LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Nathan Cleary shared how a pre-game conversation with his father and coach, Ivan, helped him overcome the disappointment of the NSW Blues' Origin series defeat and inspired his performance in Penrith's victory over Parramatta.
Despite starting on the bench due to concerns about his workload, Cleary was instrumental in the Panthers' turnaround from a four-point deficit, ultimately contributing to a 32-10 win, which included a crucial try.
Cleary was eager to move past the disappointment of the Game 3 loss to Queensland, where he felt he did not perform at his best.
He acknowledged that starting from the bench, only the third time in his career, was challenging but necessary, as the coach opted to rest several key players, including Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, and Liam Martin.
Nonetheless, the Panthers secured their fifth consecutive win, solidifying a top-eight position after being at the bottom of the ladder just six weeks prior.
Reflecting on the defeat, Cleary mentioned, "I didn't really want to say it to dad but I still woke up thinking about it this morning.
I don't know if you ever fully get over it to be honest but I also had a good chat with him yesterday that made me feel a lot better after it." He expressed feelings of "self-loathing" and "embarrassment" following the Origin loss but turned these emotions into motivation for his team.
Cleary explained his changed approach, stating, "I think in the past I've probably, after a poor Origin performance, just tried to squash it and act like it didn't happen.
This time I actually saw it as an opportunity to analyse it a bit more and try and delve a bit deeper into why I didn't perform the way I wanted to and why it went the way it did.
I came to the conclusion that it's only going to help me.
It's only going to help me grow as a person and a player."
This mindset contributed to his performance against the Eels, helping him and his team rebound from previous disappointments.