It was a brilliant performance with rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns praising the pair when Luai kicked for Cleary as the Panthers claimed the lead.
"This is incredible, this is combinations," Johns said in commentary for Nine. "They've played together since they've were 14-years-old.
"Luai just backs himself and look at his halfback, he just read the play. And have a look at this for courageous he just dives. That is incredible, how tough is that?
"It's just great combinations. Last play, Cleary was calling to get a kick on. Luai just takes off, he plays on instinct, and his halfback backs him up. That's what great combinations do. They're flying at the moment, Penrith."
On Fox League, Michael Ennis was blown away by the pair.
"Jarome Luai has been in stellar form... Nathan Cleary he has just got no hesitation in his game at all. He is completely in sync with his halves partner. That is utter brilliance," he said.
Commentator Andrew Voss was in agreement.
"The highest praise I can give and the joy of watching Langer and Kevvie Walters at their best... watching Cleary and Luai combine, six and seven together play for each other... it brings just as much enjoyment to a rugby league fan to watch these two youngsters do the same sort of thing that legends like Walters and Langer did," he said.
Cleary scored a first half hat-trick, claiming the third of his career and earning bragging right s over his father and coach Ivan, who scored two in his career.
But the Roosters came back to set up a thriller with tries to James Tedesco and Josh Morris to cut the lead to six for the final 16 minutes.
Even when the Panthers looked to seal it with a Cleary field goal with just under three minutes remaining, a penalty handed the Roosters field position and ultimately a try through Angus Crichton to send it right down to the final seconds.
Post-match on Channel 9, Luai admitted it was "the hardest game I've ever played".
"I got run over a couple of times so I have to work on that," he said. "But props to Nath mate, he really stepped up tonight and led the way so props to my boy."
Cleary, who was standing next to Luai added: " That was just finals footy, I absolutely love playing it, that's what we've built all season for and just happy to get the win."
It was a heart-stopping finish with Panthers coach Ivan Cleary admitting "my heart was racing a bit for sure".
While he said the beginning and the end of the game exposed the Panthers' youth, the result sees the Panthers through to the club's first preliminary final since 2014 and extends the side's historic winning streak to 16, no just behind the 2002 Bulldogs (17) and 1975 Roosters (19) for the biggest winning streak in history.
"Nat's shown throughout his young career that these types of games he goes well in," Cleary said. "It's just little details and competing and effort areas and he was good again there tonight."
Asked about a penalty before he kicked the match winning field goal, where Nathan kicked for touch rather than for goal, Ivan joked: "I'm not sure he can kick that far."
It was something Nathan admitted in his interview with Channel 9.
Told he didn't want the Roosters to get the ball back, Ivan added: "I didn't send down a directive, it was up to him really".
Social media was blown away by the pulsating match between the two top four sides.
While the Roosters couldn't kick a field goal to send it to extra time, it was an incredible comeback from the side.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson said he was proud of his side.
He admitted his team was "out of sorts" but when asked if the Roosters "found themselves" in the comeback, he agreed.
"Character gets exposed on the biggest stage and we didn't win but our character stood up," he said. "We've got to our execution and skill level to follow our character and we'll be a much better team next week."
The Roosters will need plenty of character to make the grand final with Phil Gould pointing at the tough road ahead if the games go on favouritism.
"So, if games go with favouritism over next three weeks, Rooster could well have to beat Raider, Storm, Panther, in that order, to win the comp. That's some challenge right there. Of course Eel could put a spanner in the works by beating Storm tomorrow. Interesting series," Gould tweeted.
