Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Nathan Cleary is fast running out of things to achieve in rugby league. Should rugby league fans be worried?
Cleary was excellent for NSW in a man-of-the-match performance against Queensland, and later received the Wally Lewis Medal. He scored two tries, came up with an excellent play on Selwyn Cobbo to force the ball free, which led to the Blues’ third try, and iced a crucial 38-metre kick to give the Blues a 14-point buffer late in the game.
When you throw in his four premierships for Penrith, Australia’s 2022 World Cup win with Australia, and the likelihood he will clinch his first Dally M Medal later this season, you have to wonder what else will keep him interested in the local game.
The Wallabies are in town for their Test against France and would move heave and earth to recruit Cleary.
And Warrington owner Simon Moran is prepared to write Cleary a blank cheque in the hope he can head to England, be closer to his partner Mary Fowler – the Matildas star was in the Suncorp Stadium sheds – and make the Super League cool.
So what does Cleary think?
“I never look at it as a box to tick,” Cleary said.
“In the game of rugby league, you never complete it, there are always things to get better at, there are always things to improve. I’ve said that for a long time.
“This is really nice, I’ll enjoy this moment with such a special group, but it doesn’t mean anything really. I want to keep getting better and keep going.
“What drives me every day is to get the most out of my potential.
“As I said, rugby league is a game you never complete, there are always areas you can get better at, always games you play bad, then you play good, it’s up and down. It keeps bringing us back. I’ll keep riding that journey.”
The NRL’s new broadcast deal means the salary cap could skyrocket to as high as $20 million. Cleary will become the game’s first $2 million player if that is the case.
One of the big storylines heading into the decider was the need for Cleary to own the big stage, something he was allegedly yet to achieve.
Phil Gould slammed the narrative as “really lazy and really lame”, and said: “What more do you want? This rubbish about dominating – I find that ridiculous.”
Coach Laurie Daley added: “You judge them at the end of their careers, [but] what he has done is remarkable.
“I just don’t get why people want to take down champions. I don’t get it. He’s a champion, he’s done some terrific things.
“Why does he have to do something he’s done for people to go, ‘You know what, he’s not a bad player’? It does my head in, that type of stuff. He’s a legend of the game.”
Cleary will return to clubland where the Panthers are short favourites to win a fifth title. They have the roster to make it six in what will be coach Ivan Cleary’s final year at the helm. Ivan, for the record, was watching the action while on holidays in Bali.
Isaah Yeo said of watching Cleary do his thing: “I don’t think he feels like he needs to silence anyone. As a teammate and close friend, I like seeing him do it.”
Cleary, 28, could play for the Blues for another decade if he stays fit – and interested.
A bit like Daley, Cleary could not explain why people turned on each other in NSW.
“I really don’t like how our state turns on greats of the game, greats of our state – you can’t write off a champion, and that’s what Loz is; I’m so happy to get the win for him,” Cleary said.
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