POST GAME 2026 State of Origin

Super Freak said:
How many more chances does Cleary need to try and prove he belongs at Origin level?

‘20, ‘22, ‘25, he’s shit the bed in each. He’s a very structured half that struggles to adapt when that structured style isn’t working. NSW literally base their whole game plan around him and Yeo and he still can’t dominate at this level.

He’s very much a rocks and diamonds half outside the Penrith system.
Click to expand...

The Cleary automatic NSW selection reminds me a bit of the Mitchell Pearce years.

he played 19 matches win just 5 ... I get that he was playing against one of the greatest league sides of all time, but no matter how he played, he was an automatic selection during those years and nobody else got a shot
 
Foordy said:
The Cleary automatic NSW selection reminds me a bit of the Mitchell Pearce years.

he played 19 matches win just 5 ... I get that he was playing against one of the greatest league sides of all time, but no matter how he played, he was an automatic selection during those years and nobody else got a shot
Click to expand...
The funniest thing for me was that when Josh Reynolds played and nsw finally won a series he wasn’t picked next year.
 
Super Freak said:
How many more chances does Cleary need to try and prove he belongs at Origin level?

‘20, ‘22, ‘25, he’s shit the bed in each. He’s a very structured half that struggles to adapt when that structured style isn’t working. NSW literally base their whole game plan around him and Yeo and he still can’t dominate at this level.

He’s very much a rocks and diamonds half outside the Penrith system.
Click to expand...
I've just gone and done a quick scour of the series since Cleary debuted in 2018... a quick look at the teams... mostly the spines, because that will give a good idea on the quality available... and mostly the Qld team, because I wanted to check how often Qld actually had a decent team. In general the entire stretch of Cleary's run, NSW has easily had the better squad on paper.

2018 NSW 2-1 Cleary 3 games
NSW Team: One of the years NSW had Turbo and Latrell play all 3 games
Qld Team: Michael Morgan at fullback, Ben Hunt started halfback for games 1 and 2, GI was captain… Macca played all 3 games… I don't think I remember any of this series

2019 NSW 2-1 Cleary played first 2 (1-1).. Pearce won the decider
Qld Team: Morgan in the centres (I think he was ok there??)… Mbye played game 3 at centre (WTF)… DCE all 3 games, Ponga and Munster played 1&2, but no Ponga for decider... Munster to fullback for decider and Corey Norman got a start at 6… Ethan Lowe was goal kicking in Game 3 (I think he went alright though)... looks a pretty dire Qld team to be honest

2020 QLD 2-1 Covid year… Cleary played all 3 games (1-2)
Qld Team: Worst Qld team ever!!! Qld with 3 different fullbacks (Brimson, Val and Corey Allan)… Munster breakout series… DCE captain and all 3 games... Edrick, Brenko, memes, etc.

2021 NSW 2-1 Cleary played first 2 which they won (76-6)
This is the Turbo and Latrell series where they just absolutely slaughtered Qld from the centres
Qld Team: Val fullback for games 1&2, Munster and DCE halves all 3… Harry/Macca/Bhunt hooker... ok Qld team, but absolutely destroyed by peak Turbo and Latrell... feel like Val at fullback was never going to be a good call though

2022 QLD 2-1 Cleary all 3 games (1-2 lost decider to the Bhunt charge down try)
NSW Team: This is basically the panthers series To'o, Burton, Critchton, Luai, Cleary, Api, Martin, Yeo, etc.
Qld Team: First year of Billy Slater as coach… Ponga 3 games, Munster 2 + Dearden 1, DCE 3 games, Bhunt and Harry all 3 games... Patty Wally Lewis medal year… probably a peak Qld team in the post dynasty, post CS9 era.

