Nathan Cleary wins halfback shootout as injury, sickness wreaks havoc

The Kangaroos have been hit hard on the eve of the side’s first knockout match of the tournament with the coach admitting “sleepless” nights.

Nathan Cleary won the shootout. Photo: Getty Images

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has revealed he has made a key decision ahead of the side’s knockout quarterfinal against Lebanon, as Nathan Cleary won the race for the No. 7 jersey over Daly Cherry-Evans.

But it’s just one of the headaches for the Aussie coach as the side has been hit by an injury and illness drama on the eve of the big match.

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Cleary isn't immune from the drama, having come down with an illness of the eve of the clash, while injury clouds hang over the heads of fellow spine members James Tedesco and Cameron Munster, both who have niggling injuries.

The match will see Harry Grant start at hooker while Cherry-Evans will come off the bench in a bid to cover the likes of Cleary and Munster.

“Nathan is playing seven,” Meninga said on Fox Sports’ World Cup Show.

“We made that decision. We just put everything in alphabetical order because everyone else does. But yeah, Nathan is starting at seven.

“DCE is at 14 this week. We have given Harry Grant 80 minutes of footy this week to get his match fitness up.

“Nathan is a bit ill at the moment – we’re not quite sure how he is going to come through. Cameron Munster and James Tedesco have some niggly injuries so we might need to rest them through the game.

“I [had] some sleepless nights …. but at the end of the day you have to make those tough decisions.

Nathan Cleary won. Photo: NRL PHOTOS

“You have to do it for the right reasons. It is hard to explain to the person who has missed out what that reason is.

“It just went down to those connections at club level that swung it the way of Nathan at the moment. Nathan has the frontrunning at the moment and we are kind of hoping he takes it.”

The connections Meninga mentioned is lock Isaah Yeo and second rower Liam Martin who have been unstoppable this World Cup so far.

Illness has been going through the Kangaroos, with Meninga even forced to miss training earlier in the week.

“We have a few guys who are a little bit crook at the moment with a virus and a bit of gastro,” Meninga said.

“Most teams have had to endure that.”

Meninga long spoke of Cherry-Evans hanging onto the No. 7 jersey as the incumbent but Cleary has been unstoppable.

The 24-year-old is already the NSW Blues’ long-term No. 7 and has won back-to-back premierships at the helm of the Penrith Panthers.

Cherry-Evans’ demotion to the bench comes at the expense of Ben Hunt, who has been rested, but it’s expected the Manly great will be left out completely assuming the Aussies win through to the semi-finals.

“We will make a decision whether we go with both hookers next week against New Zealand. I like that combo.

“DCE is mainly on the bench …. [because] there is a little bit of doubt on Nath and there are some injury issues with Cameron Munster and James Tedesco.

“He is just sitting there in case we need him.”

Tedesco and Munster are under an injury cloud. Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

There reportedly niggling injuries. Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Earlier in the week, former Aussie half Cooper Cronk told Fox Sports the Kangaroos couldn’t carry Cherry-Evans and that it might spell the end of his international career.

“If you look at the start of the game versus Italy on the weekend … he started with Cleary on the right which is his preferred side, Munster is a left-sided player,” Cronk said.

“The rotation of Ben Hunt and Harry Grant has worked, I don’t think you can carry Cherry-Evans on top of that. He may do so if needed, but I think it’s pretty straight forward.

“The Australian halfback job is a pretty sought-after and revered position but I think Cleary will be the person who gets it.”