Dad Not Having The Father Of All Cleary Origin Debates

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Nathan Cleary delivered a standout performance in New South Wales' 22-20 State of Origin win, earning man-of-the-match honors and contributing crucial plays despite his coach Ivan Cleary downplaying the idea of him "dominating" the series. Penrith Panthers anticipate Nathan’s return alongside other rested NSW players for their upcoming NRL match as they aim to maintain momentum after the representative period.

Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has downplayed the notion that his son Nathan Cleary is “dominating” State of Origin, despite the NSW halfback’s strong performance in the 2024 series opener. Nathan Cleary, who has already achieved significant success in the NRL with four premiership titles and two Clive Churchill Medals, was a key figure in New South Wales’ narrow 22-20 victory over Queensland at Accor Stadium last week.

In the match, Nathan Cleary scored a try, executed a 40/20 kick, and assisted two other tries with precise kicks, including setting up James Tedesco’s decisive late effort, which he converted to secure the win. This performance earned him his third man-of-the-match award in Origin play, extending his halfback record to a 50 percent winning rate with the Blues.

Despite this, Ivan Cleary expressed scepticism about the idea of any player truly “dominating” Origin matches, citing the historic difficulty of consistently standing out in the representative arena. "I don't even know what dominating Origin is because we've never seen anyone do it," he said, referencing the legendary Wally Lewis as perhaps the closest example, but adding, "did he? I don't know." Ivan emphasized his pride in Nathan’s preparation and effort to compete at the highest level, regardless of the prevailing debates.

Nathan Cleary missed Penrith’s recent hard-fought victory over the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday but is expected to return for the Panthers’ upcoming clash with the Wests Tigers, along with fellow NSW representatives Isaah Yeo and Brian To’o, who were rested in the previous round.

Meanwhile, Liam Martin made a return off the bench in Penrith’s win against the Warriors, marking his first game since Round 6 after recovering from a knee injury. Martin, who has earned 15 State of Origin caps, was in the mix for a possible recall to the Blues squad. His early time on the field was quiet, but he made a significant impact after shifting from the right edge to the middle of the park.

The Panthers and their NSW contingent will look to build momentum as they continue their NRL campaign following the State of Origin period.