Will Nathan Cleary surpass Andrew Johns as the greatest ever halfback to play the game?

[soc123_au]

Downhill skier. Send him to a shit team like the Dogs and see how well he does.

No honestly.... Send him....

Don’t be greedy, you are getting Burton. It’s early days, but a thread in a few years comparing Burton to Johns is highly likely. Unless of course TBaz f**ks him, which is also highly probable.

 

[soc123_au]

Cleary hasn't dominated QLD though.

Turbo, teddy and latrell have.

Game 3 called and said you need to put the pipe down.

 

[The_Frog]

Just like comparing 2021 Storm to 1975 Roosters is silly, so too is comparing Johns to Cleary. Especially when it is Johns doing it.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Cleary has to be better than Alexander and Gower first before he climbs up the list to Johns territory.

 

[Valheru]

Game 3 called and said you need to put the pipe down.

I'm not saying he was poor or anything like that but dominant? No way

Come on now, you seriously want to argue he was better than turbo teddy and latrell in those 2 games?

 

[Tommy Smith]

Joey was a genius. As was JT.

Cleary, as outstanding as he is for his age, doesn't have THAT sort of natural ability.

It's also no coincidence that a lot of the great attacking players in the game right now are all looking like legends, courtesy of the V'landys Ball Touch footy 6 again-a-thon style of play.

The likes of Joey, JT, Freddy, Locky and peak Benji would have an absolute birthday playing the game today; especially in 2021 where there's about 8 teams who are all wooden spoon quality.

 

[This Year?]

Cleary needs to be more of a competitor than Thurston first.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Good player, up there with Michael Monaghan.

 

[Someone2]

Isn’t even the best halfback in the nrl

Hughes will win dally m halfback of the year

 

[Chippy73]

Cleary is a good defender but he’s not on Joey’s level there either. Joey would pick up and dump big blokes on their ass weekly.

Johns was an awesome defender but wasn't small himself, his glute muscles in particular (where a massive amount of lower body strength and drive is derived) were/are huge. His brother loves pointing out this aspect of Joey's anatomy.

FWIW Geoff Toovey at 70kg and 168cm used to put giants on their ass and/or drive them backwards as often or more then Johns, I found that bloody impressive.

 

[mongoose]

So he's surpassed Cronk, Stuart, Langer and JT already has he? wow...

 

[yobbo84]

Recency bias. Not even close. People forgot just how good Joey was - in every aspect of the game - and why he's an immortal.

 

[shear_joy9]

throws an inside side pass at a quantity never before seen.

 

[soc123_au]

I'm not saying he was poor or anything like that but dominant? No way

Come on now, you seriously want to argue he was better than turbo teddy and latrell in those 2 games?

I’m just making the argument that his game management allowed them to shine. All 3 were non events in game 3 with him not there. Teddy as great as he is was a bit of a non event all series. That doesn’t take away how good he has been previously though.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

I'm not saying he was poor or anything like that but dominant? No way

Come on now, you seriously want to argue he was better than turbo teddy and latrell in those 2 games?

Turbo and Latrell were both sublime in games 1 & 2…

But how did they go in Game 3 when cleary wasn’t there…

IMO Cleary was outstanding in SOO this year but those other two were off the charts, rightly applauded, and deserved the spotlight they got.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

So he's surpassed Cronk, Stuart, Langer and JT already has he? wow...

Don’t think anyone’s suggested that…

More the hypothetical when his career is done.

Stuart was my favourite 7 to watch (I was too young when Tommy was playing) but Johns was the best I’ve seen so far. By the end of Clearys career I can definitely see he’s got the potential to be right up there… whether that happens or not, who knows.

 

[Pretty Penny]

the heading should read Jerome Hughes not Nathan Cleary.

 

[Perth Red]

He's barley in the top 10 let alone at the top!

Johns, JT, Lockyer, Cronk, Lewis, Stirling, Kenny, Langer, Stuart and so the list goes on ahead of him, at the moment. If he can win premierships and dominate Origin and Test arena then we can have the conversation.

 

[yobbo84]

Turbo and Latrell were both sublime in games 1 & 2…

But how did they go in Game 3 when cleary wasn’t there…

IMO Cleary was outstanding in SOO this year but those other two were off the charts, rightly applauded, and deserved the spotlight they got.

Well they replaced 2 quality halves with Moses and Wighton, don't know what they expected.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Well they replaced 2 quality halves with Moses and Wighton, don't know what they expected.

I would have gone with Reynolds and Walker myself.

Another way of looking at it who was the best halfback at the same age as Cleary is now - 23.

Cleary
- debuted at 18,
- selected for City at 19,
- State of Origin at 20 - first choice halfback throughout (bar injury), with NSW winning 3 of 4 series.
- At Penrith - winning the Minor Premiership and making a Grand final at 22..

Johns…

- Debuted at 19 (older than Cleary)
- selected for Country at 21 (older than Cleary)
- State of Origin at 21 (older than Cleary), and in the 3 years til he was 23 (same age as Cleary now) he lost his debut series 3-0, played Hooker in a winning series, then halfback for a winning series - all while “Super League” players weren’t selected.
- At Newcastle he won the ARL competition at 23..

That’s just stats I know, but Cleary has achieved all those same milestones at a younger age than Johns. If Cleary / Penrith win the comp this year he’ll have matched Johns here, all be it the ARL comp had many sides missing that joined Superleague - including the Broncos and Raiders - two big powerhouses of the early/mid 90’s.

So to me, there’s definitely a case to say that he could be better than Johns by the end of his career. That said, with respect to Newcastle, Johns made a good side Great. He was the main man who dragged his team to great heights. Cleary has a great team all around him. Johns stood out more in his team than Cleary does.