Nathan Cleary has been working with an All-Blacks legend as he prepares to take his game to yet another level in 2023.
Meanwhile, Tanah Boyd is set to win the race to the Titans’ No.7 jersey and new recruit Kieran Foran heaped
Read on for the latest Off-season Central.
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O’Brien praises depth at the Knights | 00:53
CLEARY LINKS UP WITH ALL-BLACKS LEGEND
Nathan Cleary may be regarded the best halfback — and perhaps the best player — in the game but he isn’t resting on his laurels ahead of the 2023 season.
The Panthers halfback had a session with All Blacks legend Dan Carter and will implement the learnings heading into his eighth NRL season.
“It was a massive fan boy moment for me, I was frothing, it was pretty cool,” Cleary told 9 News.
“A lot of the stuff was just about mental, he gave me a few tips around that and just the way he speaks about that so fluently — it’s very impressive.
“He obviously put a lot of work into the mental side of things and in saying that, I’ll definitely look to undertake (that) as I get older. I know it’s very important so it was good to bounce ideas off him.”
Carter is regarded as one of the best rugby union players of all time. He played 112 Tests for the All Blacks and is the top international points scorer in Test rugby.
Cleary was also quizzed on teammate Mitch Kenny by 9 News and whether he can replace three-time premiership-winning hooker Api Koroisau.
Kenny has 60 NRL games to his name and only became a regular first-grader two years ago.
The 25-year-old has some doubters but Cleary isn’t worried, declaring: “I’m very confident that he’ll be able to prove them wrong. I’ve got full faith in Mitch and I trust him as much as I trust anyone in the team.”
Kenny isn’t too worried about the concerns. He told 9 News that “it’s natural” to ask questions because Koroisau is “one of the game’s premier hookers and I’m pretty unproven.”
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Doueihi on the brink of Tigers extension | 00:30
FORAN PAYS YOUNG TITAN ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT
Tanah Boyd looks set to partner star recruit Kieran Foran in the halves this season and he’s made a big first impression on the veteran playmaker.
The Titans fielded an inexperienced spine last season in Jayden Campbell at fullback, AJ Brimson at five-eighth, Toby Sexton at halfback and several players swapped in and out at hooker.
But this year Brimson is expected to shift back to his natural position at fullback, Sam Verrills has arrived to the club and will be the genuine hooker the Titans have been desperate for, Foran will play five-eighth and Boyd is expected to get the nod at halfback.
By the back end of last season, Boyd overtook Sexton as the Titans’ first choice halfback and Foran revealed the 22-year-old has taken a lot of confidence out of that.
“Since day one Tanah walked in here, he’s been beaming, he’s been confident, he has wanted to make that No.7 jersey his own and pick up from where he finished last year,” Foran said. “He has really grabbed it and he’s in for a huge year.
“We are spending plenty of time to build that combination and that fluency out on the field. It’s important we understand each other’s game.
“Tanah will be our dominant kicker, he’s a natural striker of the ball. We’ll be looking to complement each other’s games, that’s what good halves do.”
Foran has played seven of his 14-year career alongside Daly Cherry-Evans at Manly. Cherry-Evans is a premiership-winning halfback, who also has 19 Origin games to his name.
The pair worked up a formidable combination at the Sea Eagles and in a huge boost for Boyd ahead of Round 1, Foran can see similarities in his game to Cherry-Evans.
“Tanah can control the tempo and that’s what I was used to at Manly with ‘Chez’ and that allows me to play my game,” Foran said.
“When you’re talking experience levels they are worlds apart, Chez has played nearly 300 games and Tanah is a young guy starting out but in terms of their game management style it’s actually very similar.
“Tanah’s a guy that likes to take control, he can kick really well and he can control the tempo of a game. That’s what I’ve been used to at Manly with Daly and it allowed me to concentrate on what I do best.”
Boyd and Foran will play their first game together in Sunday’s trial against the Dolphins.
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Dolphins cop a spray from Bennett | 01:29
EELS LEGEND’S ROLE IN SECURING NEW RECRUIT
Jack Murchie has revealed he turned to Eels legend Mick Cronin before signing a two-year deal with the club.
Cronin coached Murchie at the Gerringong Lions seven years ago and the pair have been close ever since.
Murchie had offers from the Knights and Titans but signed with the Eels last October after conversation with the three-time Dally M Centre of the Year, who played 216 games for the Eels.
“It definitely did (convince me), he had a lot of good things to say about the club,” Murchie told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I gave him a call before I came to the club to have a chat about what it’s like, getting a few tips off him.
“I have a good relationship with ‘Crow’, I see him down the pub there every now and then.
“Everyone talks about him at Parramatta, they all love him. The stuff he did back in the ’80s is amazing. I’ve seen highlights of him as well, he’s a gun. He’s a good fella.”
Cronin told the Herald that he advised Murchie to sign with the Eels because of the club’s success last season.
He’s confident the Eels can also bring the best out of Murchie, who has played 40 NRL games across stints with the Raiders and Warriors.
“I said ‘You’d be going to a side that’s gone to a grand final, is well run, into a position where there’s going to be an opening for you’,” Cronin said.
“I can’t see them going backwards and this is the one side where he will be closer to his family as well.
“I’d love to see him win a comp at Parramatta. I think he’s got a bit to offer.
“At the end of last year, he started to look like the player we thought he could be.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes at Parramatta because there’s a lot of improvement in him, that’s my opinion.
“I don’t want to put pressure on him, but I hope for his sake we see that improvement.”
