How Laurie Daley’s Cleary obsession cost NSW Game II – and maybe the series

If there’s one thing New South Wales has over Queensland in Origin right now, it’s depth – especially in the halves.

Even after losing Mitchell Moses to injury ahead of Game II, the Blues were able to recall Jarome Luai, who was most people’s original pick to partner Cleary in 2025. He slotted back in seamlessly. But Luai wasn’t the only option.

NSW had Luke Metcalf – in red-hot form for the Warriors. They had 21-year-old superstar Isaiya Katoa from the Dolphins.

Matt Burton, their 18th man, is flying with the top-of-the-table Bulldogs.

And let’s not forget former Dally M winner Nico Hynes, who never really got a proper shake of the sauce bottle – 12 minutes on debut in 2023, then dropped after a Game I loss the following year. That’s hardly a shot, that’s a twinkle – or a scapegoat.

And yet, with all that talent at their fingertips, NSW goes and backs an injured Nathan Cleary to seal the series. 

Let’s be clear – Cleary is a champion. Four NRL premierships, a World Cup, and a few Origin wins. The 27-year-old has done it all in his almost 10-year career in rugby league.

But there’s still a lingering sense that he hasn’t owned Origin the way the greats have.

Andrew Johns owned it. Darren Lockyer owned it. And Wally Lewis, well, he was Origin. Cleary just hasn’t had that defining series. Even rugby league personality Matty Johns, brother of the immortal with the same surname, said last year that Cleary has yet to stamp his authority on the arena.

So why did Laurie Daley risk him?

It’s now been revealed that Cleary did injure himself during kicking practice in the captains run on the day before Game II. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Blues doctor Nathan Gibbs confirmed that Cleary had strained his adductor – an injury that carried a high risk of further aggravation during the game.

So, why run, or further risk an injured half – especially one known for his kicking game – when you’ve got a strong, healthy, in-form Matt Burton in the wings, with a cannon of a boot and the immediate confidence to match it?

This is exactly why you have an 18th man. Origin is a game won in the fine margins. And on Wednesday night, with just two points separating the sides, kicking was absolutely the difference. So why is no one asking the obvious – why wasn’t Cleary rested? He shied away from the boot most the night, and when he did – he was well off the mark.

Has the Cleary hype hypnotised the Blues selectors?

It looks like NSW coach Laurie Daley has ‘bottled it’ once again. He has bought into the hype from the media that NSW were so dominant, that even a half-fit Cleary could cruise them home.

This is Origin and that was arrogance. Rather than making the tough call, Daley rested on his laurels of Game I – and gave Queensland, who’s backs were against the wall, just enough of a sniff. And when those sharks up in Queensland smell blood, they bite – and they won. 

Once again, this Queensland side has been labelled (a little more quietly this time) one of the weakest Maroons teams on paper. But nevertheless, Billy Slater had the guts to axe a former captain, a mate, because it was best for the team – best for the whole State. And it paid off.

With only 80 minutes left to decide the 2025 series, Daley’s gamble could come back to bite him. Queensland are beatable – but did loyalty and legacy blur his judgement?

NSW had the depth, the form, the firepower. Instead, they left it on the bench, choosing personality over performance – and now the whole series hangs in the balance.