Nathan Cleary may have had the No.7 on his back, but he clearly remembers playing a very different role during Penrith’s 2023 qualifying final against the New Zealand Warriors.
It was a brilliant sunny Saturday afternoon in early September, Jarome Luai had gone down with a shoulder injury and Jack Cogger was elevated to the starting side.
About a month earlier, Luai became ill before a game against the Sea Eagles, and Penrith’s coaching staff thought it would be a simple case of starting Cogger at No.6.
But it didn’t work. They quickly realised Cogger could really only operate as the controlling playmaker, so it made sense to move Cleary to second receiver. After all, Cleary had worn the No.6 for the Australian Schoolboys, alongside halfback Scott Drinkwater, and was versatile enough to cover both positions.
Which brings us to next Wednesday night – and why Queensland should be worried.
There has been so much talk this past week about how Cleary and Mitchell Moses will work in the NSW halves for the first time. They are both chief playmakers, like to defend on the right side of the field and want the ball in their hands for the big plays.
Nathan Cleary at NSW Blues training this week. Will he be the centre of attention on Wednesday night?Credit: Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
Can you have two players running the show? Can it work?
It has already been confirmed Moses will defend on the left side of the field, and will let Cleary run the show. It helped that Moses spent the first part of his career as the Wests Tigers’ No.6.
Being the deputy will also allow Moses to tap into his excellent running game, and look for more short-side plays, which he is very good at.
But Cleary is just as capable of taking a back seat if needed. Blues coach Laurie Daley is certainly aware of that, which is why he is open to mixing things up at different stages of the game.
If Cleary is receiving a little too much heat from the Queensland defence, the Blues are prepared to let Moses run the show. What a luxury to have.
Back to Penrith and that 2023 finals series. Luai returned for the preliminary final victory over Melbourne, but succumbed to the same shoulder injury midway through the second half of the grand final.
Remembering what worked for them against the Warriors, Penrith moved Cogger to first receiver and Cleary adapted on the run. The rest is a special piece of rugby league history: Cleary dragged the Panthers back from 24-8 down to win a third straight title.
“I had played a game with Jack against Manly that year; we were thinking he’d just come in and do Romy’s [Luai’s] role, but it never worked out the way we wanted,” Cleary said.
“We still won, but we were really clunky. Jack’s strength was playing direct and playing square; he was an on-the-ball halfback.
Nathan Cleary powers past Reece Walsh to score in the 2023 grand final. His man of the match performance was achieved largely while playing a different role.Credit: Getty Images
“Things didn’t change much, but in certain situations, he’d be the first receiver, I’d become the second receiver and get the ball another pass wider.
“Sometimes we’d have sets where he’d take complete control, and I’d sit on the short sides. It worked well for us.
“All this talk about Mitch and myself being the traditional No.7, I truly believe we’ll complement each other: we both have a good feel for the game, we won’t be set in our ways and we’ll be happy to adjust on the run.”
Cleary and James Maloney were often able to swap roles in the middle of games for the Panthers and NSW. Cleary said Maloney’s biggest strength was his game management, while Moses’ X-factor is his speed.
Jimmy Maloney has backed his mate Nathan Cleary to dominate on the Origin arena like he has in clubland.Credit: NRL Photos
Injuries have denied Cleary, 27, the chance to play Origin since game one in 2023. As he sat in Drink West Brewery, a watering hole he part-owns, to watch 30-year-old Moses guide the Blues to an unthinkable series win at Suncorp Stadium last year, Cleary had mixed emotions.
“I was super pumped to see all the boys do what they did; you want NSW to win every Origin series, and the way they did it was amazing,” Cleary said. “But there was also envy. I had that fire and wanted to get back there to be a part of it.
“I almost felt like I was a fan again watching it. I still feel like a bit of a fan because it’s been nearly two years since I last played an Origin game.
“My standout Origin memory will always be my debut, when I was a 20-year-old, running on to the MCG, which felt like a colosseum with 90,000 people, in 2018. I remember getting smashed by Greg Inglis.
“I still find myself watching the highlights of ‘Joey’ [Andrew Johns] and his performance when he came back for game two in 2005. It is probably the best performance of any half in any game I have seen. Ever.”
Sixes and sevens: Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses.Credit: Dylan Coker
Best ever? When you bring up his final 20 minutes in the 2023 grand final, when he dragged the Panthers back from the brink for a 26-24 win, Cleary is flattered, but quickly changes the subject.
Plenty has changed since the last time Cleary wore sky blue, including his new relationship with Matildas star Mary Fowler.
Knowing she was on the other side of the globe recovering from a ruptured ACL she suffered while playing for Manchester City in an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United – Cleary’s favourite team – had put things into perspective for him.
“I think I had a fair few reminders over the years about not taking anything for granted when dealing with my own injuries,” Cleary said. “But to then see what happened to Mary, I was gutted. It’s an unfortunate part of sport.
“But her mindset, and the way she’s attacked her rehab, it’s only made me grateful for what I have – she’s still on crutches, so I know I need to be thankful for being able to get around and use my body the way I can.
“She still doesn’t understand Origin and how big it is. That’s nice in a way because it’s an escape when I do talk to her. She’s slowly learning more about league. She’s from Cairns, but moved to Holland when she was 10. The only player she knew was Johnathan Thurston.”
Remember Thurston? An Origin legend just as lethal playing halfback or five-eighth. Maybe an apt description for Cleary and Moses in a few years’ time.
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