NRL news: Nathan Cleary admits to being on the outer in terms of Origin selection

Nathan Cleary is back after a ten week absence and the Penrith superstar opens up to DAVID RICCIO about his hamstring fears, the tricky path back to representative footy and his great mate Jarome Luai.

Nathan Cleary's time on the sidelines is almost over. Picture: NRL Imagery

Nathan Cleary has declared his desire for a historic fourth consecutive premiership with Penrith has never been greater ahead of his long-awaited comeback from injury on Sunday.

In a candid interview, the champion playmaker has also made the frank admission that he has lost his position in the NSW State of Origin halves following the series-winning performances of Mitchell Moses and Jarome Luai.

Cleary says it is now on his shoulders to prove to coach Michael Maguire that he belongs back in the Blues team in 2025.

“I’d love to be part of it next year,’’ Cleary told The Sunday Telegraph.

“But it’s going to be a tough road to get back in, obviously with Romy (Jarome Luai) and Mitch playing so well.

“It would be stupid of me to think any other way than I’ll have to prove myself to ‘Madge’ (Maguire) to get back in.

“They’ve (Luai and Moses) proved that they can do it, in the toughest environment.

“I’m going to have to play well. I definitely think it will be a tough challenge to get back into the side.’’

Nathan Cleary's time on the sidelines is almost over. Picture: NRL Imagery

THE INJURY

Cleary is back for Penrith against the Dolphins on Sunday.

It’s been 10-weeks since he suffered a grade two tear of his hamstring against the Bulldogs in round 10 that forced him out of the entire State of Origin series.

The recent tear is the third hamstring injury Cleary has suffered within the past 18 months, prompting the 26-year-old to investigate every facet of his life in order to curb the prospect of breaking down again.

“When it happened, it was honestly tough,’’ Cleary said.

“Not understanding why it happened again was the biggest thing. I felt like I had done all the rehabilitation leading up to it and then it went again.

“The first week or two after it, I spent stepping back and looking at everything holistically.

“I looked at what I was doing with my own preparation for games, recovering for games, the way we were preparing at the club, my diet as well, it was honestly a case of trying to look at everything.

“It was super frustrating at the time. Hammy’s are an injury that isn’t like a broken bone that has a time frame of healing and you can find a reason why it broke.

“I was lucky that I have a really good high performance team at Penrith that I really trust.

“We went on this journey together and looked at a whole heap of different things and over the last six weeks, we’ve really nailed that plan and put in a lot of strong work.

“The main thing is around hamstring loads, it was a case of doing more high speed stuff and preparing for that.

“And weight load training in the gym too, they were the two big pillars that we’ve looked into.

“I don’t think you can ever 100 per cent guarantee that you’re never going to get injured again, but I feel like we’ve put in place a good strategy to best prevent it.

“Fingers crossed it works out.’’

Cleary is hungry for more premierships. Picture: Getty Images

THE HUNGER

Penrith’s strength as a football club is extraordinary given they have managed to climb into second position on the NRL ladder without the most influential halfback in the game.

They are perfectly positioned to achieve what no team has been able to do in 58-years – since the mighty St George which won 11 grand finals between 1956-1966 – by winning four consecutive titles.

“The belief to do it is definitely there and I think it’s greater than ever,’’ Cleary said.

“I know as a group we’re constantly trying to get better and always looking ahead.

“We’re not thinking about what we’ve done in the past.

“At the end of the day, it’s a new group every year so you want everyone to experience what we’ve been able to experience previously.

“For me personally, that goal is higher than ever.

“Seeing the boys going to work every week, it’s been a pleasure to watch.

“It’s no surprise though given how hard everyone works and the culture we’ve built which is a team-first mentality.

“Now having this opportunity to come back this weekend, I’m looking forward to building the blocks and getting back to the form that I know I can get too.’’

Jarome Luai had a great game for the Blue sin the Origin decider. NRL PHOTOS

THE RISE OF LUAI

Cleary says he is intensely proud of Penrith teammate Luai’s growth as an elite playmaker, particularly this season and that Wests Tigers fans should be salivating at the prospect of his 2025 arrival.

“Myself and all of us at Penrith knew what he was capable of, that he could stand up and take control of a team and he’s done that over the last couple of months,’’ Cleary said.

“Then again on Wednesday night, he was the game breaker.

“He’s just got that x-factor to do it.

“You only have to look back to last year when everyone was scrutinising him and particularly in the Origin arena.

“He’s been able to turn that around. I’m super proud of him.

“Tigers fans would be licking their lips.

“We’re going to miss him a lot, but we’ve still got the rest of this year to do something special.

“I honestly think that me being out has been a blessing in disguise for him to step up and take on that new responsibility and now it’s about me coming back and allowing him to do that and complimenting him.’’