It was billed as the biggest game of Jett Cleary’s young career but teammate Tanah Boyd has proven the star of the Warriors’ crushing 50-20 win over Burleigh in the NRL’s State Championship.
As father and Penrith coach Ivan Cleary watched on at a sweltering Accor Stadium, the younger Cleary brother needed to wait until the 68th minute to be injected into grand final day’s curtain-raiser.
By that time, the NSW Cup champions had sealed a resounding victory leading 50-12, having cantered to a 32-6 half-time lead over their Queensland counterparts.
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Halfback Boyd had won all 16 of his NSW Cup games for the Warriors this year before being parachuted into the depleted first-grade side with mixed results on the run to finals.
But he was the undisputed star on Sunday afternoon with four try assists and a four-pointer of his own.
Boyd put Ali Leiataua over for first points with a cut-out pass, kicked high for Setu Tu’s first try on the right edge, then backed a flying Sam Healey through the middle for a try.
NSW Cup premiers New Zealand won the state championship on grand final day. Credit: AAP Warriors NRL coach Andrew Webster watched from the crowd with beer in hand and would have rejoiced in seeing Boyd put another fringe first-grader Taine Tuaupiki over from a scrum play.
Boyd popped a short ball for Tuaupiki to weave past seven defenders and go in untouched for his second midway through the second half
Usually a halfback like superstar brother Nathan, Jett Cleary held his own playing at dummy-half to finish his first season at the Warriors.
The 20-year-old ensured the Cleary name was represented on grand final day for a sixth consecutive year, bringing another trophy home for one of rugby league’s most successful families.
All four of the Bears’ tries came with the result already beyond doubt, with one of those scored from dummy-half by Cole Geyer — son of 1999 premiership winner Matt Geyer.
The NSW Cup side has now won seven of the last eight State Championships.