Cleary was sanctioned with a Grade 1 Dangerous Contact charge for a hit on Hugo Savala during the Panthers' 19-12 qualifying final win over Sydney Roosters.
A Grade 2 charge would have seen him offered a one-match ban with an early guilty plea and the likelihood of a high-stakes judiciary hearing on Tuesday.
Cleary was sin-binned during the 39th minute for what he later described on television as a "super stupid" hit on Savala, attempting to charge down a kick.
“I just felt a lot of guilt. I felt like I let the boys down,” Cleary said on Sunday evening.
“I thought I saw an opportunity to come up with a big play on halftime but it ended up being the opposite."
“He did all right last time," Cleary joked when asked if he would be appointing his father Ivan again to lead the defence case at a potential judiciary hearing.
Instead, there'll be no reason for Cleary to contest the $1000 fine, with a $1500 fine the applicable sanction were he to challenge the charge and lose.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
