Luke Keary, Cody Walker leading charge to be NSW Blues halves
Representative football should not be about giving the jumper to who owned it last. It should be about rewarding the now. And when it comes to the NSW halves, the case is closed writes PAUL CRAWLEY.
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Representative football should not be about giving the jumper to who owned it last. It should be about rewarding the now.
When it comes to the NSW halves debate, most would concede Luke Keary is all but a certainty to take over from James Maloney.
What I can’t believe is there is even still a debate that Nathan Cleary should not be dropped to make way for Cody Walker.
I don’t care if there are three games to go before Brad Fittler names his squad.
The argument often put forward is that Cleary played in last year’s series victory, and it would be detrimental to his career if he was dropped after a few poor games.
Are people fair dinkum?
The real injustice would be if Walker was not selected.
It’s worth remembering Cleary got his shot last year because of a lack of alternatives, and he hardly set the world on fire during Origin.
That is not having a crack at Cleary, it is being honest.
Maloney was the main playmaker, so if anyone deserves loyalty, it is the veteran playmaker.
Cleary has done exceptionally well to be where he is at 21. But I believe it would be extremely unfair to throw him back into Origin given his form.
On the flip side, Walker had to wait until he was 26 to make his NRL debut but has soared since.
The Daily Telegraph sought several experts this week to rate the game’s top five players. It was
interesting, if not surprising, that Matty Johns and Greg Alexander voted Walker on top, with Keary second.
Fox Sports Stats also shows in a list of 10 halves candidates available for NSW, Walker is way out in front.
LISTEN! Latrell-mania has hit fever pitch but can he be considered among the game’s best players? And Matty also recalls the day the legendary Steve Rogers knocked on the door of the Johns family home. Tune in for the Matty Johns podcast with Kenty and Hoops.
In a list made up of Keary, Walker, Maloney and Cleary, along with Adam Reynolds, Chad Townsend, Mitchell Pearce, Mitchell Moses, Jack Wighton and Luke Brooks, Walker has most tries (nine), most tackle busts (28), most linebreaks (12), second-most linebreaks assists (10) and second-most try assists (10).
Walker and Keary also have a history, having played together at South Sydney.
If there is even a debate as to who should partner Keary, it is Reynolds because of his kicking game and past experience playing alongside Keary.