‘Absolute freak’: Nathan Cleary 40m field goal stuns NRL

Nathan Cleary has won over not only Panthers fans but the entire NRL with a single kick that blew the everyone away.

Nathan Cleary has done it again. Photo: Getty Images and Fox Sports

Even on a losing team, Nathan Cleary continues to build his legend.

The Panthers halfback almost dragged his side over the line against the Parramatta Eels, sending the match to golden point after nailing a two-point field goal beyond the 40m line with seconds remaining.

But it wasn’t enough as the Eels opened up their account for the year with a 17-16 win, thanks to a Mitch Moses one-pointer.

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A Junior Paulo high shot saw the Eels co-captain sin binned with 20 seconds remaining and the Panthers kick 40m out.

It left just enough time for Cleary to kick the match-tying score with three Eels rushing in his face.

“A piece of magic from the No. 7 from Penrith, a two-point field goal, the like of which we haven’t seen before,” Andrew Voss said. “This my friends is the greatest sport ever invented.”

“That is brilliant … He is a genius Cleary, under brutal pressure. I am in shock, I cannot believe it,” Michael Ennis said in commentary on Fox Sports.

WELL DAMN.

📺 Watch #NRLEelsPanthers on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/B1ijnGY1g8 ✍️ BLOG https://t.co/746kz3MjXH🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/2tNgXhGMhnpic.twitter.com/Ea9oYUte2Z

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 23, 2023

The Eels fans were even on their feet appreciating the kick.

On Nine, Phil Gould said of Cleary’s field goal: “That’s why you get the big bucks.”

On The Late Show with Matty Johns, Johns said: “On a losing team, that is about the greatest clutch play I’ve ever seen in rugby league.”

Johns added the kick was “an act of god”.

Eels coach Brad Arthur was even stunned by the Blues Origin halfback, saying: “I don’t know where that came from.”

It even impressed his coach and father Ivan.

“Yeah, it was pretty good,” he said. “It’s a shame because he missed one against the Broncos and he got it tonight but we still didn’t get the win. We’re just not getting those close games which add up and there’s thing we’ll look back on and be able to improve there.

“It’s early days, it was good game tonight.

“Some of the numbers tonight, I think they were 95 per cent with the ball and over 1000 kick metres with the ball, which I’ve never seen before. Our boys had 450 tackles and only missed 14 so number-wise, it was an enormous effort by both teams, I hope everyone enjoyed the contest.”

Nathan Cleary is an absolute freak. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Nathan Cleary said to ABC Sport after the match: “That’s just the rugby league rollercoaster. One moment it feels so good, five minutes later you lose.”

But despite that, the fans were blown away as well with social media blowing up over the 25-year-old’s incredible kick.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Christian Nicolussi wrote: “Nice way for Mitch Moses to ice new deal. But if he’s getting $1.2m a year, Nathan Cleary is entitled to $1.6m-$1.7m …”

10 News First’s sports editor Nina Stevens tweeted: “Now THAT’S the Grand Final I wanted. A Cleary goal for the ages & a Moses last gasp victory. So good.”

CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy posted: “Nathan Cleary, what an absolute freak. Incredible.”

What. A. King … Nathan Cleary; as good as it gets.

— Andrew Webster (@awebster1975) March 23, 2023

Nathan Cleary has just kicked a two-point drop goal on the hooter to force golden point extra time in the NRL. Wow.

— James Gordon (@jdgsport) March 23, 2023

OH MY WORD NATHAN CLEARY

— Joseph Appleyard (@AppleyardJoseph) March 23, 2023

But the loss leaves the Panthers 1-2 along with a bye after four round, although both losses have been by a single point.