Cronk Sees Moses-Cleary Threat Before State Of Origin Game 2 2026
State of origin game 2 2026 now turns on selection, not just form. Cooper Cronk and Luke Keary have both weighed in on the Blues’ halves picture before Wednesday’s clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where NSW carry a 1-0 series lead and Queensland need a response.
Cronk was blunt about the possible Mitchell Moses-Nathan Cleary pairing. “I’m worried that the Moses-Cleary combination is just going to complement one another, and it’s going to be hard to stop,” he said on the latest episode of Matty & Cronk.
That view lands at the center of NSW’s Game 2 build. Moses appears ready to play after missing the series opener with a hamstring strain, and Ethan Strange would drop back to the bench if he returns.
Cronk said the shape of the attack changes the moment Moses is in the frame. “You can see things unfold before it happens, as opposed to Strange just locking in there and waiting for Nathan,” he said on the latest episode of Matty & Cronk.
Cronk on the Moses-Cleary pair
He also pointed to how a second playmaker can alter the way the halves work off the same field position. “Let’s say Mitch Moses is sitting on the left-hand side and sees an opportunity to swing right, he’s not going to stay there. He’s actually going to push out to the right-hand side, because he sees it,” Cronk said.
That is the part Queensland has to plan for. Nathan Cleary and Moses are both traditionally dominant halfbacks in club land, and Cronk said the extra layer could make NSW harder to read once the ball starts shifting across the field.
Keary backs Cleary’s running game
Luke Keary matched Cronk’s view of the Blues’ shape and added a call on Cleary’s role in Origin. He said he sees the Cleary-Moses connection as a strength for NSW and predicted that Cleary will “run the ball more than he ever has” in Origin.
That leaves Billy Slater with another selection call before Wednesday. Queensland are desperate heading into Game 2, and Slater could pull a surprise move involving Reece Walsh as the Maroons try to avoid leaving the MCG trailing 2-0 in the series.
For NSW, the decision point is straightforward: restore Moses and keep the pressure on the Maroons, or stay with the structure that opened the series. For Queensland, Walsh is the late twist hanging over a game that already has series consequences attached to every selection.
