Goalkicking guru Darryl Halligan believes Penrith have an ace up their sleeve as they chase a fifth-straight title in the finals series.
Widely regarded as the best goalkicker rugby league has ever known, Halligan has nominated Panthers star Nathan Cleary as the best kicker in the finals race.
And that could give the Panthers the edge in what is certain to be a series of tightly-fought matches in the month ahead.
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Halligan now works as a goalkicking coach and has Cleary – as well as several other kickers in the title chase – among his clients.
And the statistics back up Halligan's claim – Cleary is kicking at 87 per cent in 2025 and is well clear of his rivals in the post-season.
"I may be a little biased but Nathan has really been hitting them well and comes into the finals with his confidence very high," Halligan told Wide World of Sports.
"He has a great technique and is at the stage of his career where he handles the big-game pressure really well.
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"He had a bit of a hiccup through the State of Origin period where he had to stop kicking for a while because of a groin injury – but he is over that now and kicking as well as I have ever seen him.
"Early in the season I thought Jamal Fogarty was the best of the bunch, but Nathan has caught him now. He just knows where the posts are and has a real feel for them.
"I also rate Critta [Canterbury skipper Stephen Crichton] very highly – he is a perfectionist and can do it all.
"It will just come down to who handles the pressure the best on the day and I'm looking forward to watching how all the guys do."
Top goalkickers in NRL finals series (minimum 50 attempts)
- Nathan Cleary – 87%
- Adam Reynolds – 84.8%
- Jamal Fogarty – 80.4%
- Stephen Crichton – 79.2%
- Nicho Hynes – 79.1%
NOTE: Roosters halfback Sam Walker has a 90 per cent average but has only played eight games, kicking 38 goals.
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