Panthers rediscover their old magic as Nathan Cleary wizardry baffles Broncos | Jack Snape

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• Penrith 32-8 Brisbane
• Cleary masterclass gets four-time premiers out of last place

Nathan Cleary was booed savagely when he was introduced to the Suncorp Stadium crowd on Sunday. He had been beaten to the ball by Ben Hunt for a sparkling early Broncos try. He had mis-kicked a first-half drop-out to ridicule from the stands. Then at 8-8 he was pulverised in a tackle by Brisbane's Kotoni Staggs.

The great icon of the Penrith four-peat – like many of his team-mates – has not been himself in 2025, and Sunday was looking like another tough day. The Staggs hit was met with glee by the 50-odd thousand present, a rugby league community impatient for the end of the Panthers dynasty.