Cleary given GF lifeline

FORMER NRL match review chairman Greg McCallum thinks Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary can consider himself lucky to be free to play in the NRL grand final given he had loading.

Cleary on Sunday was not charged by the match review committee for his tackle on Melbourne’s Kenny Bromwich in the 21st minute.

Asked for his expert view on the tackle, McCallum said: “He contributed into lifting the player into a dangerous position, but only just. The mitigation is there is another player in the tackle, but it was (Cleary’s) lift that actually elevated him into that position.”