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moto748

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Cleary is the best NSW halfback, but he didn't play well last night - although as I said earlier he was behind a well beaten pack and it goes without saying that is a very tough position for any half back. It wasn't just a beating through middle, it was a bit of a mauling. Mistakes in the left corner and Allen's terrible drop kept NSW in the game, otherwise the margin would have finished at least 16 - maybe even more, which would have been more of a reflection of the dominance of the Qld forward pack.

Only the greatest of half backs (Thurston, Johns) would have a chance of dragging their team into the game if they were wearing the NSW #7 last night and even then, not with any consistency.

My main criticism of Cleary last night was that he needed to change up his kicking game when it was becoming blatantly obvious the kick it long and high and straight to them wasn't working. Needed to find a way to get the ball to hit the deck, maybe even just look at getting a few in touch and give our big men a bit of breather because they were under the pump from the very first minute.


Yes, agree with all of that. I wouldn't give up on Cleary, and Wighton has as good a shout at 6 as anyone. I've never been wild about Keary. I didn't realise Luai was Origin eligible?
 
Yes, agree with all of that. I wouldn't give up on Cleary, and Wighton has as good a shout at 6 as anyone. I've never been wild about Keary. I didn't realise Luai was Origin eligible?

Luai was in the squad. Either him or Pap should have played.
 

moto748

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I've been really impressed with him all season. He must be a massive part of Penrith's success. Plenty of skill, good kicking game, solid defence, there's a lot to like.
 

corbies

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Yes, agree with all of that. I wouldn't give up on Cleary, and Wighton has as good a shout at 6 as anyone. I've never been wild about Keary. I didn't realise Luai was Origin eligible?
He's eligible but has said in the past he wants to play for Samoa. I daresay they've given him the inside word that the eligibility rules regarding playing origin but still being allowed to play for a tier 2 nation are going to pass. The dollars for being in the origin squad probably didn't hurt to change his mind either.
 
I've been really impressed with him all season. He must be a massive part of Penrith's success. Plenty of skill, good kicking game, solid defence, there's a lot to like.

I know it’s captain hindsight but not having some form of a back utility was a massive issue
 
Sep 12, 2007
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Cleary really did keep them in the game early on with his kicking. I think he has a tendency to try the show and go more often than he should.

Munster is a running back with a good long kicking game, DCE is passer with a good short kicking game, they compliment each other really well (when they do what their strenghts are).

Cleary tries to run more than pass which i think is his issue. Him and Wighton would actually be very complimentary i think.
 
Cleary really did keep them in the game early on with his kicking. I think he has a tendency to try the show and go more often than he should.

Munster is a running back with a good long kicking game, DCE is passer with a good short kicking game, they compliment each other really well (when they do what their strenghts are).

Cleary tries to run more than pass which i think is his issue. Him and Wighton would actually be very complimentary i think.

His kicking variety or lack of is his issue. Plus he didn’t use the outside backs.How many times did Addo-Carr or Tupou touch the ball in attacking areas?

Nownthat may be selection as we have ball hog fullbacks in Gutherson and Whighton in the centre’s though and that’s a major issue! Play natural centres
 

corbies

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Cleary tries to run more than pass which i think is his issue. Him and Wighton would actually be very complimentary i think.
He copped it during the finals series for not running the ball enough. He can't win sometimes.
 

corbies

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His kicking variety or lack of is his issue. Plus he didn’t use the outside backs.How many times did Addo-Carr or Tupou touch the ball in attacking areas?

Nownthat may be selection as we have ball hog fullbacks in Gutherson and Whighton in the centre’s though and that’s a major issue! Play natural centres
The wingers had 3 more pass receipts than they did in game 2. Wighton had 9 passes from 18 receipts which is more than average for a centre. Yeo having 1 pass from 17 receipts was the issue.

It's hard for them to touch it in attacking areas when their team can't get into attacking areas.
 
The wingers had 3 more pass receipts than they did in game 2. Wighton had 9 passes from 18 receipts which is more than average for a centre. Yeo having 1 pass from 17 receipts was the issue.

