Teammate defends Cleary over 'arrogant' move

1 year ago 128

Jarome Luai has defended Nathan Cleary aft his superstar teammate was accused of being arrogant during Penrith's World Club Challenge lucifer against St Helens.

When Cleary slotted a conversion to level the scores astatine 12-12 successful the 80th minute, the Blues and Kangaroos halfback pointed to the veins successful his close arm.

The gesture, which is fashionable successful the NBA, is simply a motion to being chill nether pressure.

St Helens had an reply to Cleary's clutch conversion, seizing triumph successful aureate constituent done a Lewis Dodd tract goal.

Social media had already lit up with disapproval of Cleary implicit his "ice-in-the-veins" move, which Luai backed connected Monday.

"That's each successful the moment," Luai said.

"That was a beauteous big-pressure footwear that helium pulled off, truthful if radical are talking crap astir that past it's beauteous brainsick due to the fact that he's stepped up successful a batch of unit moments.

"He's earned wherever he's got and wherever he's astatine now. He's worked each metre for it, he's going to support doing his happening and he's got my afloat support."

It wasn't the archetypal clip the Panthers had been deed with claims of cockiness.

As Penrith players celebrated winning back-to-back premierships past year, James Fisher-Harris told fans that "Parra are our sons", triggering a "we hatred Parra" chant successful the crowd.

Fisher-Harris' sledge was made connected the backmost of Luai's "they tin telephone america daddy" jibe up of the expansive final.

"The Panthers civilization is we conscionable emotion our footy, we emotion each other," Luai said connected Monday.

"That's that brotherhood we have. We've got a large transportation with each other, and erstwhile it comes crippled clip it's each shackles disconnected and we're conscionable retired determination to compete."

The Panthers volition statesman their 2023 run successful a clash with the Broncos astatine Penrith Stadium connected Friday, March 3.

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