Daly Cherry-Evans concedes even he was once wary of Origin and Panthers rival Nathan Cleary given the regular branding of Cleary and his teammates as arrogant, but now plans to one day sit back in retirement “and admire his true genius”.
Cherry-Evans has years left in the game yet and another looming Origin duel with the Penrith No.7 following Saturday’s clash with the back-to-back premiers.
But he and Cleary formed a surprisingly tight friendship during last year’s World Cup tour despite Cleary usurping Cherry-Evans’ role as Kangaroos halfback.
The Manly veteran admitted his expectations of Cleary and Penrith teammates Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin were shaped somewhat by a series of headline-grabbing incidents as Penrith celebrated last year’s grand final.
They ended up well wide of the mark.
“His demeanour was completely different from what I expected, and I guess it proves you can only tell half the story from watching someone on TV,” Cherry-Evans told the Herald.
Cleary and Cherry-Evans enjoy a great playmaking rivalry, and each other’s company.Credit:Getty
“The easy thing to do watching Penrith over the last couple of years is to get the perception that they are a bit over the top, that they can celebrate a bit too much.
“But I’ve always been quite cautious when I see those headlines too and reserve judgement, because I’ve been in that position as well. It was interesting to hear comments about those Panthers players and then go into a rep side with them.
“You don’t know who someone really is until you spend time with them. Nath’s the ultimate professional and works around the clock on his game, his body. There’s no surprises with the results he gets on the field.
“Personality wise, he’s just down to earth, respectful and a really good teammate. Great to have a beer with.”
Rivals: Daly Cherry-Evans tackles Nathan Cleary during last year’s Origin series.Credit:NRL Photos
Cherry-Evans won’t give up hope of reclaiming his Australian Test spot and impressed Kangaroos coaching staff with his gracious handling of Cleary’s ascension.
At 34, Cherry-Evans is nine years older than Cleary, and knows a day will come when he’s no longer lining up opposite the Panthers star.
Already Cleary has two premierships, two State of Origin series wins, a World Cup and more than 1200 premiership points to his name. So Cherry-Evans “doesn’t know where he finishes, to be honest”.
“The sky is the limit for Nath, but I do know I’m going to enjoy watching him play,” Cherry-Evans said.
“I enjoy playing against him because there’s no better test than when you’re playing against the best, and it’s the best seat in the house.
“But we’re probably still too competitive right now. I’ll be retired at some point and I’ll be able to sit back and really appreciate the genius of Nathan Cleary.”
