The day NSW's star of the future blew Cleary away

Yahoo

05-07-2025

NSW have earmarked Isaiya Katoa as Nathan Cleary's successor by calling him into camp for State of Origin III, but the incumbent still remembers the day eight years ago when he first realised just how elite the young gun would become.
It comes as Brian To'o and Payne Haas once again trained separately from their teammates on Saturday, the final day of NSW's Blue Mountains camp for the decider on July 9.
Monday's session at Accor Stadium looms as judgement day for To'o, who needed ice and a brace on his knee after hurting himself playing for Penrith in round 17.
But NSW teammates are confident Haas (back) and To'o will both play after they overcame previous injuries to respectively star in Origin I and II.
"'Bizza' showed he didn't do much training last game and you've seen the performance he put in," said winger Zac Lomax.
"I don't think there are too many questions around that (his recovery) because he's done it and he's performed for us."
Long before he was the Dolphins halfback setting the NRL alight, a 13-year-old Katoa accompanied his brother to Penrith headquarters during the off-season.
A hooker who played 75 NRL games, Sione Katoa was reporting for an informal training session with Cleary and a handful of other Panthers teammates.
The younger Katoa, barely a teenager much less an adult, ran rings around the group of NRL pros, which included Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Viliame Kikau.
"We were doing 3 on 2 drills and he was carving it up. I was like, I've never seen someone at this age do that sort of stuff," said Blues halfback Cleary.
"I'd already heard of him, there were raps on him since he was real young. But then just to see him, I was like, it's not normal for a 13-year-old kid to be doing this."
It's a fair appraisal from Cleary, a generational talent who grew up playing alongside current NSW five-eighth Jarome Luai - himself rated a top-tier junior talent.
Katoa received his first call into NSW camp last week, spending two days around the Blues at their Leura hideaway ahead of the decider in Sydney on July 9.
Luai's estimations of Katoa only rose for reuniting with the young superstar, who had been in Penrith's junior system while Luai was at the club.
Four-time premiership winner Luai admits he's a little intimidated by the thought of facing Katoa at Wests Tigers, and felt he was "definitely" an Origin star of the future.
"It's scary, you're going to have to go up against that in clubland soon. Hopefully he doesn't go that well against you," Luai said.
"Obviously his ability to play, his potential and all that, but just the way he speaks, the way he carries himself, the way he interacts with the boys as well.
"It's just like, how mature is this guy and how high is his ceiling?"
Cleary has been pondering that question for the last eight years.
He has been floored by what Katoa has achieved lifting the Dolphins into finals calculations, with the expansion side averaging a tick under 46 points across their last five games.
"He's probably my favourite player to watch in the comp at the moment, just what he's able to do," Cleary said.
"Just his subtlety is incredible, especially for such a young guy.
"People at the top of their game would be happy with what he's doing but he's only 21. It's quite incredible what he's doing."