Kingscliff: Stephen Crichton would have felt a sense of déjà vu when joining his old Penrith teammates Nathan Cleary and Liam Martin on the NSW right edge when the Blues hit the training paddock for the first time on Thursday.
Coach Laurie Daley was quick to point out the Maroons scored six of their seven tries in game two down the Blues’ right edge – but the chemistry between Cleary, Martin and Crichton would help ensure no repeat of that in Wednesday’s decider in Brisbane.
Before heading to the Bulldogs in 2024, Crichton won three premierships with Cleary and Martin at the Panthers, including two when they were stationed together on the right side of the field.
The 25-year-old Crichton, now captain of Canterbury, is regarded as one of the best defensive centres in the game and the returning Martin has a highlight reel of big hits when shooting out of the line in Origins. Cleary admitted to an off night defensively in NSW’s 44-24 loss in game two of this series at the MCG, and is unlikely to again be poor in that area at Suncorp Stadium.
“We don’t really need to build that connection on our edge – there’s that trust and clear communication,” Crichton said.
“I’ve played a lot of footy with those boys, so the trust and connection is already there. We can make it even stronger [over] the next couple of days.
“I played a lot of right centre and wing before I switched to the left in my last year and a half at Penrith.
“Nathan is not the biggest body, but [with] the mindset and heart he has to go after his tackles, he’s one of the best.
“And you kind of know what you will get out of ‘Marto’, which is hard work, and that ruthless mindset to go after his defence.”
Crichton had a healthy respect for Queensland’s left edge of Cameron Munster, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and Selwyn Cobbo. Then there is the constant threat provided by fullback Kalyn Ponga, who enjoys swinging around to that side of the field.
“They have a lot of strike power and a lot of speed,” Crichton said. “For me, defence is number one, and if you go after your defence, your attack flows off the back of that.
“I love tackling, the kick chase, things like that. When you’re on the big arena, and doing those simple things, they go a long way to winning.”
The return of Crichton, who missed game two because of a shoulder injury, was certainly welcomed by his Blues’ teammates, including Reece Robson.
“If you want somebody to be out there stopping a bit of their strike, then I think he’s the man for the job,” Robson said of Crichton.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him around nullifying as many of their strike weapons as any other centre in the game. ‘Marto’ is also back as well, helping that edge.
“In defence, they [Crichton, Martin and Cleary] have tackled beside each other a lot and know exactly how each other moves. They’ve got that camaraderie, which is probably even more important in attack.
“For them to play so much footy together, they know exactly [where] the other one will be. They can get into training and pick up here they left at club level.”
Manly and Australia legend Graham Eadie, 72, made a surprise appearance at training at Cbus Super Stadium as the Blues held an opposed session against Queensland Cup side Tweed Seagulls. Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, who is holidaying in the region during the Storm’s bye round, also dropped in for the session.
