Nathan Cleary is confident he and Mitchell Moses can “go to another level” as he admitted to being surprised by Queensland’s decision to revamp their halves pairing for Origin II in Perth next week.
The Maroons have dumped long-serving skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and replaced him with Tom Dearden at No.7 after being outgunned 18-6 in the series opener at Suncorp Stadium.
All but the first two of Cleary’s 15 Origin appearances have been with Cherry-Evans as his opposite number. When the Penrith maestro made his Origin debut as a 20-year-old in 2018, Ben Hunt was Queensland’s No.7 for the first two games of that series.
Cleary and Cherry-Evans have since gone head to head 13 times, with the latter holding a seven-six advantage.
“I wasn’t really expecting it,” Cleary said of the decision to cull the Manly veteran, which was confirmed when Maroons coach Billy Slater announced his squad on Monday.
“It’s interesting. I think Daly’s been an outstanding Origin player for such a long time.
“Obviously Tommy Dearden is great player, too … I wasn’t sure what they were going to do but I thought Daly’s the captain.”
NSW halfback Nathan Cleary had a blinder in Origin I.Credit: Getty Images
Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster – making their 15th appearance together as Queensland’s halves – were clearly overshadowed in Origin I by Cleary and Moses, who were playing together for the first time.
Cleary believes the Blues’ combinations will “get a lot better” the more they train together, although he added that was the case for both teams during an Origin campaign.
“Naturally, Queensland will get a lot better too,” he said. “I think that’s what usually happens in these Origin series.
“You sort of build into it as the games go on.
“You get a bit more time training together … particularly for me, coming back after two years out, you’ve sort of got to build those combinations in the first game, but I think I can elevate those even more in the second game.”
Cleary said he enjoyed playing with Moses in Origin I but there was always room for improvement.
NSW halves Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses.Credit: Dylan Coker
“I thought the way Mitch and I combined was good, but I think even that we can go to another level,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting to camp with them again.”
After a rare wayward night with the boot at Suncorp Stadium – landing only one goal from four attempts – Cleary has resumed normal service, kicking six goals from his past seven attempts for the Panthers. His only miss was a sideline shot that rebounded off the post in Sunday’s 18-14 win against the Tigers.
“Yeah, I want to have it [the goalkicking duties] back in game two. I handed it over to [Zac] Lomax and he missed anyway,” Cleary said with a laugh.
“I think it was just an off night. I don’t think anyone was kicking well that night … I sort of lost a bit of confidence. But particularly over the last two weeks, I feel like I’ve been striking the ball pretty well.”
He was looking forward to returning to Perth’s Optus Stadium, where in 2022 he delivered arguably his best-ever Origin performance, scoring 28 points in a 44-12 demolition.
“I think you just sort of lean on that experience,” he said. “But then again, it’s in the past.
“I really enjoy Perth as a place, but also the stadium and all that. And just being on that arena, I love it.”
Meanwhile, Cleary’s father Ivan – Penrith’s four-time premiership-winning coach – has expressed his disappointment about the NRL scheduling around Origin II.
The Panthers play the Warriors in Auckland on Saturday, June 21, less than three days after their five-man Origin contingent play in Perth.
They then face a five-day turnaround before a blockbuster clash with competition leaders Canterbury on Thursday, June 26.
“The Origin players won’t be playing [in Auckland], because they can’t,” Cleary said.
“That’s another story, because I don’t think it’s fair.
“We should be able to make that decision, but just through flights and things, we won’t be able to get them there.
“And then we’ve got a five-day turnaround after that, against the top team, the Dogs … we’ll worry about that in a couple of weeks.”
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