Waqa’s record among NRL’s worst under high ball
For years Waqa Blake watched Nathan Cleary perfect the floating grenades that have haunted him all finals series, and knows he will be targeted again on grand final night as one of the NRL’s shakiest customers underneath the high ball.
Concerningly for Blake, Parramatta and wingers the world over, Cleary believes he can improve his aerial assaults even further with a warning that his best kicking game is still ahead of him.
According to Champion Data, Blake and likely Panthers opponent Brian To’o rank as two of the weakest flyers when it comes to defusing bomb kicks in 2022.
Of the back-three exponents to field 10 or more kicks this season, To’o’s 50 per cent defusal rate (10 attempts for five caught and five dropped) is the worst in the game.
Blake’s 12 catches from 17 attempts (71%) ranks ahead of only To’o, Matt Dufty (69%) and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (60%), but the Eels winger freely accepts his finals struggles will have him in the crosshairs come Sunday night.
After four years at Penrith watching Cleary hone his craft, Blake’s three dropped bombs in a week-one finals loss to Penrith, as well as another last week in Townsville, make him as obvious a target as To’o’s status as the shortest man on the field.
“Oh yeah, 100 per cent,” Blake said, anticipating reporters questions before they were asked on Monday.
“After last game, it’s coming. So the challenge again is on me.