Three into Two Won’t Go was a 1969 Hollywood film starring Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom and Judy Gleeson. But it just as well could be the mantra for Australia’s World Cup campaign and the half-back headache over Nathan Cleary and Daly Cherry-Evans facing Mal Meninga.
To Cleary or not to Cleary, that is the question that has been keeping Meninga from getting his eight hours every night these past three weeks. It’s a classic case of young vs old, newcomer vs veteran, New South Welshman vs Queenslander, even brunette vs blond, if you like. On the one hand is Cleary, 24, the Penrith Panther who led his team to three NRL grand finals in the past three years, winning two of them, and to some the best player on the planet. And on the other is ‘DCE’ – 33, an NRL grand final winner in 2011 and a Clive Churchill medal winner playing in his second World Cup. And who led Queensland to a State of Origin series over Cleary’s Blues earlier this year and has an already established partnership with Cam Munster, it must be noted.
