On the flip side, the Broncos will be counting on star fullback Reece Walsh to continue his incredible form of the past three months, when he has been the most influential player in the NRL.
Walsh has never beaten the Panthers.
In a compelling reflection of Cleary's dominance of the Broncos ahead of Sunday's preliminary final, the Panthers maestro has accumulated 49 points in four wins from four against the Broncos dating back to round 12 in 2023.
That trumps the 48 points the Broncos managed collectively as a side in those four matches.
Cleary's points came via three tries, 18 goals from 19 attempts and a field goal.
The Broncos have struggled to thwart Cleary's running, passing and kicking game, which were all on song in the 46-26 finals win over Canterbury on Sunday.
Cleary broke Brisbane hearts in the 2023 grand final when he scooted past Walsh in a scheming run to beat the Broncos fullback on his inside in the final minutes of the match to secure a 26-24 win.
That was after he was the key figure in engineering the victory when the Panthers trailed 24-8, a performance that secured his second Clive Churchill Medal.
Incredibly Cleary, 27, scored a replica of that grand-final try in the 32-8 win over Brisbane at Magic Round this year, although on that occasion Walsh was absent through injury.
Cleary's numbers against the Broncos stretching back to 2020 are out of this world and include seven wins from eight games and 85 individual points. The Broncos have managed just 97 points all-up in those eight matches.
Walsh has played against the Panthers seven times, on three occasions for the Warriors and four times for Brisbane. He lost them all.
Penrith remain the only side he has not beaten in his 93-game NRL career.
Since returning from a knee injury in round 14, Walsh has won 10 of the 12 matches he has played for the Broncos.
In those games he has 10 tries, 17 try assists and 71 tackle busts. The Broncos' late-season surge has been on the back of his dazzling efforts.
The 23-year-old is the form player of the competition and is fresh from inspiring a 29-28 qualifying-final win over Canberra in golden point after the Broncos trailed 28-12.
Sometimes his teammates aren't aware what the whiz kid is about to do, but winger Deine Mariner wouldn't have it any other way.
"I guess so, but that is his strength. He can do anything," Mariner said.
"You never know what it is going to be, but when he does do it you just have to get on the back of it. He always has the best interests of the team at heart."
Cleary and Walsh have been on fire in the back half of the season as the chief creators in two teams that have improved across the park. Whichever of the two has the most influence on Sunday will no doubt be in the side going through to the grand final.
