Nathan Cleary has passed Johns and Pearce; a victory for NSW will cement his State of Origin legacy

Nathan Cleary will pass Andrew Johns and Mitchell Pearce as the most-capped halfback for NSW, but a series-clinching Blues victory will cement his State of Origin legacy.

Mitchell Pearce, Nathan Cleary and Andrew Johns.

No matter what happens at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night, Nathan Cleary is about to own a slice of Blues history. Another checkpoint will be passed on the road to greatness.

Cleary, with his 17th game for NSW, becomes the most capped No.7 in State of Origin history for his state. Mitchell Pearce and the legendary Andrew Johns, one of his most vehement supporters, will be left in his wake.

He is still some way short of the 34 games played by Maroons No.7 Allan Langer, but it would be folly to suggest he won’t get there one day.

It might take another six years or so, but at 27 time is on Cleary’s side. The only threat, aside from his blossoming relationship with Matildas star Mary Fowler and the temptation to join her overseas, may be the rising stature of Dolphins’ star Isaiya Katoa, although they may end up in the halves together one day rather than scrapping over the same jersey.

Nathan Cleary is on the road to greatness. An Origin series-deciding victory will put the foot on the gas. Picture: Getty Images

So while Johns and Pearce may be just the start – they certainly aren’t the only scalps on Cleary’s radar. He has another record within touching distance heading into game three as well – with four points, he will become only the second NSW player after Michael O’Connor to crack the 100-point barrier.

All remarkable personal milestones but for Cleary and his legacy, only one thing really matters. Winning is the be-all and end-all, and for that to happen, he will need to arguably produce the performance of a lifetime.

It’s been well documented in the lead-up to Origin III that the one thing missing on Cleary’s resume is leading the Blues to victory in a decider.

He has won premierships and World Cup. He has won Origin series. He has done it all with dignity and integrity.

He hasn’t felt the need to beat his own chest, even though he has lived his life under intense scrutiny. If anything, he has embraced that side of life, taking his 450,000 Instagram followers on his journey with him.

Andrew Johns started 16 of his 23 Origins at halfback. Picture: AAP

Mitchell Pearce also started 16 games in the No.7. Picture: AAP

The opportunity has arrived again to fill a void on his resume and you get the feeling he has an appreciation for what it means.

History suggests the Blues are in the box seat. They dominated the opening game of the series and owned the second half of game two.

Their discipline let them down but fix that up and they will have more than a fighting chance. Give Cleary an even share of possession and the chance to put his stamp on the match and the Blues will be hard to toss.

The ground has already been kind to the NSW No.7. Some of his greatest performances have come at Accor Stadium.

Nathan Cleary has enjoyed several career highlights at Accor Stadium. An Origin-clinching win could top the lot. Picture: Getty Images

The architect of four consecutive premierships for Penrith, he enjoyed arguably his finest moment when he inspired their win over Brisbane a few years back with what may have been the greatest 15 minutes in grand final history.

In other words, he will head to Accor Stadium with good vibes. So will the Maroons given their win in Origin II, although a quick flick through the record books shows how difficult their task may be.

The last time Queensland lost the opening game of a series and bounced back to win the decider in Sydney was 43 years ago – at the SCG in 1982.

Cleary wasn’t even born. Nor were any of his teammates. Chances are though that they would have seen the moment that came to define that night, when Phillip Duke and Phil Sigsworth were involved in a mix-up that led to a Wally Lewis try.

Duke was playing for Moree at the time and won his call-up after the traditional City-Country game. That calamitous combination with Sigsworth became part of Origin folklore.

Now it’s Cleary’s turn to leave his mark.

Originally published as Nathan Cleary has passed Johns and Pearce; a victory for NSW will cement his State of Origin legacy