It was a really desperate defence play. For Nathan to save that one for it, it keeps our noses in front. He then backed up by scoring the one that put the game away. It certainly would have made it hard to win (had Cleary not made the tackle).’’

In a match that will have a significant bearing on the top eight, the Cowboys shocked the Panthers to lead 16-6 before Cleary inspired the hosts.

On another night of injury woe for the North Queenslanders, they lost Michael Morgan (concussion) and Justin O’Neill (elbow) in the first half and played more than 40 minutes with 15 men and two second-string halves.

Griffin said the Panthers never gave up on making the top eight.

“It is good,’’ Griffin said.

“And I am always proud of this club. But we never wrote ourselves off and it has been business as usual. We have worked hard to get to this point but the season isn’t over.

“Yeah we are excited about the win but then we are also thinking about next week. I don’t think so. We haven’t been thinking about the ladder all year. We just need to look at next week and at the Raiders. If we keep on winning then the ladder will take care of itself.’’

Cowboys coach Paul Green declared a team could win this year’s premiership from outside the top four and after a third straight loss, a second chance in September for North Queensland is unlikely after they dropped to eighth spot, just two points ahead of St George Illawarra.

Full-time PENRITH 24 (N Cleary 2 J Mansour J Tamou tries N Cleary 4 goals) bt NORTH QUEENSLAND 16 (K Linnett M Morgan J Taumalolo tries E Lowe 2 goals) at Pepper Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 12,357.