sport news State of Origin: Andrew Johns insists Nathan Cleary is a BETTER halfback than ... trends now
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Nathan Cleary inscribed his name in State of Origin folklore with a performance for the ages that left New South Wales legend Andrew Johns claiming the superstar halfback is a better player than he was at the same age.
Cleary, 24, put in an uncharacteristically muted performance for Brad Fittler's side in Game I earlier this month, with Queensland five-eighth Cameron Munster running the show in Sydney.
The Panthers star came in for criticism, as a result, and he arrived in Perth with a point to prove in the Blues' do-or-die clash at Optus Stadium.
Nathan Cleary put in one of the all-time great State of Origin performances on Sunday night
And the star No 7 made it clear in no uncertain terms that he is the best halfback of his era, setting up two tries, scoring two of his own and nailing a perfect eight from the tee to cause Queensland constant grief on Sunday.
Not since Johns's Origin masterclass in 2005 has rugby league seen such an inspired individual performance and the man himself admitted that there has been no better halfback at the age of 24 than Cleary.
'No other halfback has had a game like that in Origin at his age,' he said on
