Nathan Cleary may have produced the greatest 20 minutes in NRL history to lead Penrith to a remarkable grand final victory in 2023, but the champion halfback still credits the “underrated” contribution of Jack Cogger off the bench as the man who helped spark the comeback.
The win over Brisbane was Cogger’s last game in a Penrith jersey before he made the move to Newcastle, but he’s back in western Sydney after signing a three-year deal to help the Panthers win back the trophy off the Broncos.
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Former halves partner Jarome Luai was always dubbed the Robin to Cleary’s Batman, but it was Cogger who produced the heroics on grand final night when Luai was forced off with a shoulder injury with 29 minutes remaining.
He watched on as Broncos star Ezra Mam threatened to steal the show, with Cogger then playing a key hand at first receiver for Penrith’s next two tries as Cleary set up Moses Leota and Stephen Crichton.
Cleary ultimately scored the winner and claimed his second Clive Churchill Medal, but the champion halfback credits Cogger for freeing him up to take over the contest.
“I think Penrith fans understand how important he was, but I still think his role is so underrated because he was able to create so much space for me and for everyone around us,” Cleary told the NewsWire.
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“He also brought a different calm energy onto the field when everything was a bit hectic and it felt like everything was going wrong. He came on and was really positive and clicked me into gear to think the right things.
“He’s naturally a quiet guy, but he’s a leader and he showed it that night on the biggest stage. He’s still the great man and I’m really pleased to have him back.
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“We both see the game really similarly, so we can bounce ideas off each other. We’re also the same age. We’ve had a bit of a different experience throughout our first-grade careers, but we both understand the game.”
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Cogger says he was simply doing his job and that he had the best seat in the house as Cleary took over, but he’s had to watch from afar for the past two years.
After stints with Newcastle and the Bulldogs before his lone season with Penrith, Cogger returned to the Hunter in 2024 where he was expected to provide much-needed stability in the halves.
But he wasn’t immune from the constant chopping and changing in the spine, with Cogger eventually released with a year to run on his deal.
“I think at the time when I left (Penrith) there were a lot of circumstances,” he said.
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“I decided midway through the year that I was going back to Newcastle after only playing two or three games in the NRL, but then I ended up playing the rest of the season and won the comp.
“Statistics show that when you leave a club, you generally don’t return. But I left on really good terms so that’s what made it easy for them to take me back.
“It was an up and down couple of seasons at Newcastle. I learnt a lot – some good, some bad – but you take everything you can on board that’s going to make me a better player.
“That’s what I think I am compared to the guy who arrived here at the start of 2023, and that really excites me.”
His first stint in Penrith has him well placed to slot back into the system, with Cogger looking to follow in the footsteps of Tom Jenkins, who left the club for Newcastle and then returned in 2025 to score 13 tries.
A starting spot seems unlikely with Blaize Talagi in the halves, but Cogger is tipped to earn a place on the bench as he bides his time for another opportunity.
“I have to be ready around Origin time when I’m pretty certain that Nathan will be away in that Blues squad,” he said.
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“You have to be ready to step in and make sure that the team keeps ticking away exactly the same as when he’s here.
“Hopefully, I can play a bit of a role as a utility. I don’t know exactly how that’ll look, but hopefully I can offer something a bit different that can benefit the team.
“Whether that means coming on late in games or at the end of the first half, I definitely think I can offer something there.”
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