One of the National Rugby League’s most decorated playmakers has opened up about the tricky personal factors complicating his upcoming contract decision, as his Penrith Panthers side notched a hard-fought win and locked in a new club record on Thursday night.
28-year-old Nathan Cleary, the four-time premiership-winning halfback and New South Wales State of Origin hero, is currently contracted to Penrith through the end of the 2027 season, but the sport’s November 1 free agency window is fast approaching. If he declines to re-sign with the Panthers before the deadline, Cleary is widely expected to draw offers that shatter NRL salary records from a host of suitors across the globe.
Potential destinations for the star playmaker have been heavily speculated in recent weeks. The newly proposed Bears and Chiefs expansion franchises have been cited as keen suitors, with the Papua New Guinea-based franchise able to offer extraordinary tax incentives that would outstrip any competing deal, even when third-party sponsorship agreements are added to other clubs’ offers. Overseas options have also been floated: a move to the European Super League or a switch to professional rugby union would allow Cleary to live closer to his partner, footballer Mary Fowler.
Yet a return to the club where he debuted in 2016 remains a very real possibility, even after his father Ivan Cleary, the Panthers’ long-time head coach, steps down from his role at the end of the 2025 season.
One reported move that Cleary has all but ruled out, however, is a shift to the New Zealand Warriors. Cleary, who spent much of his childhood in Auckland and grew up supporting the club, explained that a jump to the Warriors would put his younger brother Jett’s first-grade NRL dreams at risk.
21-year-old Jett Cleary, who has not yet made his senior NRL debut, currently plays for the Warriors’ reserve side. Last season, he helped lead the team to both NSW Cup and State Championship titles, and is under contract with the Auckland club for another 12 months. With two other playmakers, Luke Metcalf and Luke Hanson, set to depart the Warriors at the end of the current season, Jett Cleary is on the cusp of earning his first senior call-up. Nathan Cleary noted that his arrival at the club would block that hard-earned pathway.
Speaking to reporters Thursday night after Penrith’s win over Parramatta, Cleary said he is still weighing all his options and has not made a final decision on his future.
“I still don’t know. I’m still in the process of thinking it over. I’m not sure yet,” Cleary said. “I wasn’t born in Auckland, but I grew up a fair bit there and I will admit I was a Warriors fan growing up. But at the end of the day, even if that was an option, I’d be blocking my little brother’s pathway. I’m not too sure about that. I want to put a bit more thought into it. The last few weeks there has been a bit of a comedown from Origin, and I’ve been trying to get back into routine with the boys and get back into consistent training. That sort of (contract) stuff will work itself out in the background.”
Beyond Cleary’s contract update, Thursday’s match was a historic night for the Panthers. Winger Tom Jenkins scored his 26th try of the 2024 season, breaking a 21-year-old club record set by club legend Rhys Wesser, who notched 25 tries in the Panthers’ 2003 premiership-winning campaign. Jenkins still has a slim chance of breaking the all-time NRL single-season try record of 38, set by Dave Brown all the way back in 1935.
Penrith ground out a gritty 14-12 win over Parramatta despite spending extended periods of the match with two players sin-binned. Ivan Cleary praised Jenkins’ historic achievement after full-time, highlighting the winger’s underrated all-around game that has allowed him to hit the record mark.
“It’s a very, very good record. ‘Milky’ (Jenkins) has been amazing,” the Panthers head coach said. “Dyl (fullback Dylan Edwards) was saying a couple of weeks ago that his defence doesn’t get much recognition compared to the tries he scores, but his all-round game this year has been very consistent, and that’s probably why he’s been getting the tries. Rhys Wesser is a try machine and a bit of a legend in our club, so it’s pretty cool.”
Right now, Cleary and the Panthers are fully focused on adding another premiership title to their already decorated collection, with contract talks set to play out behind the scenes in the coming months.