2023 QLD 2-1 Cleary 1st game only (lost)… Qld won first 2 games for dead rubber in Sydney
NSW Team: All sorts of NSW players in this one… Cody for game 3, Api/Robson/Cook at 9, Moses last 2 games
Qld Team: The Reece Walsh series… played games 1&2, Munster, DCE and Bhunt/Harry combo for all 3 games. Patty at lock all 3 games, Tino all 3 games… super solid Qld team

2024 NSW 2-1 Cleary didn't play... This is the Madge series… and the Sua-torpedo in game 1
Qld Team: Reece fullback all 3 games, but every game he was basically coming in off the back of no NRL. Dearden, DCE and Harry/Bhunt combo all 3 games... Billy probably took some lessons in this one... notably that whilst he loves Reece, he wants guys in form coming into origin games, instead of just hoping they'll perform.

2025 QLD 2-1 Cleary all 3 games (1-2 lost decider in Sydney)... Laurie's back baby!!
NSW Team: This looks another panthers series… Edwards, To'o, Crichton, Luai for 2&3, Yeo 13, Martin all 3, etc.
Qld Team: Dearden series winning the last 2 games as the 7 replacing DCE… Munster first series as captain, Ponga games 1&2, Hammer game 3 (Walsh on the pine at 18), Harry all 3 games (no Bhunt)... bit of a changing of the guard, but maybe an early indication that Billy prefers Ponga (Reece missed game 1 with injury (PCL) and returned against titans in Rd 14 with the black jersey on the eve of selection for game 2)

In summary:
Series wins for Cleary
2018… don't remember it, but Qld's team looked a shambles… that was basically the early crow that NSW could go on a dynasty, mostly because the Qld team did not look good
2019… Pearce won the decider… I think I remember this as a bit of a pity play because Qld team was never going to win and just to get Pearce a win in the decider... feel like the Qld team was still pretty shit??
2021… Turbo and Latrell dominance series

That's it... that's all the series wins Cleary has been involved in... 2 against shit Qld teams and the other was basically won by peak Turbo and Latrell
 
I think Origin is a different beast; Wally is the only one to be in the top three players on the field in every game he played; and won a MOTM every four games.

Alf came in and won his first four series of five with Wally and then when Wally retired in 91 it all went to hell for Queensland- Alf lost 90, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97 (SL) and won 98. 1/7 in the 90's and could have been worse in 95.

Alf is still a great Origin player and one of the best ever but the 90's weren't great for his Origin career and he had nearly the whole team his club team.
 
Alf was the most consistent and winning player of the 90's, four premierships, Clive Churchill and Rothmans Medal would dominate for the Broncos on Saturday and get MOTM but couldn't do it again on Wednesday night for Queensland all through the 90's.
 
The stuff with cleary is funny.

He is either overrated for his performances (game 1)

Slammed for his performances (game 2) and when he plays well in origin its "well qld was no good and it was others".

Once you get the tag on you.
 
BroncsFan said:
2018 NSW 2-1 Cleary 3 games
NSW Team: One of the years NSW had Turbo and Latrell play all 3 games
Qld Team: Michael Morgan at fullback, Ben Hunt started halfback for games 1 and 2, GI was captain… Macca played all 3 games… I don't think I remember any of this series
Click to expand...
This was the series where Cam Smith pulled the pin weeks out and it led to all sorts of speculation. The only real take-away was that Queensland were up a creek without a paddle.

GI captained but it's also worth remembering he wasn't the same player after he did his ACL. He turned back the clock somewhat but his most memorable play was putting on a shot on Turbo only to get pinged for off-side.

Game II Kev upped the ante and picked a 20 year old Ponga off the bench. It nearly paid off, Queensland had NSW down to 12 men when Hunt decided to grubber early and muffed the series.

