Nathan Cleary has again left the NRL world speechless after coming up clutch once again to give Penrith a golden point victory over the gutsy Dolphins.
The Panthers No. 7 was brilliant in the first half with two line breaks and two try assists, as he took his side out to a commanding 18-0 lead on Friday night.
However, the Dolphins hung tough and stormed back into the match and took the lead midway through the second half.
However, with the scores tied at the end of regulation time, there was only one man you wanted on your side, Nathan Cleary.
And as he has done time and time before, he came up trumps, nailing a field goal after sidestepping a rushing defender to seal the win 23-22 over the Dolphins in a steamy affair in Darwin.
You can watch Nathan Cleary ice the game in the player above.
Despite the fact he has done it time and time again, the NRL world was still taken aback by his display, with premiership-winning halfback Cooper Cronk believing he already has wrapped up this year’s Dally M.
“I thought he was magnificent,” Greg Alexander said on Fox Sports after Cleary’s first half masterclass.
“Give him the Dally M already,” Cooper Cronk added.
Fans were equally impressed by how he seemingly always manages to get it done, even if it’s not always in the prettiest fashion.
“Nathan Cleary is the ice man. It was ugly but he still gets it done,” one fan wrote on X.
“NATHAN CLEARY ICE MANNNNNNN,” another said.
“Death, taxes and Nathan Cleary clutching up,” a third commented.
But the Cleary masterclass and the win in general was soured by Mitch Kenny suffering a suspected fractured ankle in the first half.
Kenny was on the end of a nasty hip drop tackle midway through the first half and was helped from the field by Penrith’s medical staff.
Dolphins five-eighth Kodi Nikorima was placed on report and sin binned and now faces a nervous wait to see if he is set to cop a multi-week suspension.
While if a fractured ankle is confirmed Kenny could miss up to three months of footy.
