Cleal finding his feet

parragirl · Cleal finding his feet

Son of a gun ... Kane Cleal has embraced his new home at the Bulldogs. / The Sunday Telegraph

By David Riccio | March 30, 2008 12:00am

KANE Cleal is Willie Mason without the headlines, Sonny Bill Williams without the looks, and Mark O'Meley without the Dencorub. But the son of Manly legend Noel "Crusher" Cleal isn't without status, and is fast becoming the Bulldogs' latest cult figure.

Cleal is a genuine throwback to the early 1980s. He idolises bush bootmaker RM Williams, loves bull riding and has the same mullet hairstyle as one-hit wonder Billy Ray Cyrus.

Told recently that rugby league may not be his calling after breaking his jaw for the second time, Cleal laughed and said: "It's not like it was going to damage my modelling career.

It just meant me tucking into more soups and stews.''

On a modest contract at the Bulldogs, the 23-year-old has stepped up in the absence of Mason and O'Meley in his two matches this season.

But the pressure of being the son of a legend almost got the better of him.

After making his debut at Manly in 2004, young Cleal desperately wanted out of the club his father had made his debut for 20 years earlier.

"I just had to get away from Manly,'' he said.

"I wanted to venture out and try and make a name for myself.

"The club and the guys were great but it was a little bit (hard) over there because he was such a great and I wanted to make a name for myself. It was something I had to do.

"Like any father, he has always wished me good luck. He's got a good football knowledge but he doesn't really push it on to me that much.''

A brief stint at Souths in 2006 felt "uncomfortable'', so Cleal jumped at the opportunity to join the Bulldogs in August of that year, and has thrived.

Dropping 6kg from his now 100kg frame, Cleal says he has benefited from the Dogs' regimented training regime.

"The Bulldogs are definitely one of the fittest clubs and that's probably why my football has improved since I've been here,'' Cleal said.

"This is definitely the fittest I've been.''

Off contract at the end of the season, Cleal is eager to continue his rise to prominence in the NRL - and so are the Dogs fans who have come to love the joker.

"The supporters are terrific, they're always very passionate and seem to love having a chat with me, for some reason or other,'' Cleal said.

"It's a good opportunity for me here. We all knew there was only so many front-row spots available at the start of this year and it's brought out the best in everyone. We've got some good young front-rowers here.''

Asked if the Bulldogs' marketing department had discussed providing wigs for supporters, Cleal said: "They should ... I've got a bit of a mullet going - it's my Billy Ray Cyrus.

"The boys know I'm not the most attractive man so they see the funny side of it.''

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,26799,23452489-5012650,00.html