Penrith skipper Nathan Cleary has fired a warning shot to his NRL rivals after completing a remarkable return from a hamstring injury.
The halfback nailed a 45-metre two-point field goal to deliver his side a 28-26 golden-point victory over the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers currently sit second on the ladder, four points behind Melbourne with seven games to play.
Panthers v Dolphins – Round 20, 2024
Having helped Penrith reel in a 14-point Dolphins lead on Sunday, Cleary declared the focus is now on finding his top form as he chases a fourth-straight premiership.
"Physically I felt really good," Cleary said. "I was a little bit frantic, had a few mistakes, particularly in defence. That's something to work on.
"I'm not going to come back and be perfect. Pretty much every time I've come back from a layoff I've been pretty scratchy. I've got a lot of things to get better at but I'm grateful to be back."
Clutch Cleary is back!
Sunday's match was Cleary's first since he suffered the hamstring tear in Round 10, Penrith taking a precautionary approach after three hamstrings injuries in the space of 18 months.
The halfback hit the ground running at BlueBet Stadium, finishing with 115 running metres, two line-break assists and two try assists in the come-from-behind win.
It was with his boot, however, that proved most crucial as he nailed five-from-five off the tee and the match-winning field goal.
Cleary's presence was on show throughout the afternoon as he guided his team around the park and ensured they overcame a number of uncharacteristic errors.
Cleary to tie it up
With the match on the line, the halfback watched as Dolphins playmaker Sione Katoa opted against taking a field-goal attempt in a decision coach Wayne Bennett lamented post-game.
Cleary knew he wasn't going to make the same mistake, even if it meant attempting a long-range effort.
Match: Panthers v Dolphins
Round 20 -
home Team
Panthers
2nd Position
away Team
Dolphins
8th Position
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
"I was planning it as the set went on," he said. "If you can get the shot and know you can get the distance, then with no pressure, you're usually going to take it.
"I didn't kick it as sweet as I could. I knew it was straight, as it was in the air [Mitch] Kenny turned around and started running at me, I was still watching it, hoping it would get over.
"When it went over, it was pretty surreal. All the boys were running towards me, they're the moments you play for and what I missed the most being out."
Sunia Turuva Try
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary took a gamble when he rested four of his Origin stars for Sunday's match, with fullback Dylan Edwards also missing the contest after picking up a knee injury in Wednesday's decider.
It was the same philosophy the coach has used throughout the State of Origin series, opting to keep his top players fresh for the back end of the season.
While the move has cost them results previously, the Panthers fell to North Queensland after Game Two, Cleary is confident it will pay off in the long run.
Daine Laurie Try
"We hadn't really got it done this year without the Origin boys," Cleary said. "I wanted to give them some time off but it wasn't looking that good halfway through the second half.
"To be able to get the win and give them and give them the break, I'm happy about the decision. It gives a lot of the young blokes a bit more belief and thickens our squad up a bit with who we can pick from.
"We lost another one today, Paul Alamoti [to a fractured arm]. Going through the league you've got to have options throughout your squad so going down the stretch hopefully we keep playing well."
