Walsh fires cheeky dig at Cleary ahead of blockbuster NRL prelim final

Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh has taken a cheeky swipe at Nathan Cleary ahead of their NRL preliminary final against Penrith at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

When asked how Brisbane would handle Cleary, Walsh turned the question back on the reporter, delivering a sly response: 'How does he deal with us?' Walsh said with a smirk. 'It's exciting. He's a world class player and if you give him an opportunity, he's going to take it. It's like the same as us. If they give us opportunities, we're going to take it. I guess it's just trying to minimise (Cleary's talent) and I'm looking forward to the challenge.'

Penrith, the two-time defending premiers, enter with a string of daytime success behind them. The Panthers have been particularly lethal in the day since their Sunday afternoon loss to Canberra in July 2019, with only a handful of defeats in 38 daytime matches. Cleary has been central to that success, winning all 26 of the day matches he has played, including a 32-8 victory over Brisbane at Magic Round this year.

'I’ve heard people talk about it in the past few days,' Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny said. '(Daytime football) probably gets the best out of everyone's attack, so on the other side of the coin it will probably bring the best out of the Broncos. But I feel like playing a 4pm Sunday against the Bulldogs was really good preparation for that. So we'll be ready.'

The match at Suncorp comes as forecasts show temperatures around 30C in the Brisbane venue, adding a potential edge to a contest that pits Cleary and Penrith's precise, patient ball movement against Brisbane's tempo and youthful upside. Conventional wisdom had floated that the Sunday afternoon slot could suit the Broncos by allowing their game to speed up under warmer, dryer conditions, but Penrith's ongoing daytime success complicates that assumption.

Cleary's continued excellence in daylight fixtures has become a defining feature of the Panthers' run. Since the Sunday afternoon loss that year, Penrith have lost just three of 38 daytime matches, a statistic that underscores the resilience of a side built around Cleary and coach Ivan Cleary, his father.

With Penrith aiming for a fifth straight premiership over the next fortnight, the stage is set for a clash that will reverberate through finals analysis. The Broncos will look to pressure Cleary with a relentless, high-tempo start and capitalize on any early mistakes, while Penrith will lean on their capacity to weather Brisbane's early energy and then turn the screws with the precision football that has defined their era of success.