It's hard for them to touch it in attacking areas when their team can't get into attacking areas.

Whightons ones are a fraction skewed as he played 5/8 for the last 10 mins though funnily NSW looked their best with him at 5/8. Fittler is brain dead not pick centres to distribute. If Gutherson is a centre I’m the Pope...the bloke is a handy and I stress the word handy fullback. The whole side was weird

1. Where are the impact forwards? Paulo is one that’s it. Frizell has been awful for 2 years. The rest are 80 minute workers. Nathan Brown isn’t Origin standard.

2. Pick centres- qld had back rowers playing there so here’s an idea pick a centre who beats them with footwork...say Crighton or Lomax

3. Halves. Stick and pick them for the series.
 
He played 4 minutes at 5/8. Walker was concussed in the 76th minute.

Still touched and passed the ball in every set of which NSW had the ball the entire time till the challenge. Point is he should have been the 5/8. Both Walker and Keary are too small
 

moto748

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He's eligible but has said in the past he wants to play for Samoa. I daresay they've given him the inside word that the eligibility rules regarding playing origin but still being allowed to play for a tier 2 nation are going to pass. The dollars for being in the origin squad probably didn't hurt to change his mind either.


I didn't realise that. Frankly it seems a bit like bullying to me.
 
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Cleary is the best NSW halfback, but he didn't play well last night - although as I said earlier he was behind a well beaten pack and it goes without saying that is a very tough position for any half back. It wasn't just a beating through middle, it was a bit of a mauling. Mistakes in the left corner and Allen's terrible drop kept NSW in the game, otherwise the margin would have finished at least 16 - maybe even more, which would have been more of a reflection of the dominance of the Qld forward pack.

Only the greatest of half backs (Thurston, Johns) would have a chance of dragging their team into the game if they were wearing the NSW #7 last night and even then, not with any consistency.

My main criticism of Cleary last night was that he needed to change up his kicking game when it was becoming blatantly obvious the kick it long and high and straight to them wasn't working. Needed to find a way to get the ball to hit the deck, maybe even just look at getting a few in touch and give our big men a bit of breather because they were under the pump from the very first minute.


Not that it was a particularly brilliant effort from him, but DCE's game in game 2 would be a decent starting reference point for Cleary. Chez's pack got absolutely monstored, but he personally ran for something like 110-120 metres and most of the spark they DID show came off the back of him. In such a poorly beaten side it was, kicking aside (Cherry-Evans' long kicking game WAS poor in that match), a good performance from a half with no platform to work off.
 
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I know it’s captain hindsight but not having some form of a back utility was a massive issue

I may be reading WAAAAY too much into this, but I think part of that is based on the almost annual NSW arrogance when the press talks down the Qld side, suggesting that the NSW pack would just steamroll them again and they could just rotate through these four bench forwards and keep piling on the metres. "We're going to bully these guys out of the game for 80 minutes."
Queensland always pick if not a utility, someone that can at the very least come on and cover hooker and therefore push everyone else out one spot wider (in Wednesday's case it was via Grant pushing Friend to lock, meaning whoever is at lock at a given time can run out in the centres in attack), on the basis that "if we can break even, by the back end of each half we might be able to exploit them a bit with someone quick off the bench."
 

corbies

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Not that it was a particularly brilliant effort from him, but DCE's game in game 2 would be a decent starting reference point for Cleary. Chez's pack got absolutely monstored, but he personally ran for something like 110-120 metres and most of the spark they DID show came off the back of him. In such a poorly beaten side it was, kicking aside (Cherry-Evans' long kicking game WAS poor in that match), a good performance from a half with no platform to work off.
DCE ran for 74m in game 2. Cleary ran for 98m in game 3.
 
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He copped it during the finals series for not running the ball enough. He can't win sometimes.
There were two instances on Wednesday where he drew defenders and instead of giving to the player running support he tried to show and go and got caught. It’s no guarantee anything happens differently if he passes but as a default if Munster is running at the line I’d rather he takes it on by running and I’d prefer DCE passes or kicks. Cleary should be doing what DCE does for mine.
 
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