Nathan Cleary defensive efforts in Game 2 under the spotlight, NSW Blues loss, video

While all the debate is on who Laurie Daley should and should not drop ahead of the State of Origin decider, former NSW Blues player Luke Keary said everyone is missing the point.

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The Blues were demolished 44-24 in Game 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with discussion quickly turning to whether Daley needs to start Cameron Murray or play Ethan Strange in the halves ahead of the potentially compromised Mitchell Moses.

But according to Keary, who the Blues pick for the Suncorp Stadium decider actually matters little. Instead, to him, Origin is all about the “environment” the coach creates.

At the moment, he said the environment in the NSW camp is “inconsistent”, and he singled out a string of moments involving Blues halfback and Game 1 man of the match, Nathan Cleary, to prove it.

“The issue I’ve got, and this is going to be discussed for the next three weeks, is that everyone thinks this is about the team. It’s not about the team at all. It is about the environment that coach creates,” Keary said on NRL 360.

“Look at the Queensland side. There’s guys in there who wouldn’t be in that New South Wales side. That New South Wales team on paper is a better team.”

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NRL 360 host Braith Anasta pointed to the Gold Coast’s Jojo Fifita to prove that argument, suggesting he would not have been picked had it not been for Billy Slater meticulously studying his game and separating it from the Titans’ struggles as a whole.

Fifita’s emergence, according to Keary, is only yet another example of the Queensland coaching getting the “absolute best out of every single player”.

But the same can’t be said for the Blues and you don’t have to look far for proof.

“At the moment, the New South Wales environment is very inconsistent,” Keary added.

“There’s players playing well, some not so well. Nathan Cleary will go down as one of the best halfbacks that’s ever played her game. The best. In my opinion, he’s the best defensive half that’s ever played our game.

“There were four defensive decisions last night you would never ever see from him ever in this game. He jams out of the line on the first one for the first try. Nathan just doesn’t do that.

“Off the scrum (he) comes up... Nathan never does that. He missed 11 tackles on the night.

“I don’t care who’s in the team. It’s about creating an environment to get the best out of them.”

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That just isn’t happening in Blues camp right now.

Cleary will retain his spot for the decider, with the bigger debate surrounding whether Moses or Strange will join him.

If you ask Anasta, he would tell you NSW need to pick Strange, pointing to the success the Blues have had with a traditional dominant halfback and running five-eighth, as was the case in Game 1.

“I look at New South Wales, when they’ve been most successful they’ve had a seven that dominates and they’ve had a running five-eighth,” Anasta said.

“You look over the years, they’ve had Freddie. Laurie was one of them. They’ve had Barrett. They even had Shaun Timmins. That’s how they played.

“Joey at seven controlling on the game. Then they’ve had a nine like Buderus. You can still use Robson, but take him off after 25 or 30 minutes and bring Koroisau or Brailey on.

“But they’ve got to play to their strengths, New South Wales, and that’s what their strengths are. They’ve got to give the team to a seven. Strange will get the job done and he’s not scared of Queensland... he’s not going to be intimidated by Suncorp Stadium.”

Moses was given an early mark in Wednesday’s game but coach Daley said there were no issues with the Parramatta halfback’s hamstring, which saw him miss the series opener.

Strange, meanwhile, came off the bench but only once the game was largely out of hand.

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