A relieved Nathan Cleary is saluting the legal brilliance of his father Ivan after he successfully defended the Penrith halfback at the NRL judiciary and had him cleared to play in the Panthers’ season opener.
Penrith's father-son duo has won four premierships but can now add a judiciary scalp to their resume after they combined on Monday night to have the No. 7’s grade-two careless high tackle charge downgraded.
Cleary Jr was facing a two-match ban for a high shot on Wests Tigers rookie Heamasi Makasini and risked adding another week on the sidelines by contesting the charge.
The halfback rushed out of the line and made the hit as the Tigers rookie juggled the ball in Friday’s trial.
But in an inspired move, Cleary Sr swapped coaching for counsel as he argued to the panel of Ryan James and Greg McCullum that his son warranted a downgrade.
In a sign of how impressive Ivan Cleary’s performance was, the panel deliberated for just 12 minutes before announcing Nathan Cleary was free to face Brisbane in round one.
“I definitely thank him because it’s a big effort,” Nathan Cleary said of his father.
“I’m disappointed I had to put him through that little extra work that he had to do outside his normal job, but I’m grateful for his effort.
“I had no say in the matter (him representing me) but he was pretty confident.
“There were mixed thoughts because the last few times he’s been to the judiciary, it hasn’t worked out too well.
“But I trust him and we thought that we had a pretty good case. I’m glad the panel could see that.”
The Panthers have tended to use a lawyer to defend their players at the judiciary but looked within this time to great effect.
After showing replays of the incident from several angles, Cleary Jr argued his decision to rush up on Makasani was done with his own preservation in mind.
“If I stand back and he gets momentum and I risk becoming a speedbump,” Cleary said, adding his contact was shoulder to shoulder.
Surprisingly, the NRL’s counsel Lachlan Gyles SC chose not to cross-examine the Penrith halfback.
Gyles claimed Cleary had increased the risk in his tackle by approaching Makasini at speed.
Cleary Sr agreed his son had looked to create force but had shown a duty of care by planting his feet in anticipation of the collision and making shoulder to shoulder contact.
Cleary Jr escapes with a $1800 fine and can now line up against the Broncos on March 6.
His inclusion is a massive boost for Penrith, who started 2025 slowly and sat bottom after 12 rounds before making the top eight.
The Panthers lost a preliminary final against eventual premiers Brisbane, ending their run of four-straight premierships.
