First-choice halves pairing James Maloney and Nathan Cleary look set to line-up for Penrith in Friday's NRL clash against struggling Gold Coast. Panthers coach Ivan Cleary confirmed on Thursday that NSW five-eighth Maloney will back up after helping the Blues win this year's State of Origin series on Wednesday. "He seems pretty good, obviously happy with how everything turned out last night," Cleary said. "At this stage he's going to back up for us." Halfback Cleary was in the stands for the Origin decider after being ruled out due to an ankle injury but the No.7 will be given every chance to prove his fitness to face the Titans. The Panthers are chasing revenge after being one of just four teams to lose to the Titans in 2019 - a 30-24 defeat in round five. Since then the Panthers have gone from wooden spoon contenders to finals aspirants after a five-match winning run that has lifted them to 10th position. Cleary admitted the mid-season revival had altered his expectations and he was eyeing off a top eight finish.
