Why Cleary isn't fazed by final frontier narrative
Cleary, 27, has won four premierships in a row, has claimed the Clive Churchill Medal twice, won a World Cup and has been a part of three successful Origin campaigns.
He's on track to smash several NRL records and has been the main man in the most dominant team of the modern era, yet there are people who still point to his Origin record and wonder whether he deserves to be in the Immortal conversation.
Cleary has a 7-7 record for NSW and has played just one match for his state since the start of 2023, with serious hamstring injuries plaguing him and forcing him to miss the epic comeback win last year.
The champion halfback has heard the chat and accepts that it will follow him around throughout this year's series, but he says it won't define him as he looks to make up for lost time.
'I think that's the way it's probably shaped sometimes, and I do want to play better at Origin level,' he said.
'But I'm not shaping it as a final frontier.
'There's still a lot of my rugby league life to live. I want to keep getting better. This Origin journey is in front of me right now, so I want to attack that as best I can.
'I think I've just got to prove it to my teammates, especially after watching last year and seeing how well they did.
'You've just got to capitalise and do the same again.
'It's about proving myself to my teammates and showing that I'm meant to be here, and I'm confident that I can get the job done.
'At the end of the day, it's not about me. It's about this team, so I want to put my best foot forward for the whole week and then be at my best come game day.'
Blues skipper and Cleary's co-captain at the Panthers, Isaah Yeo, knows Cleary better than most.
It's why he's backing the gifted playmaker to use the criticism as motivation, with Yeo just happy to see Cleary back in the sky blue jersey after so many cruel setbacks.
'I don't know if he'd give it much thought, but if he does, I'm sure it'd fuel the fire a bit,' the veteran lock said.
'You know how much the jersey means to him. You only have to look back at when he did his hammy before the series last year and how shattered he was.
'I feel like he's so ready for this moment. It's been building for a few years, so I'm excited to see him back in this environment because I know what he brings to a team and how much confidence he'll give the group.'
Cleary's next challenge will be working alongside Mitchell Moses in the halves, with the Eels star edging Jarome Luai for the five-eighth spot.
Luai and Cleary have carved up for the Panthers and Blues in the past, but Cleary is excited about the new combination even though both men are chief playmakers at club level and prefer to play on the right.
Both players have spoken about being willing to step back if the other guy is in control, with Cleary's crucial tries against Brisbane showing that he can do some of his best work on the left.
'I think we both understand the game really well and I think we can use that to our advantage for what's needed at the right time and to stand up in the right moments,' said Cleary, who should start on the right given his combination with Liam Martin and Stephen Crichton.
'At the end of the day, it's about what's right for the team. It's not letting egos get in the way, we've got to complement each other and get the best out of each other.
'I don't mind, and the way it should work is that we can roam around and see how that works. I think both of us are quite capable of playing left or right.'
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