Nathan Cleary’s heroic play helps Newcastle upset the Broncos in the NRL grand Final.
On a crazy night, Penrith defeated Brisbane 26–24 to complete a three-peat.
Cleary’s achievement in winning the match earns him the Clive Churchill medal.
After what will go down in history as one of the greatest grand finals ever played, Penrith is the 2023 NRL premiers once more. The Panthers, on a sweltering Sydney afternoon, overcame a 16-point deficit with 26 minutes remaining in Accor Stadium to become the first side in forty years to win three consecutive premierships.
In one of the great individual performances, Nathan Cleary set up two tries and scored another, orchestrating the comeback. Cleary won his second Clive Churchill medal. When Ezra Mam scored for his third try in a see-sawing game, Penrith looked all but out, and the premiership seemed destined to be coming to Brisbane for the first time in 17 years.
The match between a team trying to create history and a previous powerhouse making a comeback to the biggest stages was one of the most anticipated grand finals in a long time.
After the customary formalities were over and the pre-game rendition of Tina Turner’s Simply The Best was still playing over a packed stadium, the game started like an Olympic 100-meter race with football as quick as any State of Origin game.
The opening chance fell to the Panthers, when Broncos center Herbie Farnworth was tackled brutally by Liam Martin as he was emerging from his own half, losing the ball. Penrith appeared likely to score twice, first off a pass from Izack Tago in the backline and then off a.
Both teams suffered severe injuries during the violent match. Adam Reynolds had a groin injury 25 minutes in, which put the playmaker in danger, but the resilient Bronco persevered, evoking the heroics of previous grand finals. A head injury claimed the life of Brisbane’s Tom Flegler, while Penrith benched Isaah Yeo for fifteen minutes. Jarome Luai, the sixth player for Penrith, had a shoulder issue going into the game and only lasted 50 minutes.
The Broncos did not receive their first penalty and first set camped in Penrith’s half until four minutes remained before halftime. When Flegler went over beneath the post for a controversial try, they seized the opportunity, trailing Brisbane by only two at the half.
