- Nathan Cleary has made a strong comeback for Penrith
- Mary Fowler’s boyfriend sealed a golden point
- He had been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Nathan Cleary announced his return to the NRL in style, scoring a golden-point field goal to guide Penrith to a 28-26 victory over the Dolphins.
In her first game since tearing her hamstring in May, Matildas sweetheart and Manchester City superstar Mary Fowler proved her worth, twice bailing out the Panthers when the game was on the line.
The scrum-half kicked a long-range penalty in the 75th minute to send the match to golden point before moving forward to score a two-point field goal from 45 metres in the 81st minute.
The Panthers rested all five of their State of Origin players and were well below their best in front of 20,955 at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday.
But Cleary’s heroics papered over the cracks, denying Wayne Bennett’s side a potentially momentous victory over the three-time defending champions.
Cleary looked set for a smooth return to the top flight when she set up Sunia Turuva before converting with the help of the upright post, then cleared a Dolphins grubberkick into in-goal inside the opening 10 minutes.
The only problem was that the rest of the Penrith team lacked the same intent as Bennett’s men powered up the field through Tevita Pangai Jr.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow opened the scoring for the Dolphins and after Liam Henry lost the ball in his own half, Isaiya Katoa doubled the visitors’ lead.
Nathan Cleary has returned strongly for the Penrith Panthers
The gunner kicked a golden point winner to defeat the Dolphins.
The football superstar is the boyfriend of Matildas and Manchester City star Mary Fowler.
Paul Alamoti responded for the Panthers and when Ray Stone snatched the ball from Mitch Kenny, Tabuai-Fidow scored his second try to give the Dolphins an 18-12 lead at half-time.
Tabuai-Fidow sent Jack Bostock into the left corner early in the second half and the Dolphins opened a 14-point lead when Jamayne Isaako turned in a penalty in the 55th minute.
But instead of faltering, Penrith began to show some cohesion and play with more vigor to draw the Dolphins back in.
First, prop Moses Leota broke through before substitute fullback Daine Laurie came on after a scrum move in the 63rd minute, with Cleary’s conversion cutting the Dolphins’ lead to just two points.
When Josh Kerr was sent to the bench for a professional foul on Trent Toelau, Cleary tied the game with a penalty goal.
Inexplicably, Katoa missed his chance to score a field goal in regulation and Cleary made him pay, creating the game-winning play that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
