Blues halfback Nathan Cleary has been named man of the match after his heroics in NSW’s stunning comeback win over Queensland.
While Ethan Strange was sensational on debut and James Tedesco produced the game-winning try, it was Cleary who got the nod after steering the Blues back from a 20-0 deficit.
Cleary had a crucial 40/20 and try in the win, finishing with two try assists and 651 kick metres.
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It was redemption for Cleary, whose underwhelming performances in previous Origin games have been well-documented.
Blues coach Laurie Daley defended the under-fire halfback before Wednesday’s game, declaring any suggestion Cleary has not owned the Origin arena is “unfair”.
“That’s the storyline around Origin and Nathan, but I don’t see it like that,” Daley said.
“I think that for us to have success, it has to be a team performance.
“If we’re relying on Nathan Cleary to go out and get man of the match, then we’re kidding ourselves.
“We’ve got to rely on 17 guys to be able to work hard for each other, and we all share the wins, we share the losses, we share every moment.
“I don’t see it like Nathan has to own Origin. He’s won man of the matches; he’s been a part of winning Origin series before. It’s a big game for everyone.”
Originally published as Nathan Cleary silences ‘unfair’ criticism as Blues halfback crowned man of the match
