O’Brien said Cleary was “right up there” with the great players he has seen.
And O’Brien has seen his fair share, having worked with the likes of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cameron Munster, Cooper Cronk, Boyd Cordner and James Tedesco during his years as an assistant coach at Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters.
“I hate just singling [anyone] out,” O’Brien said. “There’s been so many good players, but I’ve never had the luxury of having anything to do with Nathan. I’ve never met him, but I’ve admired him from afar.”
Admiring him is one matter, but stopping him – or at least minimising his impact – is another altogether.
“I think the main thing for us is making sure that we’re not giving any blips in our defensive line,” O’Brien said.
“They’re very, very good at finding whether you’ve got a step-back defender, where your line’s not completely connected. They look for that easy path through your defensive line to build their set.
“And he [Cleary] is a big director of that. He’ll pull out of shape if there’s a space pocket to be taken. So it’s really important that we work hard defensively and stay connected together, because he’ll find you out really quickly.”
Not surprisingly, O’Brien and his men have done their homework this week, poring over video footage in a quest to counter whatever the game’s No.1 player throws at them on Friday night.
“We’re pretty consistent with how we preview the opposition,” O’Brien said. “But it’s fair to say that a large portion of the week has been on Nathan, particularly his kicking game as well.
“But it’s also understanding that we need to be able to expect the stuff that we haven’t seen, because he’s a very instinctive player.”
O’Brien, who joined Newcastle in 2020, has come up against Cleary only four times as a head coach, and at this point he has a 0-4 record.
But the coach hopes his troops take some confidence from their 25-6 win over Penrith in Bathurst in round 12, albeit when the Panthers were depleted by the absence of Cleary and fellow NSW Origin representatives Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin, Dylan Edwards and Brian To’o.
“I think it’s the last time they lost a game, Penrith,” O’Brien said. “I know there’s a lot that’s happened between that game and now, but yeah, it certainly gives you some confidence. But confidence is one thing – going and making it happen is another.”
That loss to Newcastle left the four-time premiers last on the ladder, at which point it appeared their dynasty was grinding to a halt.
They have since strung together an eight-game winning streak, and they will climb into the top four if they beat 14th-placed Newcastle, and then Canterbury down the Warriors at Accor Stadium on Saturday.
“They’re trending in the right direction,” O’Brien said of the Panthers. “They’re quality opposition and it’s quite remarkable what they’ve been able to achieve over the years. But we’ve always managed to aim up against Penrith, and we’re hoping tomorrow is that again.”
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While former Parramatta tyro Blaize Talagi has now established himself as Cleary’s scrumbase partner, O’Brien has again tinkered with his halves, promoting ex-Eels and Manly five-eighth Jakob Arthur to make his Newcastle debut.
Arthur parted company with Manly mid-season and has been biding his time in Newcastle’s NSW Cup team.
Asked why the 22-year-old had been preferred to the likes of Tyson Gamble and Jackson Hastings, O’Brien replied: “The number one [reason] is his kicking game. He’s very, very consistent with his kicking.
“I think since Jake’s come to the club, he’s put together three or four really strong performances in NSW Cup. I don’t feel like I’m just blooding a young guy, I’m rewarding a young bloke that’s played really good footy.
“And I felt that our kicking was an area that we needed to improve from the Raiders game [a 44-18 defeat], so I think the time’s right to bring him in.”
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