Cleary v Ponga

[Maroon4life]

Nathan’s dad is less of a twat

From what I hear the cowboys f**ked that negotiation not old man Ponga.

 

[David brown]

They are both completely different players its like comparing apples and oranges...

 

[T-Boon]

Cleary will turn out to be about Jarrod Mullen standard.
Ponga will have a Brett Mullins type career.

 

[Bronco18]

Cleary will turn out to be about Jarrod Mullen standard.
Ponga will have a Brett Mullins type career.

Well now we know they’re both going to be immortals.

 

[Saintsified]

They are both completely different players its like comparing apples and oranges...

True, but they are both fruit.

 

[TheFrog]

They are both completely different players its like comparing apples and oranges...

Ponga is much more like Tedesco than Cleary.

 

[David brown]

Ponga is much more like Tedesco than Cleary.

Id say he is more like RTS then anyone... Tedesco can't pass Ponga throws them like Joey...

 

[TheFrog]

Ted threw a good ball to RCG the other day. He can but prefers not to.

 

[mongoose]

Give me one example of what he does on the field "he has no right in doing". Fact is, his skillset is limited to goose stepping and throwing the occassional cutout ball.

Ponga has the potential to be like Lockyer but with the footwork of RTS.

Cleary plays like a 200 game experience halfback for his age but im not sold on him being one of the greats. I reckon he'll be pearce v.2 except without all the hate.

 

[David brown]

Ted threw a good ball to RCG the other day. He can but prefers not to.

That wasn't a good ball... Come back when he is throwing 4 man cut out passes on the chest.. He can't pass is why he doesn't pass you f**king clown...

 

[adamkungl]

I reckon he'll be pearce v.2 except without all the hate.

Pretty much. Maybe better. Advantage of not playing against Smith Cronk and Slater for his career..

If all goes well for Cleary for the next 5 years, he'll be one of the best halves currently in the game.

If all goes well for Ponga, he'll be one of the best players of all time.

 

[TheFrog]

That wasn't a good ball... Come back when he is throwing 4 man cut out passes on the chest.. He can't pass is why he doesn't pass you f**king clown...

The meth arrived, I see.

 

[Liddell]

Cleary is the vastly superior player in most facets. Ponga reminds me of someone like Kurt Gidley - A good well rounded player but not someone a contending club should build around.

I don’t see Ponga captaining his state from the bench this week.

Gids>Ponga

 

[umina panther]

Ponga has the potential to be like Lockyer but with the footwork of RTS.

Cleary plays like a 200 game experience halfback for his age but im not sold on him being one of the greats. I reckon he'll be pearce v.2 except without all the hate.

Similar skill level but Nathan has already shown he can handle rep football and no panic unlike Piss

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

If I had to choose right now I'd choose Cleary. Would like to see how Ponga develops for another year or so first.

 

[perverse]

Hard to say who's better, but if i could have one of them at my club, it would be Cleary all day
Even average NRL fullbacks like Wighton are servicable players, it's a far easier position to find and fill... finding an elite halfback you can build a team around for 12 years is the hardest thing in this sport to do team building wise

Also the nature of Ponga's game, he's 1-2 bad injuries away from losing a lot of what makes him so good. Cleary's best attribute isnt his athleticism. It would STUN me if Cleary isnt one of the best 5 players in the game...

I dont expect it to happen but it wouldnt shock me if in 6 years time Ponga isnt playing rep footy

Or, in nick87 parlance - that guy that doesn't play for the Knights.

It's true though, it's harder to find a serviceable half. That doesn't make him a better player or answer the question actually posed, but it is true.

And I wouldn't say Pongas best attribute is his athleticism, either. It's a nice one, but his ball playing and decision making has created a lot more than his speed and agility at this stage.

 

[McLovin]

Essentially comparing a fullback to a halfback is silly and is clearly bringing out some woeful debating.

I think a better comparison debate would be Nathan Cleary vs Kyle Flanagan

Both will combine at state and international level one day and we'll be talking of them in the same vein as Joey vs Fittler when all is said and done.

 

[nick87]

Na Perverse, I don’t really hate the knights anymore. I don’t really hate any sporting team anymore. I’ve gained a new lease on my sporting life since Feb

I actually like that the knights are just your run of the mill bad team who are trending towards being a very good team, rather than the black hole of talent and ability they’ve been in the last 3-4 years

 

[Canard]

From what I hear the cowboys f**ked that negotiation not old man Ponga.

Yes Im sure you would have all the inside knowledge of the negotiations.

 

[mozza91]

Hard to compare. Cleary started very strongly in 2016, but struggled in early 2017 (as did his team) before finishing the season strongly.

Ponga has had nothing but upside and the fact he’s taken his game to another level since Pearce got hurt is very impressive. But there will be a time when he’s struggling, not sure when it’ll happen though.

I wouldn’t trade him for any other fullback in the game just as I’m sure Panthers fans wouldn’t trade Cleary for another halfback.