Playing his first game since tearing a hamstring in May, Cleary proved his worth, twice rescuing the Panthers with the game on the line.
The halfback kicked a long-range 75th minute penalty to send the match to golden point before stepping up to slot a two-point field goal from 45 metres out in the 81st minute.
The Panthers rested all five of their State of Origin players and were way below their best in front of 20,955 at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday.
But Cleary's heroics patched over the cracks, denying Wayne Bennett's side a potentially seismic win over the defending three-time premiers.
Comeback hero Cleary kicks his match-winning field goal. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)
Cleary looked set for a seamless return to first grade when he set up Sunia Turuva before converting with the help of the upright, and then cleaned up a Dolphins grubberkick to the in-goal inside the opening 10 minutes.
The only problem was the rest of the Penrith outfit lacked the same intent as Bennett's men powered downfield through Tevita Pangai Jr.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow breezed through for the Dolphins' opener and after Liam Henry coughed up the ball in his own half, Isaiya Katoa doubled the away side's lead.
Paul Alamoti hit back for the Panthers and when Ray Stone stripped Mitch Kenny, Tabuai-Fidow was in for his second try to give the Dolphins an 18-12 halftime lead.
Tabuai-Fidow sent Jack Bostock in at the left corner early in the second half and the Dolphins opened a 14-point buffer when Jamayne Isaako nudged a 55th-minute penalty.
Daine Laurie's 63rd-minute try helped Penrith claw their way back against the Dolphins. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)
But rather than fade, Penrith started to show some cohesion and play with more vigour to reel the Dolphins back in.
First, prop Moses Leota barrelled his way over before fill-in fullback Daine Laurie went in off a scrum play on 63 minutes, with Cleary's conversion cutting the Dolphins' lead to just two points.
When Josh Kerr was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul on Trent Toelau, Cleary tied the game up with a penalty goal.
Inexplicably, Katoa didn't kick take his chance at a field goal in regular time and Cleary made him pay, coming up with the match-winning play to send the home crowd wild.
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