Bunnies have drawn up Cleary plan, and Panthers already complained to the NRL about it

The Rabbitohs have quietly been preparing a “brutal” game plan ahead of their monster clash with the Panthers in week one of the NRL finals, and its sent the Panthers scurrying to officials to complain; all before a single ball has been kicked.

There’s one clear way to beat the Panthers — silence Nathan Cleary.

Wayne Bennett’s Rabbitohs are planning exactly that when they meet the seemingly unstoppable Penrith machine tonight in the opening round of the NRL finals. They’ve drawn up a “target” plan, aiming to smash the 23-year-old out of the game entirely.

It’s a simple plan, but one that teams have found great success in over the years. Cleary’s bomb kicks are a major concern for the Bunnies, and the club is even more fearful of their long-range power with rookie fullback Blake Taafe deputising for Latrell Mitchell on Saturday night.

Bennett’s plan, then, is to cut the kicks out at the source: Cleary.

The suspected ambush — which The Sporting Base understands the Rabbitohs are trying to keep under wraps — has got the Panthers camp worried. So much so, in fact, they’ve gone to NRL officials to complain.

Ivan Cleary has gone public with his fears too, claiming the game must do more to protect the Panthers star man (his son) during last-tackle options.

“Nathan is targeted every match and often the contact is outside the current protection interpretations,” he said. “In fact, I don’t think we have ever received a penalty for a late hit, or unnecessary contact on him, which is extraordinary considering the amount of kicks he executes.”

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The complaints come after the Bunnies knocked on the NRL’s door following a heated round 23 meeting between the two teams.

Back then, the Rabbitohs flagged “illegal” blocking techniques Penrith employed to keep their whizz-kid safe. That included several “blocker” plays from Isaah Yeo, who moved his positioning several times to stop Cameron Murray from getting to Cleary.

The ploy worked, and the Panthers took the chocolates at Suncorp Stadium off the back of Cleary’s devastating bombs, as Josh Mansour and Latrell Mitchell struggled to contain the aerial assault.

The Sporting Base has not yet heard the NRL’s response to Penrith’s ‘please explain,’ nor has anyone at the Rabbitohs actually revealed if they’re heading out with a “brutal” plan in mind.

On Saturday night, however, we’ll likely see the Bunnies pull it off, complaints or no. Nathan Cleary will come under fire.

The question is, will it work?

Well, that’s the million-dollar question. If it does — and there’s a chance it does, especially if the referees actually crackdown on the Panthers’ blocking technique — the Panthers may be in big trouble.

Their star man is undefeated so far in 2021, across club games and State of Origin, and is in a rich, rich vein of form. He nearly dragged the team to a premiership last year, lifting the entire squad around him, but couldn’t match the magic of a departing Cameron Smith.

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If the Rabbitohs truly have built the blueprint to shutting him down, however, it may spell trouble for Cleary’s men. Jarome Luai has fallen away heavily since Origin, and is struggling to make a game impact.

Come Saturday night, the Panthers’ chances in the finals may be laid bare. If they can survive the Rabbitohs “brutal” game plan, then they’re in a good spot to last the rest of the postseason on their way to a potential meeting with the Storm and Sea Eagles in the big dance in Brisbane.

If they struggle through, it could be the end of the glamorous Panthers as we know it, without a ring to boot. That Clearly question will be answered, one way or another, at 8pm tonight.

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