WITH his ability to engage with the line, create linebreaks and a strong kicking game, Isaiya Katoa has been lauded within the Rugby League world as a generational talent at halfback.<\/p>\n
And if he can continue his development trajectory, Todd Carney believes the 22-year-old could be viewed in a similar light to Nathan Cleary.<\/p>\n
Having made his NRL debut with the Dolphins in their inaugural season, Katoa has remained an important cog in their side.<\/p>\n
And with his talent, he is already in the mix for an Origin spot with NSW Blues team performance manager Frank Ponissi saying the halfback would have been Mitch Moses’s injury replacement for game one had he not been in concussion protocols.<\/p>\n
And if he continues to build his skills, the 2010 Dally M Medallist believes Katoa could be regarded in the same way as Penrith’s superstar halfback, if he can put it all together.<\/p>\n
“He’s electric,” Carney said on SEN’s Sportsday with Rat and Jarrod.<\/p>\n
“When I was doing the podcast last year, me and Pearcey (Mitchell Pearce) tried to pull him apart a little bit.<\/p>\n
“It’s just crazy how he can stop, start, and then still find momentum and dig into the defensive line and create space for his outside runners.<\/p>\n
“His game evolves every week.<\/p>\n
“You think, ‘Oh, he can only do this’, and then he does this, and he throws the long ball, and now he’s starting to drop blokes under, and now he’s become a run threat.<\/p>\n
“Once he puts the whole complete package together, obviously, the benchmark I think at the moment at the No. 7 (is) Nathan Cleary.<\/p>\n
“But if he can start to put his complete package together in (the) years to come, I reckon we’ll be talking about Isaiya Katoa just as we are talking about Nathan (Cleary).”<\/p>\n