Can Nathan Cleary take Penrith to the promised land?

Nathan Cleary was hailed as the Prince of Penrith as an 18-year-old. 

It's the sort of nickname that heaps pressure on a kid. Having his dad turn up to coach the side in 2019 only added to it. But as his responsibility as a senior player in this Penrith Panthers side grows, Cleary continues to improve and is now regarded as one of the best players in the game.

The young prince has worked his way through the cynical cycle towards stardom relatively quickly. He burst onto the scene in 2016 with footy fans impressed by the ability of an 18-year-old to step straight into first grade and make a difference.

When starting to make too much of a difference and earning State of Origin selection, the tide turned. One group at the foot of the mountains talked him up ad nauseam while the rest avoided giving credit where they could. But now, as the 22-year-old leads the Panthers towards a finals appearance and probable premiership push, his quality is undeniable.

His ceiling has risen as he draws closer to reaching his potential at warp speed. Those that previously doubted his ability weren't necessarily wrong at the time, but anybody that refused to acknowledge his potential has gone quiet. Cleary, in his fifth season and with 90 games to his name, is a prominent figure in the conversation around not only the games best halfback, but best player.

His counting stats don't jump off the page as elite. Cleary has scored four tries, handed out seven try assists and six line break assists in 11 games while running for 88 metres per game.

Kurt Mann and Cody Walker have both scored more tries (5). Shaun Johnson (18) and Cleary's teammate Jarome Luai (12) have more try assists. Daly Cherry-Evans (9), the aging Benji Marshall (8) and an inconsistent Ash Taylor (7) all have more line break assists. However, none touch the ball more times than Cleary's 71.7 times per game. In fact, no non-hooker in the competition does right now and hasn't in any of the last seven seasons.

It's the number that best highlights his increasing influence on the side. Under the thumb of James Maloney in 2019, Cleary averaged just 56.8 touches per game. But the days of going a full attacking set without touching the ball are over for Cleary. He's touching it multiple times every set and doing plenty with it even if it doesn't show in the numbers.

This try against the Sharks in Round 9 offers a prime example of his organisation, the changing pace at which he can play, and the timing he has while making the correct decision.

After dumping off Isaah Yeo in the middle, the Panthers have a numbers advantage down their left side. Seeing it, Cleary points Viliame Kikau straight at Shaun Johnson. Jesse Ramien knows he will also need to affect the tackle with the long pass out of dummy half removing Briton Nikora as a help defender. Cleary holds it up just long enough for Johnson and Ramien to turn in on Kikau before getting the ball wide to Jarome Luai. 

Luai still has work to do and is credited with the try assists, but it's a prime example of the hand Cleary plays in Penrith's 3rd-ranked 25.5 points per game without always receiving the recognition on the stats pages.

Cleary's tempo with the ball in hand is causing havoc for defensive lines too. The North Queensland Cowboys were left bamboozled twice in Round 10. 

With the ball out in front and in two hands, Cleary works across the field and puts defenders on their heels. He slows it right down to lull the outside defence into thinking he's simply going to dump it off to Spencer Leniu or Moses Leota before putting on the afterburners and hitting Dylan Edwards out the back of a block. The gap opens up for Brent Naden out wide, but the defence broke down further infield as a result of Cleary's change of pace. 

Later in the same game from almost the same position on the field, Cleary again slows it down. The defence stops as he shows the ball to Liam Martin; another simple action that momentarily hides the ball from the sliding defence.

Bang. With young Daejarn Asi anticipating the pass wide again and moving sideways, Cleary sells the dummy and scoots through. 

Cleary's potential has been evident since running around for Mt Albert junior teams while Ivan Cleary coached the Warriors in Auckland. Seeing the poise he lines up a field goal in first grade these days comes as no surprise to those that saw him slot one - calm as you like - from 35 metres out as a 12-year-old. 

He's always had the skillset to become one of the best players in the NRL. Surrounded by elite players his whole life, Cleary has absorbed everything he can over the years, and it's the subtleties he's picked up and playing with right now that have allowed him to get there so quickly.

Cleary isn't the only reason for Penrith's rise to dark horse premiership contenders. Isaah Yeo's move to the middle, James Fisher-Harris' elevation to a top tier prop, Api Koroisau's form at hooker, Luai's maturity in the halves and the uncovering of Stephen Crichton have all played a role. Cleary is the key cog, though. 

By virtue of being an excellent and popular young player, as well as being the coach's son, Cleary will always have his detractors. It comes with the territory. They can't pick many holes in his game right now, though. He's the chassis of Ivan's newest bus which is parked on the top of the NRL ladder and at 17.6% to win the 2020 NRL Grand Final.

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