That's the Queensland perspective. Freddy came in and used the opportunity to blood a bunch of players. One of those was Cleary who had been out for a few weeks with injury but returned and was a part of a big win against the in form Dragons. It was before his time but it was either him or Moses and the Eels were on their way to a wooden spoon.
BroncsFan said:
2019 NSW 2-1 Cleary played first 2 (1-1).. Pearce won the decider
Qld Team: Morgan in the centres (I think he was ok there??)… Mbye played game 3 at centre (WTF)… DCE all 3 games, Ponga and Munster played 1&2, but no Ponga for decider... Munster to fullback for decider and Corey Norman got a start at 6… Ethan Lowe was goal kicking in Game 3 (I think he went alright though)... looks a pretty dire Qld team to be honest
Click to expand...
It looked like Queensland had righted the ship. Losing Valentine Holmes to the NFL hurt, but Ponga was at fullback, DCE was in the halves so they had the ability to win games. They pulled it off at Suncorp and the performance was so bad that the NRL website released a compilation of Latrell lowlights. It's still the most bizarre thing I've seen, somebody obviously had it in for Trell.

Anyways, Cleary was quiet in Game I and went off at half-time in Game II. So he wasn't exactly that influential on the series. At best you could say he didn't look out of his depth.

I won't go through all the series. So far he's won three series and I say in his first two he was just a part of it. 2021 he had a good support team but I think individually he played well too and it was the most dominant series victory and even then he played injury in Game II.

I'd give him that but he needs to add more to the tally. I think he's above Pearce but then I can understand Roosters fans saying that Pearce was unfairly maligned.
 
Elbows said:
Really want to watch the Trell highlights you mentioned lol
Click to expand...
I had to dig through the archives.

It wasn't a video, it was an article with a series of videos to support their claim.

www.nrl.com

The seven moments that cost Latrell Mitchell his NSW jersey

There are seven moments the NSW coaching staff couldn’t erase from their memories. NRL.com highlights the "lack of effort" areas that cost Latrell Mitchell his NSW jersey.
www.nrl.com www.nrl.com

Put together by Chammas. He was actually pretty supportive of Latrell in another video saying he ought to be picked for Game II. So I presume he's gone to the coaching staff and they've pin-pointed these moments for him.

I don't think I've seen a player singled out like this, especially on an official website website where they tend to be diplomatic and supportive of the players.
 
Big Pete said:
This was the series where Cam Smith pulled the pin weeks out and it led to all sorts of speculation. The only real take-away was that Queensland were up a creek without a paddle.

GI captained but it's also worth remembering he wasn't the same player after he did his ACL. He turned back the clock somewhat but his most memorable play was putting on a shot on Turbo only to get pinged for off-side.

Game II Kev upped the ante and picked a 20 year old Ponga off the bench. It nearly paid off, Queensland had NSW down to 12 men when Hunt decided to grubber early and muffed the series.

That's the Queensland perspective. Freddy came in and used the opportunity to blood a bunch of players. One of those was Cleary who had been out for a few weeks with injury but returned and was a part of a big win against the in form Dragons. It was before his time but it was either him or Moses and the Eels were on their way to a wooden spoon.

It looked like Queensland had righted the ship. Losing Valentine Holmes to the NFL hurt, but Ponga was at fullback, DCE was in the halves so they had the ability to win games. They pulled it off at Suncorp and the performance was so bad that the NRL website released a compilation of Latrell lowlights. It's still the most bizarre thing I've seen, somebody obviously had it in for Trell.

Anyways, Cleary was quiet in Game I and went off at half-time in Game II. So he wasn't exactly that influential on the series. At best you could say he didn't look out of his depth.

I won't go through all the series. So far he's won three series and I say in his first two he was just a part of it. 2021 he had a good support team but I think individually he played well too and it was the most dominant series victory and even then he played injury in Game II.

I'd give him that but he needs to add more to the tally. I think he's above Pearce but then I can understand Roosters fans saying that Pearce was unfairly maligned.
Click to expand...
Yeah Pearce played against rugby league gods. He’d definitely look better today.
 
Harry Sack said:
That place is still going last I checked. Mostly just the league section though I think.
Click to expand...

I haven't been there in many years now, but I also just don't really follow the NRL in general anymore, I guess same as many other people. Only the Broncos and QLD really.
 
New Posts

Unread

Back
Top