‘Pure X-factor’: Cleary hails the Roos’ historic freak

Ian Chadband | October 28, 2025

Nathan Cleary has declared that his Kangaroos’ teammate Reece Walsh has a ‘pure X-factor’ talent which rugby league has rarely witnessed in its history.

The last time the Penrith ace was in England for the World Club Challenge at Wigan last year, it was Cleary who was being hailed there as the best player in the world.

But after taking their first close-up glimpse of Walsh’s electric talent in Australia’s first Test Ashes triumph at Wembley, all the chatter among British league fans was whether they’d just witnessed the game’s new global standard-bearer.

If that really is the case after his two virtuoso, man-of-the-match displays in the NRL grand final and the historic Ashes renewal, then Cleary is not about to muffle the hype.

His generous tribute to Walsh was that of someone who genuinely believes the 23-year-old is among rare company in the game’s annals.

Describing the Walsh masterpieces, two weeks and 17,000km apart, as “outstanding”, Cleary sighed: “What a freak of a player, honestly. 

“It’s an absolute pleasure to play alongside him. We’ve seen what he can do on the Origin stage, big games like grand finals, and now he’s done it again on the Test stage. 

“Just being along to play alongside someone with that kind of talent, it’s pretty incredible, and I loved it.”

Asked if there was anyone he could compare Walsh to, Cleary mused: “Not that I’ve played alongside. He just has pure X-factor, and when it feels like nothing’s happening, he just can have his imprint on the game, and not many people can do what he does. Through history, I reckon. It’s pretty special what he’s doing.

“Sometimes, he’s carved me up, so it was nice to have him on my side this time. There’s not many players in the history of our game who can just break the game open like he does – and he did it multiple times. I really enjoyed playing alongside him.”

What Cleary finds so striking is how Walsh has grown into a more rounded and complete player in the couple of years since the Panthers got the better of the youngster’s Broncos in the 2023 grand final.

“He’s certainly improved defensively, and worked at it. I think he’s realised just how important defence is, particularly in big games,” Cleary said. 

“That’s why my respect for him has gone through the roof; we all know about his attack, but his defence has improved so much.

“He’s working on his communication. He was talking to me a fair bit, saying a lot of things and he’s pretty excited to always be in the game, which is his strength.

“But sometimes you’ve just got to calm him down a little bit. But it is his strength, so you’ve got to sort of release him and let him do his thing.

“He’s definitely not too shy on the big stage – Origin, grand finals, now at Test level. It’s no surprise that he performed the way he did. It’s no surprise what he’s doing.”