NSW coach and captain defend Nathan Cleary's big-game performance after his key role in the Blues' Origin victory.
NSW Blues head coach Laurie Daley and captain Isaah Yeo have moved to end the narrative that Nathan Cleary isn't a big-game player.
One of the key questions on the lips leading into Game 1 was whether Cleary could finally live up to his potential in a sky blue jumper.
It has been a widely held criticism of Cleary throughout his career; however, after piloting the kicking game to keep his team alive over the opening hour of the contest, he and rookie Ethan Strange paved the way for the Blues to run on three tries in the final 20 minutes against a 12-man Queensland to secure victory on home soil in the Origin opener.
The Blues might not have been at their best early, but it certainly wasn't Cleary's fault, and Yeo said the end of the game, with Cleary kicking a contest-turning 40/20 and following it up with a try, didn't come as a surprise to him.