Cleary KOs Moses in duel of the playmakers – but this wasn’t a fair fight

March 28, 2026 — 8:15pm

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Nathan Cleary’s wry smile 25 minutes into Penrith’s resounding 28-point win over Parramatta was the telltale sign of a footballer who knows he’s got the ball completely on a string.

His left-footed chip over the top from 10 metres out had far too much pepper on it, but fortune favoured the best as the ball ricocheted off the post padding and fell perfectly for Lindsay Smith to scoop up and plant down Penrith’s fourth try of the first half.

It was a fortuitous break for the Penrith halfback, but the game’s greats make their own luck and it is one of the reasons the Panthers remain overwhelming premiership favourites.

Cleary played a hand in three first-half tries on another forgettable evening for an Eels side who look to be heading for a bottom-eight finish unless something drastic changes.

The carnage evoked........

© The Sydney Morning Herald