Nathan Cleary says he feels for maligned Canterbury rival Kyle Flanagan after the halfback made his NRL comeback amid intense scrutiny.
Flanagan played for the Bulldogs for the first time since August last year but couldn't prevent Penrith claiming a 32-12 win on Sunday, relegating Canterbury to their fourth-straight loss.
The return of Flanagan shone the media spotlight on coach Trent Barrett's selections after he dispensed of Jake Averillo and Brandon Wakeham following the opening four rounds of the season.
Canterbury insist they had always wanted Flanagan to rediscover some form in reserve grade before bringing him into NRL action.
Flanagan and Cleary share many traits.
They were both highly-rated junior prospects.
And they both have fathers who played first grade before moving into successful coaching careers.
Bulldogs halfback Flanagan was solid on his return, having a hand in both of the club's tries.
Cleary says he knows how the Canterbury No.7 would have felt.
"From experience, this week would have felt like a year," he said.
"He probably was waiting to get on the field and actually play.
"I thought he did a really good job.
"It's hard when there's constant media scrutiny around and you always hear your name on TV but the more you can block that out and just focus on what you need to do - that's the most important thing.
"(I have) a little bit (of sympathy), but that's what we signed up for. "That's the game we play and the sooner you realise that and come to terms with that, the better it gets."
Flanagan's father, former Cronulla premiership winning mentor Shane, was in attendance at Commbank Stadium to watch his son.
Cleary's dad, Ivan, overcame a difficult first year working with his son as Panthers coach but has won a minor premiership and a grand final in the last two seasons.
Cleary agreed Flanagan was in the headlines partly due to his famous name.
"Probably a little bit but I think anyone that pulls on the No.7 jersey is always going to be under scrutiny," he said.
"It's just the way it is. I wish him all the best, especially with the position his dad's in if they ever team up in the future.
"When we first started, it wasn't the way we wanted to go.
"But we dug in there and, luckily, the last few years have been enjoyable."
