Laurie Daley, the coach of the Blues, believes Nathan Cleary is harshly criticized for his State of Origin performance, emphasizing that the team's success isn't solely dependent on the halfback.
Cleary is set to participate in his 18th Origin match this Wednesday at Stadium Australia, facing heightened pressure after his partner, Mitchell Moses, was sidelined due to a hamstring issue.
At 29, Cleary is expected to take on the bulk of the kicking duties alongside inexperienced five-eighth Ethan Strange, who lacks a powerful kicking game, presenting Queensland with a less challenging target to defend.
As the Blues' most experienced No.7, Cleary has been exceptional in high-stakes NRL games during the past six years of Penrith's stronghold.
Nevertheless, many believe that the Australian international has struggled to replicate his club success on the Origin stage, with critics arguing he has not fully "owned" a series yet.
"That's the storyline around Origin and Nathan, but I don't see it like that," Daley remarked.
He continued, "I think that for us to have success, it has to be a team performance."
Daley added, "We've got to rely on 17 guys to be able to work hard for each other, and we all share the wins, we share the losses, we share every moment."
He concluded, "I don't see it like Nathan has to own Origin. He's won man of the matches, he's been a part of winning Origin series before. It's a big game for everyone."