Why Cleary isn't fazed by final frontier narrative
Cleary, 27, has won four premierships in a row, has claimed the Clive Churchill Medal twice, won a World Cup and has been a part of three successful Origin campaigns.
He's on track to smash several NRL records and has been the main man in the most dominant team of the modern era, yet there are people who still point to his Origin record and wonder whether he deserves to be in the Immortal conversation.
Cleary has a 7-7 record for NSW and has played just one match for his state since the start of 2023, with serious hamstring injuries plaguing him and forcing him to miss the epic comeback win last year.
The champion halfback has heard the chat and accepts that it will follow him around throughout this year's series, but he says it won't define him as he looks to make up for lost time.
'I think that's the way it's probably shaped sometimes, and I do want to play better at Origin level,' he said.
'But I'm not shaping it as a final frontier.
'There's still a lot of my rugby league life to live. I want to keep getting better. This Origin journey is in front of me right now, so I want to attack that as best I can.
'I think I've just got to prove it to my teammates, especially after watching last year and seeing how well they did.
'You've just got to capitalise and do the same again.
'It's about proving myself to my teammates and showing that I'm meant to be here, and I'm confident that I can get the job done.
'At the end of the day, it's not about me. It's about this team, so I want to put my best foot forward for the whole week and then be at my best come game day.'
Blues skipper and Cleary's co-captain at the Panthers, Isaah Yeo, knows Cleary better than most.
It's why he's backing the gifted playmaker to use the criticism as motivation, with Yeo just happy to see Cleary back in the sky blue jersey after so many cruel setbacks.
'I don't know if he'd give it much thought, but if he does, I'm sure it'd fuel the fire a bit,' the veteran lock said.
'You know how much the jersey means to him. You only have to look back at when he did his hammy before the series last year and how shattered he was.
'I feel like he's so ready for this moment. It's been building for a few years, so I'm excited to see him back in this environment because I know what he brings to a team and how much confidence he'll give the group.'
Cleary's next challenge will be working alongside Mitchell Moses in the halves, with the Eels star edging Jarome Luai for the five-eighth spot.
Luai and Cleary have carved up for the Panthers and Blues in the past, but Cleary is excited about the new combination even though both men are chief playmakers at club level and prefer to play on the right.
Both players have spoken about being willing to step back if the other guy is in control, with Cleary's crucial tries against Brisbane showing that he can do some of his best work on the left.
'I think we both understand the game really well and I think we can use that to our advantage for what's needed at the right time and to stand up in the right moments,' said Cleary, who should start on the right given his combination with Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton.
'At the end of the day, it's about what's right for the team. It's not letting egos get in the way, we've got to complement each other and get the best out of each other.
'I don't mind, and the way it should work is that we can roam around and see how that works. I think both of us are quite capable of playing left or right.'
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News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Fresh twist in Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler ‘break-up' speculation as couple's beautiful act comes to light
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The Age
14 hours ago
- The Age
Let them go – Samoa defectors might just save international footy
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We're going to start all over in Memphis, back to even par, show goes on.' Scheffler doubles down on his comments last week, about golf trophies being no big deal when what he really wants to be good at is being a husband and father: 'Am I grateful for [winning]? Do I enjoy it? Oh, my gosh, yes, this is a cool feeling. But having success in life is not what fulfils the deepest desires of your heart. Just because you win a golf tournament doesn't make you happy - but I'm pretty excited to celebrate this one.' Lions star Owen Farrell on online trolls: 'But I understand that it's different now. I understand times are different and things catch fire quicker. Things grow legs, take a life of their own, go wherever they go and there's momentum behind them. But no, I don't always understand it.' How about Farrell dealing with praise and not just abuse? 'Both are a poison ... I guess the people I think we should listen to are the proper rugby people – your mates. Not that those people will just pat you on the back.' Nick Kyrgios after a doubles match: 'Knee cooked but fans still f--ed with us.' No, I have no idea, either. The Association on American Indian Affairs doesn't want Donald Trump to make moves to bring back the Redskins and Indians: 'These mascots and names do not honour Native Peoples — they reduce us to caricatures. Our diverse Peoples and cultures are not relics of the past or mascots for entertainment. Native Nations are sovereign, contemporary cultures who deserve respect and self-determination, not misrepresentation.' Bravo. English footballer Esme Morgan on how the Lionesses wound down after their match against Sweden: 'There was a lot of laughing at things that happened within the game, a few of us got together to watch that night's 'Love Island episode to try and tire us out.' Tom Lynagh on taking on the Lions: 'No point to prove, just go out there and play my game. It was incredible experience. It's my first time playing at Suncorp when it's packed out. It's always something I wanted to do and follow in Dad's footsteps. So, I'm living the dream now. It's a proud moment for myself and my family.' On being targeted physically: 'It's part of the job, mate. You've got to toughen up for games like this. You can't shy away from anything.' Loading Len Ikitau on what position Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii should play: 'To be honest, if he's on the field, that's the best thing for us. Just somewhere on the field, and if he's playing 13, if he's playing on the wing, fullback, I know that he's just a freak of an athlete, and he can step up to the occasion, and just play his footy. At the end of the day, it's a footy game and he's a footballer, so I don't think it'll faze him.' Team of the Week Wallabies. Play the British and Irish Lions at the MCG tonight, after a creditable if losing performance in the First Test, last week in Brissie. Jess Hull. The Australian flyer broke her own women's mile record, registering 4:13.68 to finish a couple of seconds behind Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay. England and Spain. Contest the final of the UEFA European Women's Championship. Scottie Scheffler. Now the undisputed biggest name in golf right now, because he keeps winning, including the British Open last weekend. The LIV sell-outs, meantime, ever more irrelevant. Have only won two majors between them, since LIV started. Felix Baumgartner. Extreme sports pioneer died as he lived in a paragliding accident, in Italy this week. You might remember as the bloke who more or less parachuted from space, back in 2012, jumping from 40 km up in the stratosphere. It still mesmerises. Cameron Smith. The only professional golfer to have been in all four majors this year, but failed to make the cut at all four. LIV appears to have destroyed – you heard me – his game, at least in the majors. But look, he's got squillions, so I guess that's the main thing. 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