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Peter Sterling praises Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary's NRL form

Nealo 12

Bench
Messages
4,796
So this year no Penrith players were good enough to be picked , And it took another series loss to work out that Pearce isn't up to it !
Hold firm Gus insist that Cleary isn't ready.
 
Messages
21,867
I didn't realise former NRL players Jason Death & Josh Stuart are Nathan's uncles. Lots of footballing pedigree. Between his dad & uncles they played over 500 top grade matches.
 

franklin2323

Immortal
Messages
33,546
This is NSW's problem. Cleary has been very ordinary in all but a handful of games. Has one outstanding game now suddenly he is an origin half. Lets see him back up Friday night over the rest of the season
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,004
This is NSW's problem. Cleary has been very ordinary in all but a handful of games. Has one outstanding game now suddenly he is an origin half. Lets see him back up Friday night over the rest of the season
Ordinary in Origin would put him well ahead of Pearce though.

Not a single try assist or linebreak assist in 3 games of footy. He didnt do his job and the only time he did anything right was when he backed up others busting the line.

Cleary isnt ready yet. But he would no doubt be better than Pearce. Although I think even Luke Walsh would have been.
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
11,181
Very easy to dump on Pearce. He has once again given his critics ample ammunition this year. He isn't the match winner NSW want or need him to be.

But it is a problem for NSW. We often create bandwagon hype off the back of 1-2 good performances at club level. NSW can't replace Andrew Johns, just like Australian cricket can't replace Shane Warne.
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,004
Very easy to dump on Pearce. He has once again given his critics ample ammunition this year. He isn't the match winner NSW want or need him to be.

But it is a problem for NSW. We often create bandwagon hype off the back of 1-2 good performances at club level. NSW can't replace Andrew Johns, just like Australian cricket can't replace Shane Warne.
No. But if we gave any other #7 more than a single series they might learn from their first series and become a better player.

Origin experience at club level can put you a class above. But being a class above at club level means nothing for your Origin capability. It requires a different mentality and desire. Pearce just doesn't have it and never has.

He can thank NSW for a few hundred grand and becoming a better club half. NSW havent gotten anything in return though.
 

OldPanther

Coach
Messages
13,404
I don't agree Cleary has only one good game this year but I do think it's a bit early. Anyone would be better than Pearce though.
 

billypilgrimnz

First Grade
Messages
5,164
There is absolutely no way Cleary should be considered for Origin next year. He's 19 and not even playing consistently for us.
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,004
There is absolutely no way Cleary should be considered for Origin next year. He's 19 and not even playing consistently for us.
He would be 20 next year and have played around 50 NRL games.

Not to say he will or won't be ready. But in 10 months a lot can change.
 

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,441
I don't really think he should be picked next year but its a bit early to rule him out. If his form is the same as this season then no, he should not be picked.
 

Tronald Crump

Juniors
Messages
1,083
Steve Turner said it best on the weekend. Give him another 12 months for body to develop more and if he is playing consistently good week in week out pick him for 2019.
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
11,181
No. But if we gave any other #7 more than a single series they might learn from their first series and become a better player.

Origin experience at club level can put you a class above. But being a class above at club level means nothing for your Origin capability. It requires a different mentality and desire. Pearce just doesn't have it and never has.

He can thank NSW for a few hundred grand and becoming a better club half. NSW havent gotten anything in return though.

Not disagreeing. I'm not saying that Cleary can't do a better job than Pearce. Or any other half for that matter.

This is the exact type of scenario that has me concerned:

On 10 April 2007, the day after Mullen turned 20, Johns announced his shock retirement from rugby league due to a neck injury. Mullen became first-choice halfback. After playing nine first grade games as halfback and 31 games in total, he was a shock pick at that position for the New South Wales Blues in the 2007 State of Origin series. Mullen was dropped after one game, a match in which NSW let slip an 18-6 halftime lead to lose 25-18.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarrod_Mullen

I don't want to see Cleary suffer the same fate if he strings together some good performances before Origin next year.
 

OldPanther

Coach
Messages
13,404
Not disagreeing. I'm not saying that Cleary can't do a better job than Pearce. Or any other half for that matter.

This is the exact type of scenario that has me concerned:

On 10 April 2007, the day after Mullen turned 20, Johns announced his shock retirement from rugby league due to a neck injury. Mullen became first-choice halfback. After playing nine first grade games as halfback and 31 games in total, he was a shock pick at that position for the New South Wales Blues in the 2007 State of Origin series. Mullen was dropped after one game, a match in which NSW let slip an 18-6 halftime lead to lose 25-18.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarrod_Mullen

I don't want to see Cleary suffer the same fate if he strings together some good performances before Origin next year.

To be honest I think Cleary is better. He has a certain calmness to him that I haven't seen very often.
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,004
That couldn't happen these days. NSW pick their halves in Game 1 and only injury forces changes. Look at how many chances Pearce has received these days. I think if they picked him they would see his first year as development.

As of today he's not ready (I still believe he would be better than Pearce was though, along with every other player eligible). In 10 months time however a lot changes:

50+ NRL games, over 3 seasons of football.
Finals footy experience
Minor rep experience in City vs Country

I don't think many people thought he would be ready to be our NRL halfback last year. Maybe for a game or two, but realistically no one would have expected we would punt Soward to put him in the halves permanently with Cartwright. I certainly didn't expect him to have more than a handful of games to his name last year, letalone be our first choice #7 and goalkicker in the finals.

See how things look next year. If Maloney was injured or horribly out of form, I think NSW could do worse than throwing Cleary and Moylan into the NSW halves and giving the kicking duties to Nathan. Imagine if NSW went on to win the series... that would be huge for them and us. Yet I don't think losing the series would cause any harm... it's pretty much expected that we can't win.
 

GongPanther

Referee
Messages
28,281
N.S.W. selectors won't be willing to break up some of the current squad if Cleary was to be included.

If Cleary was to be selected,he simply does not come alone.Moylan,Merrin and RCG,and a couple others will have to make up the N.S.W. side if they are serious of contending the SOO.

But I'm convinced that Cleary won't be game-head mature enough until 2019.By that time,half the Panthers team will be banging on Stero's door.

But not quite yet,or next year for Cleary.
 

kinghippo

Juniors
Messages
1,597
I don't think it's a real idea, there are just so few options apart from Cleary, post pierce. someone has to be offered up as the next big hope after another series loss, and he just happened to be a star last week at the right time.
Personally I have always thought half of NSW problems is they tend to pick the team for next year now and don't base many of their decisions on player form.
If he is the most consistent in form player next Year pick him, same with Moylan, but there is a long long way to go before that.
 

mxlegend99

Referee
Messages
23,004
1 excellent game against the NRL's peahearts and people call for him to play origin, it's ridiculous.
His name was being thrown around last year. He has had a lot more than 1 great game and he has never had a shocking one as such.

For a 19 year old in a team that constantly fails to deliver he has been terrific. He also didn't get slowly blooded like a lot of young halves. One week his debuting. The next we are all in on him and pushing Soward out the door.
 
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