Wallabies great reveals NRL star Nathan Cleary ‘keen’ on code switch
Four-time NRL Premiership winner Nathan Cleary is apparently “quite keen” on a shock move across codes to rugby union, with legendary Wallaby Tim Horan dropping a bombshell piece of transfer gossip this week.
Cleary started at halfback for New South Wales on Wednesday, as they dominated the Queensland Maroons 18-6 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, although the playmaker did miss all three conversion attempts at the home of the Queensland Reds.
While there is an NRL Hall of Fame, there’s an even more exclusive club in rugby league, with only 14 players reaching Immortal status. There is a strong belief that Cleary has the potential to one day be recognised with that honour.
After winning multiple NRL titles, a few State of Origin Series, and a Rugby League World Cup with the Australian Kangaroos, Cleary is a generational talent, but the Penrith Panthers halfback could be lost to rugby union sometime in the future.
“You might not have to wait too long,” Horan said on Stan Sport.
“There’s been rumours the last two months that he’s quite keen.
“I’ve heard it totally separate, he’s quite keen to come to rugby.
“I don’t think it’s the right thing for Australian rugby to do, we’ve got a lot of talent coming through.
“But I tell you what, if Nathan Cleary says ‘I’m interesting in playing the game’ you’ve got to have a coffee.”
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has captured headline after headline in rugby union after making the move from the NRL in October. Suaalii was named Player of the Match on debut for the Wallabies against England, before playing any minutes for the NSW Waratahs.
After Suaalii put pen to paper with Rugby Australia some time ago, there were plenty of rumours about the potential of other NRL players who could follow, with Cleary’s name mentioned alongside the likes of Cam Murray.
Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Stephen Donald was asked earlier this year to name a talent who could successfully complete the move, and it came as no surprise really to hear the New Zealander go with Cleary.
“I used to think the obvious option for me was Queensland Maroon and Gold Coast Titan David Fifita. Just get him running 12 lines hard. He’s a monster,” Donald said on The Aftermatch earlier this year.
“But when you look at all the stuff that Joseph’s done, you go straight to the top. You would be robbing my NRL team of its superstar, but you go Cleary.
“The way that Cleary plays, he could transition to rugby because he plays a lot squarer than a lot of league halfbacks, he keeps his feet when he’s passing.
“Mat Rogers came across as a rugby league winger and yep, started in the outsides and worked his way in. I’d say within a year or two, he was absolutely killing it with the Waratahs at 10. I had my debut, I came off the bench, and we played the Waratahs in Sydney, and he was absolutely shredding.
“It might take a year or two but 100 per cent, he’s got all the skillsets. And the way he plays, you could easily close your eyes and go, ‘Yep, I could see that working at 10.’ A lot of the league kicking is done back off the line, he does it in the line, he also has a long kicking game which you’re going to need at 10 to clear your lines and what have you.”
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I dunno man. His skill set is better suited to league, that play maker role.
He’d have to be a 10 in union or his talents would be a bit wasted.
7s could be interesting.
He's too old now, 28 in November to realistically move across to elite level rugby which is considerably harder than it was when May Rogers switched. The depth in his likely positions is strong and experienced. If Cleary had moved across at twenty and spent a couple of years as a ten he would have been able to give it a good shot, but it's the key decision maker in a far more complex, strategic game than league.
It's ridiculous to expect Cleary to have an elite rugby union halfbacks pass, again a really tough position, no chance of switching into 9. If he moved now he'd be like Benji Marshall, wildly out of his depth with a ton of expectation and simply lose a couple of years income before switching back after being eaten alive by experienced flankers, opposing midfields.
There is of course no chance for Cleary to make it as a forward and at just six foot there would be no other position in the backs that Clearly could have any chance of nailing at the elite level although some might think he's a chance at fullback he'd again be struggling against guys like Will Jordan that have searing pace and additional size.
This is no disrespect to Cleary, he is an amazing talent and there would be very few rugby players at his age that could transfer to league and make it as a league halfback.