Calls are growing for Nathan Cleary to consider a switch to rugby union, with Maroons great Corey Parker suggesting the star playmaker has already conquered all that rugby league has to offer.
Speaking on SENQ Breakfast, Parker said Cleary, a four-time NRL premiership winner with the Panthers, has little left to prove and could thrive in a new code, even hinting at a future in the green and gold.
“He’s ticked every box”
“The short answer is I can see him going to play another code,” Parker said. “There’s two forms of currency in sport. One is premierships and one is money. He has both.”
With Australia set to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Parker floated the tantalising prospect of Cleary wearing a Wallabies jersey.
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“Fly-half for Australia at a World Cup. Yes, I can see him doing it,” he said.
Despite that, debate continues around Cleary’s legacy in the State of Origin arena. Journalist Andrew Webster argued on NRL 360 that while Cleary doesn’t need to win Wednesday night’s decider to validate his career, he’s not yet in the same league as immortals like Andrew Johns or Cameron Smith.
“I don’t think he’s got anything to prove,” Webster said. “But this game isn’t the final frontier. He’s 27, he’s probably got another eight years of football left.”
Cleary has played in three Origin series wins for New South Wales but has never played and won a live decider. Still, both rugby codes may be within reach.