‘The message Nathan would always give me’: How Cleary planted seeds for Dolphins

Who would have thought that with every interaction Nathan Cleary had with a young Isaiya Katoa, he would be unknowingly masterminding the Dolphins’ historic maiden finals campaign?

Perhaps Cleary himself had a hunch when a then-teenage Katoa left the Panthers’ system – joining the Dolphins shortly after landing on the radar as the rookie halfback who guided Tonga to the 2021 World Cup quarter-finals.

As Cleary orchestrated the early days of Penrith’s four-straight premierships, Katoa bided his time and watched how the man now regarded as the NRL’s best player went about his business.

Even now, when Katoa has been ushered in as player cover for NSW during the State of Origin campaign, the 22-year-old is feeding off the champion No.7’s insights.

Now that the Dolphins have secured a finals berth for the first time, the lessons Katoa took from Cleary’s influence could prove crucial.

“I guess one of the biggest things is just how present he is in games,” Katoa said.

“It doesn’t matter the momentum or how the game’s going, he’s always wanting to be involved, he’s always wanting to be on the ball.

“When you look at guys like that and guys who have had such a successful career, they’re always the guys who are making the big plays, but there are a lot of little moments that lead up to that.

“Just getting in and around the ball, making decisions where you slowly start to build your confidence, they help you when you go on to make the big plays.

“If there was anything I took away from the club it was around everyone nailing their own individual role. What it does for your teammates and for a team is a massive thing … then you can go out there and have the confidence you can back your ability.”

Cronulla’s defeats to the Dragons and Raiders have opened the door for the Dolphins to cement a top-four spot. They will face Parramatta, Sydney and the Gold Coast to close out the regular season.

But it has been a campaign that could have gone pear-shaped when Katoa succumbed to a fractured arm in round 17 against the Warriors – leaving the field after 13 minutes with his side trailing 6-4.

Across their first three years in the NRL, the Dolphins had been guilty of squandering strong starts to the season, only to fade away as injuries and suspensions tested their depth.

But another former Panther, Brad Schneider, took charge in Katoa’s absence. Aside from the Dolphins’ 0-66 horror show against the Sharks, he kept them in the hunt – closing out triumphs against the Warriors, the Tigers and the Cowboys.