Nathan Cleary drops huge hint on playing future
Updated ,first published
Panthers champion Nathan Cleary has provided a huge update on his playing future, all but ruling out a potential move to the New Zealand Warriors because of fears he could block the path of his little brother, Jett.
What Cleary does beyond the 2027 season – and even if he is prepared to head to the open market on November 1 – has become one of rugby league’s biggest storylines.
The Warriors, where Cleary’s father Ivan coached and played, has been one rival club regularly linked to the halfback, along with the cashed-up PNG Chiefs and their tax exemptions.
Cleary said he had used the past few weeks to settle back into club life at Penrith after leading NSW to a memorable Origin series win, and was no certainty to become a free agent.
The Panthers remain hopeful of getting a deal done, and even sitting down with him and his management in the coming weeks.
As for a move to the Warriors, which was floated this week in News Corp, Cleary said: “I grew up [in Auckland] a fair [few years], and I will admit I was a Warriors fan growing up.
“But at the end of the day, even if that was an option [to play for them], I’d be blocking my little brother’s pathway. I’m not too sure about [doing] that.
“I want to put a bit more thought into it. The last few weeks there have been a bit of a comedown from Origin, and I’ve been trying to get back into a routine with the boys, and get back into consistent training.
“That sort of [contract] stuff will work itself out in the background.”
Jett, 21, was in the Penrith system before heading to the Warriors, where he is yet to make his NRL debut.
Nathan was glad the Panthers could get the 24-18 win over western Sydney rivals Parramatta on Thursday night, but felt bad one of his kicks slammed into Tallyn Da Silva’s head from close range, forcing him off the field for a head injury assessment, which he later passed.
There was a nice touch when Cleary made a point of checking in on da Silva as he rolled around in pain while being helped by a trainer in the middle of CommBank Stadium.
“I would not like that happening to myself; I wanted to see if he was all right [because] it cranked his neck a bit too,” Cleary said.
“I remember we had a captain’s run, I was practising 40-20s, [former Panther] Api Koroisau was just in front of me, and I did that exact same thing. He was wearing an earring, and the earring popped out.
“It was the day before a game, and he was lucky he didn’t get concussed. It was so similar to [the] one tonight.”
Da Silva said he would be fine to play next Sunday against his former club the Wests Tigers in what will double as his 50th NRL game.
“It felt like a rocket,” Da Silva said of the Cleary cannon.
“It hit me in the back of my head, my ears started ringing, and my head was stinging. It really hurt in the moment. It was partially my fault because I turned around and clocked off for a bit.
“Once I stood up and walked around it went away. It’s bound to happen every now and then. I was just unlucky.”
The Panthers push on to Mudgee next weekend where they play Canberra. Fullback Dylan Edwards missed the Eels clash because of a shoulder injury – not because of the 10 stitches required for a nasty head gash last week – and is no certainty to return against the Raiders. His replacement, Jaxen Edgar, was excellent in his second NRL game.
Winger Tom Jenkins took his season tally to 26 tries, which broke Rhys Wesser’s long-standing club record of 25 set in 2003 – the year Penrith won the premiership.
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