‘The Defining Factor’: Harsh Truth for Stand-in Kicker as Nathan Cleary’s Injury Concerns Plague Blues

NSW goalkicker Zac Lomax will ponder the ‘what ifs’ following three crucial missed conversions in Origin II, which ultimately left the Blues two points shy of victory.

However, it was Nathan Cleary’s mysterious application of heavy strapping tape around his right thigh that offered the clearest indication of the challenges ahead for the highly favoured Blues. The star playmaker’s inability to execute his long kicking game necessitated the goalkicking duties being handed to Lomax, revealing a clear concern over the halfback’s fitness.

During the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Cleary addressed his reduced responsibilities at the captain’s run, attributing them to “a bit of load management.” Yet, as he stepped onto the field at Optus Stadium, it became evident that something more serious was at play.

When asked about his visualisation techniques at training, Cleary mentioned the importance of this scenario.

“I like to mentally go through that visualisation process,” he remarked.

“It’s a different approach rather than relying solely on physical practice.”

It soon became evident that concerns over Cleary’s fitness were justified, particularly when Jarome Luai’s kick from the first set went out on the full.

Cleary managed only a short 20-metre kick on the next set.

NSW’s first try resulted from a Luai grubber, successfully converted by Lomax from the sideline.

Latrell Mitchell also attempted a kick within the first ten minutes, prompting Andrew Johns to voice his worries.

“Nathan Cleary has some compression on his right leg, he hasn’t been able to kick long … he didn’t take the goalkicking duties, and that’s a concern,” he commented on Nine.

“Cleary usually kicks extensively; he was at it for half an hour during the captain’s run, so he may have tweaked a quad.”

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NSW opened the second half with a try, but trailed 26-10 after Lomax’s conversion attempt narrowly missed to the right.

Cleary’s difficulties became noticeable again in the 50th minute when he attempted a banana kick that instead went out on the full.

The goalkicking spotlight shone once more in the following nine minutes, as NSW scored again only for Lomax to strike the post with his conversion attempt from the sideline. Another miss soon followed on his next conversion.

Eventually, fortune favoured Lomax when Angus Crichton crossed closer to the goalposts, simplifying the next conversion attempt.

Yet, despite the Blues’ efforts, they ultimately fell short, missing out on six points due to those vital missed kicks.

Blues legend Phil Gould reflected on the missed opportunities, remarking that NSW should have won, having scored five tries to Queensland’s four.

“They’ve been defeated on goalkicking,” he stated after the game. “They scored four tries in the second half but converted just one. Queensland benefitted from a penalty in the first half, and that was the difference maker.”

By the match’s end, Cleary’s kicking statistics told a contrasting story, as he returned from the sheds looking revitalised.

He recorded 349 kick metres from 14 attempts, while Luai added 82 metres from five, and Latrell Mitchell contributed two kicks totalling 104 metres.

In the aftermath, NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley expressed concerns over Cleary’s condition.

“He felt some tightness in his groin, and we wanted to ease the pressure there,” he explained. “Nathan is tough. Although his groin was tight, he managed to push through it,” he said.

Despite the missed opportunities from five tries, Daley appeared somewhat unconcerned about the goalkicking aspect.

“While kicking goals is important, there were many other areas where we needed improvement that left me disappointed,” he mentioned. “Goalkicking sits low on the priority list; it’s about our execution and overall intent. There were numerous things we didn’t handle well in the first half that were far more troubling.”