Kevin Walters is spoilt for choice when it comes to Australia’s halves pairing for the Ashes series later this month, and a dual-code champion claims Nathan Cleary is not the clear leader in the race to secure the No.7 jersey.
A choice between both State of Origin halves combinations lies in front of Walters, with Cleary and Cameron Munster the reported favourites to be the starting playmakers ahead of the other choices in Mitchell Moses and Tom Dearden.
But former Kangaroos star Mat Rogers believes Moses should not be overlooked as the Kangaroos’ incumbent halfback.
Moses is no stranger to the representative stage, having linked up with Dearden – who is also vying for a spot in the halves – in the 2024 Pacific Championships
Both Cleary and Munster were unavailable due to injury and could not compete for the jerseys during that tournament, although they have both held the starting playmaker roles in the past.
On Wednesday night Moses told 2GB’s Wide World of Sports that he is open to “whatever” jersey if it means he gets the chance to represent Australia.
“Give me whatever,” the Parramatta playmaker said.
“Whoever Kevvy goes with in the first game will have everyone’s support. If I’m playing or not playing, you are prepping them properly for the game.”
Still, Rogers believes Moses’ four-time premiership-winning rival may not be the best fit to steal the job from him.
“I like Mitch Moses as a halfback better than I like Nathan Cleary as a halfback,” Rogers said on SEN1170’s Sportsday.
“I’m a huge Nathan Cleary fan, I’m not a Nathan Cleary hater by any stretch. Cleary has won four premierships, he is a freak and a gun, but I think Mitch Moses is a better player.
“[Moses] has a better kicking game, a better running game, a better passing game, and I just think he is the best player running around at the moment.”
Rogers went on to note that even though Cleary is widely regarded as one of the best players of the modern era, he could find himself in a similar situation to Andrew Johns.
“[Andrew Johns] didn’t play halfback, he played hooker because they had Geoff Toovey and he was playing halfback,” Rogers said of his 1998 Australia Test debut.
“I played a number of Tests with Andrew Johns where he was forced into hooker, even though he was the best halfback in the game.
“Does Nathan start and Mitch sit on the bench? I don’t know, they are spoilt for choice.”
“I know Nathan is a gun, but I think it’s almost like the Reece Walsh-James Tedesco scenario,” he continued.
“I said last year, I felt for Teddy and I was shocked that he lost his jersey… This isn’t an every player gets a prize situation, this is you pick the best man.
“We see when [Moses] plays at the elite level and when he is in the NSW team, the difference he makes in that team. He is a freak.
“I’d go Munster at 6, Moses at 7 and Dearden at 14.”
Kiwi great Kieran Foran added: “I don’t know what Kevvy does. He can’t lose either way.”
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