BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 03: Nathan Cleary of the Panthers runs the ball during the 2021 NRL Grand Final match between the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium on October 03, 2021, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Nathan Cleary has anointed Daly Cherry-Evans as the favourite to play halfback for the Australian national team at the end of year Rugby League World Cup.

Kangaroos coach Mal Meinga earlier this week stated that Cherry-Evans was the favourite for the spot, but that Cleary "wasn't far behind."

That drew plenty of criticism, with the Panthers' halfback leading both his club team, and the New South Wales Blues, to victory in 2021 with a premiership and Origin series victory on his season highlight list.

Cherry-Evans is the incumbent half, who last played for the Kangaroos in 2019 during their last Test, however, the scene has changed over the last three years with Cleary finishing second in last year's Dally M Medal race.

Cleary, speaking to the media though, said that it was "fair enough" that Cherry-Evans - who is the current captain of Queensland at Origin level - has been selected as the favourite to wear the number seven jersey.

“It is probably fair enough, you know Daly has been there before and he is a great player and from what it looks like he is obviously a good leader too,” Cleary said.

“It is obviously a long way away, I would love the opportunity to play for Australia at some stage but it is not something that’s on my mind at the moment, I just want to get back on the field and play for Penrith and see where that takes me.”

The news of Cherry-Evans leading the race to play number seven for the Aussies comes following Meninga's assertion that Cleary, Cherry-Evans, James Tedesco and Cameron Murray are the four men in the running to captain the Kangaroos at the World Cup.