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- Penrith beat Cronulla 26-6 in tight preliminary final in Sydney
- Panthers one win away from a fourth straight premiership
Nathan Cleary put Penrith 80 minutes away from a fourth-straight NRL premiership as the Panthers held off a gritty Cronulla effort to book a grand final berth with a 26-6 win. Cleary stole the show in Saturday’s preliminary final at Accor Stadium, setting up three of Penrith’s four tries, kicking a pivotal 40/20 and converting four goals from five attempts.
But the halfback’s fitness is expected to come under the microscope ahead of next Sunday’s meeting with the Melbourne Storm after he reeled out of a tackle late in the preliminary final. Cleary got through more defensive work after the collision but was taken off as a precaution with five minutes to go.