Keeping everyone guessing! NRL superstar Nathan Cleary refuses to rule out bombshell defection to rugby
NRL superstar Nathan Cleary hasn't ruled out eventually switching footy codes, with the NSW Blues halfback declaring he has an 'open mind.'
Speaking ahead of game two in Perth on June 18, the immediate focus of the four-time premiership winner is lifting the Origin shield.
And for now, adoring Penrith fans can breathe easy - the 27-year-old still has goals to tick off in rugby league.
'I think I've got enough challenges in front of me,' Cleary said from the Blues' camp at Leura in the NSW Blue Mountains.
'I feel like I want to squeeze the most out of my rugby league potential as I can.
'I've put so much into it and it's been my passion for so long, so to then get to this stage where I feel like I'm probably playing my best footy and in the best position to play my best footy in the coming years, I don't want to waste that.
'Going back to Penrith and the way we started the year, that's a challenge in itself and I've found motivation in that. You can't take winning for granted.
'(In saying that)'I've got a pretty open mind....(it may happen) potentially down the track, but not at the moment.'
Cleary is contracted until the end of 2027 - but earlier this month Wallabies legend Tim Horan publicly stated the Penrith star was 'quite keen' to switch codes.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt also felt the playmaker may 'want to spread his wings.'
And with Cleary's girlfriend - Matildas star Mary Fowler - based in England with Manchester City, rumours of a move won't go away.
In Perth, Cleary will reunite with former Panthers teammate Jarome Luai in the halves for Origin II after Eels skipper Mitch Moses was ruled out due to injury.
Footy legend Peter Sterling has backed Luai to perform despite a limited preparation.
'You know what you're gonna get with Jarome,' he said.
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Why were South Africa known as 'chokers'?
South Africa's men's cricket team have finally - after decades of near misses - gotten over the line to win Proteas beat defending champions Australia by five wickets at Lord's to win the World Test is their first silverware since 1998, when they claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and won the inaugural Champions Trophy in the space of two their victory has another, arguably greater, significance, marking a massive stride in South Africa's bid to shake off one of sport's most unwanted nicknames: 'chokers'.It's a tag which has hung heavy on the country's cricketers since 1999, so much so that even with the Proteas needing only 69 runs to win at the start of day four and with eight wickets in hand, many still fancied Australia to defend their while the wicket of captain Temba Bavuma three overs into the day set nerves jangling, South Africa held firm to secure their first trophy for 27 years."Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, choke," reflected Bavuma after victory was sealed. 1999 – the start of an unwanted legacy Speaking to BBC Sport in 2023, Jeremy Snape, a mental skills coach who has worked with Crystal Palace and England Rugby, defined choking in a sporting sense as "losing from a winning position, or losing a game you should win, as a result of psychological pressures and the weight of expectation".For South Africa, the origin of their choker status dates back to the 1999 Cricket World Cup where they snatched a tie from the jaws of victory against Australia in the semi-finals and were eliminated. 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This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... Do red, white and pink cricket balls behave differently?What is the Crucible curse?Why are line judges no longer used at Queen's?
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