‘Hanging over his shoulders’: How Cleary’s hunt to dominate Origin can end the ‘Immortal debate’
A four-time premiership winner, three-time Dally M Halfback of the Year, World Cup winner and Clive Churchill Medallist, Nathan Cleary has achieved almost everything there is in rugby league
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But, while he has dominated the NRL and international arena for Penrith and Australia, he has yet to do the same for the NSW Blues in State of Origin.
Yes, he has won three series (2018, 2019 and 2021) with the Blues, but he has never emerged as the key piece of the state’s success and instead played second fiddle to other options in the squad.
“Nathan is the ultimate professional. He’s a sports nut, so he follows the NBA (and) NFL. He watches sport globally and he wants to be the best,” former ten-time Blues representative Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.
“That’s why I don’t think he’ll leave our game, the NRL. This is going to be the only thing hanging over his shoulders now until he dominates at this level.
“People may argue he is good at Origin and he’s a great Origin player. He’s the first one picked and no one doubts that he’s a very good player but it’s still that dominance (that he has yet to achieve).
“I know he wants to dominate a series and get man of the match and wants to carry NSW to victory.”
Already considered one of the best players to ever play in the NRL, there have been calls that if Cleary is able to dominate for the Blues during the 2026 State of Origin series, he can be widely considered an Immortal in waiting.
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This would see him join the likes of Andrew Johns, Cameron Smith and Wally Lewis as the greatest to ever lace up their boots.
Code Sports’ journalist Brent Read said, “I think he just has to own a series. I think it’s as simple as that.”
“He has his moments, but he hasn’t been the hands-down dominant player in a NSW series win.
“We’re all talking about his future…but that’s the one thing that he hasn’t done so if he does that I wonder if he sits down and thinks about maybe going to the Super League. Maybe he switches codes.
“He’s going to be remembered as a great player regardless of what he does there [Origin arena] but that’s immortality.
“That’s becoming an Immortal. If you dominate Origin and tick that off the list, then the Immortal debate’s over.”
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This comes as Cleary is facing an uncertain future as he prepares to test the open market on November 1 and could also potential move to either the Super League or 15-man code in the future.
“He’s got to dominate Origin to be considered an Immortal and we all believe Nathan will get there,” fellow Code Sports’ journalist Dean Ritchie added.
“He has won a couple of series but he’s never dominated a game three decider and that bugs Nathan.
“We know his commitment, we know his skill level but he just hasn’t been able to get the job done. Some people say that he’s a system player and inside the Penrith system, he dominates.
“Out of that system, he might not go to levels that we think he can’t attain. I might not agree with that but that’s the speculation out there.”
