NRL great Jimmy Maloney has hit back at critics of Nathan Cleary’s performances in State of Origin series’ by insisting he has achieved everything in the game.
Cleary’s NSW Blues take on the Queensland Maroons in the 2026 opener in Sydney on Wednesday night.
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The Panthers’ superstar halfback, 28, has received some backlash to his past performances in Origin — where he has played 17 matches, winning eight and losing nine.
He has claimed three series victories, scoring 94 points and kicking at 85 per cent conversion rate.
Watch Maloney’s comments on Cleary via the video player above
And while some remain unconvinced by Cleary in a Blues shirt, 14-cap NSW star Maloney has leapt to his defence.
Speaking on news.com.au’s Extended Bench, he said: “Cleary has played in Origins, he’s won Origins, he’s won prems. He’s done that. People are putting it on the onus of ‘He needs to have a game where he just stands miles above’. I don’t think you necessarily have to do that.
“You can have good players around you. There’s no downfall to you not being miles above on your own as this player who had the best. All you need to do is get the side moving, get the side doing what it’s doing, bring guys into it.
“As a half your job is to bring out the strengths in your teammates. If they’re coming into opportunities and they’ve got space then you’re doing your job.
“Everyone expects Nath to have this game like an Andrew Johns moment. I don’t think it needs to be like that. There’s a bit of undue pressure around that.
“I think he’ll play well, he’s in as good a spot as any. He’s already been a part of winning Origin series. He’s done everything so I don’t buy into ‘He hasn’t fully owned Origin yet’.”
Last week, Cleary opened up about how last year’s defeat in the Origin decider has only increased his desire to put things right this time around.
“It’s never nice losing, but particularly such a big game being a game three Origin at home as well,” he said in camp.
“It was devastating, I can’t lie. But you’ve sort of just got to pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, move forward, and get better.
“There’s no point sort of sulking about it and feeling sorry for yourself. Here we are a year on, and I’m hoping I can use those lessons to play better.
“I think you’ve got to grow from it. You can’t live in the past too much, but you can learn from it. That pain is definitely a sort of burning fire there.
“But I sort of used that last year to try and just get better as a person and as a player.”
