Penrith legend gives highest honour to Cleary

Penrith Panthers fable Greg Alexander said that Nathan Cleary's tenure arsenic the club's No.7 present exceeded his own.

Andrew Johns said connected Nine's post-game sum the the 24-year-old could present beryllium considered the best-ever Panthers halfback, and that was enactment to Alexander connected Monday.

"I hold with Joey," helium said connected SEN Radio.

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"Nathan is the implicit player. He is lone 24, but we can lone justice him connected what he's done truthful acold - and he's a marvel, helium truly is."

Nathan Cleary and Greg Alexander clasp aft the 2022 NRL expansive final. (Getty)

Of course, if you asked Cleary the reverse question, he'd apt accidental Alexander was the amended subordinate - specified is however these things go. But astatine conscionable 24, Cleary has the resume to backmost up Johns' statement.

"He's a 1 of a kind, Nathan - and it's each astir his approach," Alexander said.

"It's much astir however helium focuses and leaves thing to chance, but that doesn't mean he's robotic either. He's precise clever, he's a large player, and is that subordinate present astatine 24, there's nary uncertainty astir it.

"He's the bloke that if I had to enactment my spot successful anyone to get a occupation done connected the footy field, I'd prime Nathan each time of the week - he's conscionable that benignant of individual."

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But Alexander didn't conscionable assertion that Cleary had climbed to the apical of the equine successful presumption of Panthers greats - helium compared him to arguably the champion subordinate of the modern crippled successful Cameron Smith.

"It's not truthful overmuch astir what Nathan tin bash with the shot successful his hands, it's his mindset," helium said.

"And I've said this astir Nathan, and I don't similar comparing, but for the almost-20 years that Cameron Smith played, helium was the 1 with the composure in-and-around the ruck, erstwhile things were frantic, going a cardinal miles an hour.

"Smith conscionable had that quality to enactment composed astatine each times, and Nathan's got that. That's the peculiar trait that Nathan has." 

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