NRL 2024 Penrith Panthers, Cronulla Sharks player ratings from preliminary final, result, videos, Nathan Cleary, Nicho Hynes

In a tight and sometimes sloppy contest, Nathan Cleary once again proved the difference as the Panthers marched towards home plate. fifth consecutive grand final.

He wasn’t the only Panther to stand out, with a pair of outside backs and the club’s milestone man playing excellent supporting roles.

As for the Sharks, Siona Katoa had one of the games of her career while Braydon Trindall put in a solid performance but it was a night to forget for Nicho Hynes and most of the club’s forwards.

Read below for ratings for Panthers and Sharks players following the preliminary final matches!

Watch the best news of the 2024 NRL finals, expert analysis and all matches leading up to the Grand Final LIVE on Kayo, with no ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

Rudolf is ready for the trip! | 00:30

PANTHERS

1. Dylan Edwards — 8

In his 150th game, Edwards did what he always does. Apart from a 55th minute mistake caused by Hynes’ strike it was rock solid. He made great defensive moves and made threats with the ball in his hands. 209 meters were completed with seven tackle breaks and two line breaks.

2. Sunia Turuva — 8.5

Pretty close to Penrith’s best on the ground. He saved two tries in each half with superb defensive play. A try was denied in the 58th minute. He finished with 182 meters from 21 runs.

3. Isaac Tago — 6

In a game dominated by his side’s left wing, Tago did his job when needed. He was strong in defense but did not find many opportunities in attack.

Sunia REJECTED, is Talakai playing blocking? | 00:37

4.Paul Alamoti – 8

A great performance from the young man. We set the tempo early with a strong shot against Katoa and continued with this standard. I ran hard, I hit hard. Goals were scored twice. He finished with 115 running meters and 21 tackles with just two misses.

5. Brian To’o — 8

He’s as strong as an ox who gets the ball out of his own end. Completed with 189 meters and try the installation with Cleary brightness. He proves in every match that he is one of the best wingers ever.

6. Jarome Luai – 7.5

He took control of the side early and allowed Cleary to do his best. He defended well, managed the ball well and took control with a late clearance from Cleary, setting up a masterful artillery trap for Martin. We might be wearing size 7 next week.

7. Nathan Cleary – 9

He turned it on, as he always does at big events. He argued strongly to force Kennedy to communicate early. He put his team ahead with a score of 40/20 in the 22nd minute. Penrith scored with a lead pass to Alamoti in the next set. He converted a diyb footy to set up To’o in the 63rd minute. Spell. He suffered a late scare with his shoulder, which will be monitored this week.

8. Moses Leota – 6

He did what was expected of him in 40 minutes without setting the world on fire. Solid, reliable performance from one of the most durable and reliable hardware in gaming.

9. Mitch Kenny – 6.5

Defensively he is as strong as ever, but a few moments of poor service could cost his team another night. I had a few good runs after the game launched. Hazelton is reported for a high shot but has to avoid trouble.

10. James Fisher-Harris – 6.5

She looks a lot like Leota. He did what was expected of him and completed the race with 14 runs and 108 meters.

Mal reveals election chat with Ponga | 01:24

11.Luke Garner-6

Mixed night from former Tiger. He made an expensive mistake on his part. He was replaced an hour later by Lindsay Smith. While it’s not the best game, it’s not the worst either.

12.Liam Martin-7

9 minutes later we set off with HIA. He’s back to bring powerful change to his side without setting the world on fire. A few mistakes didn’t help his cause. He scored a late try to ice his side’s lead.

13. Isaac Yeo – 8.5

He became the most capped Panther of all time in typical Yeo style. He didn’t have many flashy plays, but he handled the hard work and chose the right moments to run and pass. Simply extraordinary. He also reached the top in his team’s number of tackles.

Bench

14. Brad Schneider — None

He came on with five minutes left to end Cleary’s injury scare.

15. Lindsay Smith – 6.5

Martin was given an early injection, playing seamlessly in the side before moving into midfield and continuing his superb year. There is probably no better replacement for Fisher-Harris in the competition.

16. Liam Henry — 7

He immersed himself in the game from his first participation. Strong on the ball and in tackles. He ran the second most yards of any Penrith forward and made 30 tackles, the third most for his side.

17. Matt Eisenhuth – 6

He missed four tackles in just 24 minutes but his shortcomings were not taken advantage of.

sharks

1. William Kennedy — 7

He looked threatening when he received the ball in Penrith’s half without breaking play. Cleary’s test-hitting play all night was solid under him.

2. Sione Katoa – 8.5

The whole night was amazing. He nearly scored from Trindall’s early 40/20 attempt, looked comfortable under the high ball all night and scored a beautifully acrobatic try in the 60th minute to get his side back into the game. The team length was completed with 150 meters.

17. Siosifa Talakai — 5

I was lucky to stay on the field after giving Luai a late shot. Understandably, he struggled to assert himself in the competition as he did when injected off the bench. He summed up his night with the remaining 20 people.

4. Kayal Iro – 7.5

It’s hard to believe he’s in his first season as a freshman. He carried the ball very well and stopped an apparent try in the first half with his tackle on To’o. We could have scored in the 2nd minute. Great game from the young man.

5.Ronaldo Mulitalo — 6

He contested Trindall’s cross-field strike brilliantly before Hynes tried but unfortunately caught his fingertips and lost it forward. It is limited to 77 running metres. Not his best trip.

6. Braydon Trindall — 7

He played with all the air of a man in the shape of his life. He almost nailed it at the beginning of 40/20. He had a great kick from start to finish. He had a hand in a Katoa try in the 60th minute but made a costly mistake when attacking Penrith’s line.

7. Nicho Hynes – 6.5

He remained silent at the start of his 100th game. Let Trindall kick and organize. I almost tried it at 21 minutes. He got involved in the game, frequently corrected Cronulla’s attacks and had a few good strikes in the second half, but needed to have a bit more control on the line of play. Hit the ball only twice for 11 metres.

8. Toby Rudolf – 7.5

Yeo was reported for an early outing and was lucky to avoid the bin. These brain freeds fade to enter a powerful interchange, run the ball hard and tighten up the Sharks in the middle of the defence. He was the only Sharks forward to rush for more than 100 yards.

9.Blayke Brailey – 6.5

He made some nice runs in the dummy half and made 48 tackles but missed seven of them. Not his best performance.

10. Oregon Kaufusi – 6

He had a strong kick and kick-off but was unable to match that with Penrith’s superb package all night. It was completed with 72 meters from 10 runs.

11. British Nikora — 6.5

Strong as always in defense and ball control, setting up Katoa’s great try in the second half. Like the rest of their forwards, he did not do enough to counter Penrith’s team.

12. Teig Wilton – 6

We could not control the game in any sense. He ran for 84 meters in 12 runs and critically missed seven tackles. I made 42. A night to forget.

13. Cameron McInnes — 7

He worked hard as always, especially on defense, making a game-high 49 tackles and missing just once. No progress was made against the horde of panthers. Sometimes linked play is nice.

Bench

15.Jack Williams-6

Only 19 minutes were played. I brought some energy to the bench without changing the momentum of the game.

16. Royce Hunt – 6

It was a costly offload in the 50th minute when his side were on the attack. I did a nice job in less than half an hour. He struggled like the other forwards.

17. Thomas Hazelton – 6

The cult hero had a few good moments, but he didn’t stand out as much as the rest of the pack.

18. Daniel Atkinson – 5

He arrived at Talakai with 20 people left and didn’t interfere much. It’s hard to ask for a natural half to play in the side.