Nathan Cleary has warned that NSW’s squad has the feel of Penrith’s best days again, with he and Jarome Luai slipping straight back into their old combination.
Cleary has a chance to win his fourth State of Origin series as NSW halfback on Wednesday, with the Blues heavy favourites to taste victory at Optus Stadium.
It will come on an historic night for the Panthers star, who will join Andrew Johns and Mitchell Pearce for the most games in the NSW No.7 jersey, with 16.
Cleary and Luai have been teaming up since the age 15, winning 107 of the 134 games they have played together at all levels before the latter’s move to Wests Tigers this year.
Luai’s call up to the NSW’s 18-man squad for the injured Mitch Moses now means there are nine members of Penrith’s NRL premiership dynasty in the Blues’ group, with Matt Burton 18th man.
“It is a bit of that feel of that 2021 grand-final team,” Cleary said on Tuesday.
“(Jarome and I) understand each other’s games pretty well. So in that regard, it was a pretty seamless transition with him coming back in.
“He was a part of the series last year too. He has those combinations already with the guys around him.
“Our combination doesn’t change. It’s probably more him coming back into the side with those other guys. And I thought he’s done that really well.”
Cleary will be one of the most scrutinised players on the field in Perth on Wednesday night.
Despite the four premierships rings at Penrith, there is still a slight stigma attached to the halfback in that he is yet to own an Origin series.
Cleary has often been among the Blues’ best in big wins, but critics point to the fact he is yet to have a standout moment at the clutch in close games.
However, that is largely due to the fact that when NSW have won in the past seven years, Cleary has starred and the Blues have won comfortably.
As he prepares to equal the mark made by Johns and Pearce, Cleary said he was far removed the man who debuted under coach Brad Fittler in 2018.
“(Origin) comes with more expectations now, with the standing in the game and the amount of games I’ve played,” Cleary said.
“But I’m in a position to play my best footy, I had a very simplified role (back then) and contributed where I could.
“It’s the same now, I want to do my role and my best for the team, but it’s having a greater influence on what we’re able to do.”
The 27-year-old is now comfortable with shouldering the pressure associated with having become one of the faces of the game in recent years.
Cleary has long labelled the 2019 season as one of the most important of his career, narrowing his focus and making him mature after a poor year for Penrith.
He believes this season has also made him a better footballer, with the Panthers trying to climb from the bottom of the ladder after round 12 and back into finals contention.
Now into his 10th NRL season, Cleary said his relationship with the sport had also changed since his Penrith debut in 2016 and his NSW start two years later.
“I’m still passionate about it, I still love watching it. But I would say in terms of professionalism, that’s changed,” Cleary said.
“This is a duty to my teammates, to my club when I’m playing for my club, and for my state when I’m playing for my state.
“I just went out there and played when I was younger. Now it’s much more regimented with what I need to do to play my best.
“I think I’m definitely more consistent because of that, rather than when I was an 18-year-old.”
Written by: Scott Bailey (AAP)
