Nathan Cleary - any good?

[umina panther]

what position?

A few think he'd be a fantastic 9. Im still backing him to be a very good 7

 

[Diesel]

To answer the title question; his dad thinks so

 

[T-Boon]

A few think he'd be a fantastic 9. Im still backing him to be a very good 7

I am tipping him at about a Jarryd Mullen level. Solid to good. Never any better than that.

 

[AJB1102]

Though I think his future lies in another position.

Whats that?

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

A few think he'd be a fantastic 9. Im still backing him to be a very good 7

People on here are silly, a year ago people on here were hyping him up like he was the next Johns or Thurston. I've always maintained that he was a player like Cronk, I think he's got a higher ceiling then Cronk but he's not like Thurston where he can make something out of nothing. He's a structured player and works well with those around him, much like Cronk was his whole career.

I thought he was pretty good for Penrith this year but was quiet in Origin but that's because NSW's playing structure is based around Maloney - it's the other way around at Penrith which is why Cleary tends to outshine him there.

 

[hineyrulz]

Did I read correctly that he had:

0 tries
0 try assists
0 line breaks
0 line break assists

Throughout the Origin series? Like I said could have been mistaken.

He’s clearly a very good young player. His best asset seems to be his composure as opposed to anything he does in actual play. Interesting to see how he develops over the next few years

And still better than Shitchell in any origin series.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Did he hold his own? Yes
Did he disgrace himself? No
Was he a calming influence? Yes
Did he come up with bone head plays? No
Did he give a Pearce like failure? No

Cleary is going to be the long term halfback for NSW. In his first series he did what was asked of him and wasn’t a failure and will only get better. He is only 20 remember. He also came up with some great covering defence on Inglis and Holmes in the 1st and 2nd game when the game was on the line.

Did Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk play? No.

 

[Vic Mackey]

And still better than Shitchell in any origin series.

He certainly held his own. Did have the distinct advantage of having Ben Hunt opposite him as opposed to Thurston, Cronk or Lockyer

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Did Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk play? No.

They played last year and barely won with the help of Mitch.

 

[Fire]

He certainly held his own. Did have the distinct advantage of having Ben Hunt opposite him as opposed to Thurston, Cronk or Lockyer

 

[hineyrulz]

He certainly held his own. Did have the distinct advantage of having Ben Hunt opposite him as opposed to Thurston, Cronk or Lockyer

I thought he was solid at best, but still he didn't throw the game away like the dogf**ker. He didn't go for the glory play like Shitchell did(and fail) time and time again.

 

[Mr Spock!]

Did I read correctly that he had:

0 tries
0 try assists
0 line breaks
0 line break assists

Throughout the Origin series? Like I said could have been mistaken.

He’s clearly a very good young player. His best asset seems to be his composure as opposed to anything he does in actual play. Interesting to see how he develops over the next few years

So, worse than Adam Reynolds then.....

 

[King hit]

Did Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk play? No.

So QLD have only ever beaten mighty NSW teams at their peak? So when Johns and Fittler stood down and the Maroons dominance started it has no credibility because 2 of the most god like figures for the Blues retired?

Lockyer couldn’t consistently win Origin until 2006

 

[T-Boon]

A lot of people think Clearly is over rated and some think that he is going to continue to improve to the point he becomes an elite player rather than just a solid/stable character. It is going to be interesting to see who is right. We will know more after season 2019.

 

[Blues Riff]

A lot of people think Clearly is over rated and some think that he is going to continue to improve to the point he becomes an elite player rather than just a solid/stable character. It is going to be interesting to see who is right. We will know more after season 2019.

So you needed to start a thread to come to this brilliant conclusion?

 

[Valheru]

Cleary is going to be the long term halfback for NSW. In his first series he did what was asked of him and wasn’t a failure and will only get better. He is only 20 remember. He also came up with some great covering defence on Inglis and Holmes in the 1st and 2nd game when the game was on the line.

Will he?

At this stage he should be picked again next year but he has done absolutely nothing to warrant long term loyalty if his form dips and/or he bottles an origin game.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Will he?

At this stage he should be picked again next year but he has done absolutely nothing to warrant long term loyalty if his form dips and/or he bottles an origin game.

Lol do you feel the same way about Cordner?

 

[Valheru]

Lol do you feel the same way about Cordner?

Yes

He certainly has far more runs on the board than Cleary though.

 

[Vee]

So you needed to start a thread to come to this brilliant conclusion?

Yep. Good thread at any time. Great thread in the off-season.

 

[Chook Norris]

I thought he was solid at best...

So essentially what NSW has gravitated towards loving is mediocrity.

A summary of the thoughts in this thread would be that Cleary essentially did nothing. He was a passenger. Maloney ran the show and Cleary reaped the rewards and in some respects, seemed to reap greater praise than Maloney. A parallel would be thinking that Cronk deserved the CC medal above Keary this year.

Against decent Origin opposition would Cleary be able to step up, take control of the game and direct the team towards a win? Pearce was shit in Origin. Make no mistake. But if Cleary was up against the origin spine of half a decade ago, and Cleary had played the same game he played this year, the opinions of him would be so much different.