In picking between Nathan Cleary and Cody Walker, Brad Fittler is choosing the present or the future

Brad Fittler’s decision on the NSW halves for the opening State of Origin boils down to a single choice - does the Blues coach choose for the future and the past, or does he choose for the present?

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There is a growing fear that Brad Fittler runs the risk of turning Nathan Cleary into the next Mitchell Pearce and alienating him from the NSW fans if the gamble to select the struggling Penrith halfback backfires in Origin I.

It comes as Matty Johns declares Cody Walker would have every right to “throw his hands in the air and say, ‘what else have I got to do?,” if the in-form South Sydney five-eighth is not selected for NSW when Fittler announces his team tomorrow.

Regarded as the game’s best judge of playmakers, Johns told The Saturday Telegraph he would be happy if coach Brad Fittler selected either Walker or Rabbitohs No.7 Adam Reynolds to partner Luke Keary — but it would not make sense to select Nathan Cleary ahead of either.

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Walker and Reynolds will get their final chance to impress when the Rabbitohs take on Wests Tigers Saturday at ANZ Stadium.

But Cleary is considered a selection certainty to retain his Blues No.7 jumper after a solid performance in Penrith’s 16-10 win against an error-riddled Parramatta on Thursday night.

While most fans find it unfathomable how Cleary could still be in contention on form this year, there has been a suggestion Fittler made a pact with Phil Gould last year that guaranteed Cleary’s spot.

Gould conceded as much recently on Channel 9’s 100% Footy: “My only comment was, ‘Well, if you’re going to pick him, you’ve got to stick with him for a number of years … don’t burn him like I’ve seen so many other young halfbacks burned’.”

The Daily Telegraph ran a poll this week with fans voting Reynolds (39 per cent) and Keary (23 per cent) as the preferred halfback choices ahead of Cleary (17 per cent), while Keary (54 per cent) was the standout five-eighth ahead of Walker (43 per cent) and incumbent James Maloney (1 per cent).

Has Cleary done enough to hold his jersey. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

A players’ poll on NRL.com did not rank Cleary in the top five halfbacks. Cleary finished third in the same poll last year.

Johns did not want to weigh into public criticism of Cleary, but maintained: “In my opinion incumbency gives you a head start, not a guarantee.

“Last year I applauded the fact that when Freddy picked Nathan he said he is for long term,” Johns said.

“And there is talk around that he gave a guarantee. I applauded that. You go, ‘that’s good, we are not going to burn another one’. But now we find ourselves here again.

“Look, I understand where Freddy is coming from with Nathan. By the same token, if Cody Walker doesn’t get picked, you have to feel for him.

“He is at that point in his career he must throw his hands in the air and say, ‘well, what else have I got to do?’.”

Johns said he would pick Keary at halfback and Walker five-eighth, but would understand if selectors wanted Reynolds because he is a specialist No.7.

Walker has been one of the best players in the competition this season. Picture by Zak Simmonds.

“Keary is a lock-in on the left side and the argument for Walker is this: the faster the game gets, the better he goes,” Johns said.

“Origin is a cracking tempo. And his combination with (Damien) Cook — how quickly that attack triggers — he is an instinctive player.

“Everything points to him being just a super player at that level, probably even going better than he is going (in club footy).

“However, I do understand this, a pure seven is different.

“I am split between going Keary/Walker or Keary/Reynolds and putting Walker at 14.

“I suppose Keary is a seven, although he does not get a lot of practice there.

“When Keary came through the grades at Souths, he was a halfback. He was electric. I remember Madge (Michael Maguire) saying to me, ‘I have to slow him down, he is too quick for his supports’.

“Nathan tries his guts out. His kicking (against Parramatta) was good but it is just he is not creating as much as the other four blokes, Reynolds, Keary, Walker and Pearce.”