Blues great Andrew Johns has tipped Nathan Cleary to “elevate himself” above the rest and take a stranglehold of an Origin series.
And in tipping him as player of the match for game one in Adelaide on Wednesday night, he said this could be the series he does it.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behaviour, Johns said the Panthers superstar had been working to reach the upper echelons of league since his early teens, and it wasn’t a case of if, but when he would become of the greats.
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Johns said he cold-calls Cleary throughout the season with pointers, but said he was once much more “hands-on”.
“He knows what it takes to win an Origin,” Johns said.
“He’s in that sweet spot of his career. The next five, six years we’re going to see him elevate himself even more.
“I ring him every now and then, not too much, probably a couple of times a year if I see something in his game I think he needs to work on or something that I think he’s excelled in.
“But he knows his game, he’s looking to improve all the time, works so hard on his game, watches footy, watches training, watches training back, different things.
“He’s just in total control of his game.”
Here are the tips of Nine’s experts for State of Origin game one.
WALLY LEWIS
Game one winner: Maroons by 2
Player of the match: Cameron Munster
DANIKA MASON
Game one winner: Blues by 8
Player of the match: James Tedesco
PETER PSALTIS
Game one winner: Maroons by 2
Player of the match: Reece Walsh
ANDREW JOHNS
Game one winner: Blues by 8
Player of the match: Nathan Cleary
JAMES BRACEY
Game one winner: Blues by 7
Player of the match: Nathan Cleary
MATHEW THOMPSON
Game one winner: Maroons by 1
Player of the match: Reece Walsh
THE MOLE
Game one winner: Blues by 7
Player of the match: Nathan Cleary
DARREN LOCKYER
Game one winner: Maroons by 4
Player of the match: Ben Hunt
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DAVID MIDDLETON
Game one winner: Blues by 2
Player of the match: Payne Haas
ALLANA FERGUSON
Game one winner: Blues by 12
Player of the match: Payne Haas
BEN GLOVER
Game one winner: Blues by 6
Player of the match: Tom Trbojevic
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