Heartbreak: Nathan Cleary’s wife has confirmed yet another heinous act by the legendary Penrith Panthers player, and…
Darren Lockyer, a former Broncos player, has voiced his opinion amid all the hyperbole surrounding Nathan Cleary’s status following his heroics in the Grand Final.
As every NRL fan is aware, Cleary led Penrith to the greatest Grand Final comeback ever on Sunday with a 20-minute purple patch that will live on forever.
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After admitting to being far below his best earlier in the game, Cleary, 25, was instrumental in producing an 18-point comeback that stunned the Broncos.
With it, Cleary and the Panthers completed a third consecutive premiership, and speculation about his place among the all-time great halfbacks and eligibility for immortality began.
It’s interesting to note that Andrew Johns, the most recent Immortal to be named, is the only halfback who has dedicated his life to the game.
Discussions about the greatest No. 7 in the history of the game have brought up the names of Johns, Peter Sterling, Ricky Stuart, Jonathan Thurston, and Allan Langer.
Lockyer was devastated by the Brisbane team’s loss at Accor Stadium. Lockyer played his entire 355-game club career with the Broncos.
He added that Cleary’s performance was the best he could recall seeing.
Nathan still has eight years left, possibly even longer. His legacy is already very great, according to Lockyer.
“Maybe he wants to check off more boxes with Origin, but Sterling was the last club halfback to do that in a Grand Final.”
Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer are two of the greatest players of all time. Picture courtesy of Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
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“I don’t know if a guy like Sterlo won a game like that on his own in the 1980s, but it’s amazing.”
The game was won by Cleary. That wasn’t won by Penrith. It was Nathan Cleary.
One of Johns’ most memorable performances was in 2005, when, just one game after suffering a broken jaw, he was hurried back into the NSW side for game two of the State of Origin series.
Johns helped the Blues win game three in Brisbane, 32-10, to secure the shield after the team had fallen behind 1-0 in the series. In game two, he put on a man-of-the-match performance.
Lockyer remembered John’s effort that year as he watched Cleary take off.
The performances Andrew Johns gave in the State of Origin arena elevated him to the status of an immortal. Pictured by David Clark
“I recall Joey (Johns) going on a roll after he kicked a 40/20 here in Origin in 2005,” he remarked.
That’s how things were with Cleary. The HIA contains Isaah Yeo. Due to an injury, Jarome Luai is out. Cleary assumes responsibility for them.
“He gave a ridiculous performance.”
Lockyer also expressed disappointment about his Broncos’ failure to finish the one task that lay ahead of them during the game.
Cleary was the only choice available. “We just need to keep him quiet, and we can win this,” he remarked as he watched the game.
