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"Unfair criticism": Matty Johns defends Cleary
Sam Kosack • July 9th, 2025 8:00 am
SEN’s Matty Johns believes the fitness of Nathan Cleary will be integral to NSW winning tonight's Origin decider as he becomes the most-capped halfback in the state’s history.
Cleary will surpass Mitchell Pearce and immortal Andrew Johns for the most Origin games at halfback at just 27, being involved with three series wins since debuting in 2018.
However, Cleary has never won a Game III, and as New South Wales enter a historic decider, his Origin legacy remains a question mark on an otherwise glittering resume, despite the four-time premiership winner’s dominance at club level.
Former NSW half Matty Johns believes it is unfair to say Cleary hasn’t dominated in Origin, despite his mixed record at that level.
“It's funny because he's played in fits and starts and he's been injured and then back,” Johns told SEN 1170 Drive.
“I do think it's a little unfair.
“I think the fact that he's just been so dominant at club level, people are waiting for that to be the natural transition to State of Origin and mainly because of injury, he hasn’t been able to do that yet.”
Johns identified Cleary’s kicking game as the crucial component to a NSW series win and says that his fitness could determine the result.
“Fingers crossed Nathan is close enough to 100% that he can do all aspects of his kicking,” Johns stated.
“(I) don't care if he doesn't goal kick: the long kicking, the short kicking, the high kicks.
“When he’s really on there, we score points. We get repeat sets, we dominate territory, and he builds pressure.
“If you remove everything in the game and just put it down to a battle between (Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow) and Cleary, the winner of that battle… will go a long way to deciding who wins the game.”
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