Why Nathan Cleary should follow his heart and put love before NRL Bulldog’s Bite
Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler. It’s rugby league’s great love story, but is it time for Cleary to put love before footy and consider joining Fowler in England?
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Follow your heart, Nathan, and put love before footy.
Panthers champion Nathan Cleary will need to decide, perhaps sooner rather than later, where he wants to be in life – alongside partner Mary Fowler in England or playing NRL in Australia.
This is rugby league’s great love story, a romantic fairytale between two of Australia’s highest profile sports stars.
The pair, who started dating in 2023, share obvious affection and devotion. The photos they post on Instagram show two young people clearly in love.
So is it time for Cleary to start thinking about life with Fowler in England while playing Super League with a club like Wigan, St Helens or Leeds?
Cleary might suggest this is none of my business but loves waits for no-one. Just how long can a long distance relationship last?
I just hope Cleary doesn’t feel like he still owes rugby league – he doesn’t, rugby league owes him.
Cleary has achieved everything he can here at Penrith. He has won four straight premierships, guided his Panthers to five successive grand finals, become a future Immortal and developed into a wonderful ambassador for rugby league.
He has given the Panthers everything in life. Maybe it’s time he thinks about his own future. Go and see the world.
I’m not telling Cleary, who turns 28 in November, what he should or shouldn’t do in his private life but the time is coming when he may need to consider when he wants to uproot to share his life with Fowler.
Even when in Las Vegas, Cleary ducked down to San Diego on a day off to visit Fowler, who was playing for the Matildas.
Right now, they are separated by 17,000 km and the pair’s respective seasons overlap, making time together difficult. The NRL runs from March to October with Fowler’s English Women’s Super League stretching between September and May.
They are the epitome of young love with Cleary talking about marriage and a family during a podcast interview in December.
Cleary said in December: “It’s obviously tough that we’re both pretty stuck into our sport, but we definitely want to in the future. I’d love for it to be with Mary - I just think she’d be the best mother.... It’s not a rush at the moment, but definitely post-footy, I would love to have a little family of my own.
“The thing I’ve noticed about having a partner is that I just want to make her happy and make her feel safe and supported.”
It wouldn’t be the first time a rugby league player has moved clubs and countries for love.
Who remembers big Solomon Haumono leaving the NRL in the middle of the night during 1998 to be with girlfriend, Gabrielle ‘The Pleasure Machine’ Richens in England?
Champion halfback Cooper Cronk left Melbourne Storm for Sydney Roosters after the 2017 season to be with his now wife, Tara Rushton.
And in 2022, backrower Adam Elliott moved from Canberra to Newcastle to be with then partner and now wife, Millie Boyle, who was playing at the Knights.
Fowler is contracted to Manchester City, her football options in Australia being limited. Conversely, Cleary does have choices in England. He would be lauded in Super League - essentially played in England’s north - and could pick whatever powerhouse club he wanted to represent.
No doubt Cleary saw first-hand in Vegas the strength and power of Wigan, along with the colour and noise from their fans.
The NRL is considering investing in Super League so what better way to showcase the English game than having Cleary as a marquee signing.
Perhaps Cleary’s only regret would be State of Origin. Some claim, quite wrongly, that he hasn’t dominated at that elite level but I disagree - he helped NSW win series in 2018, 2019 and 2021 – while also playing five Tests for Australia.
Cleary has a contract at Penrith until the end of 2027 but would the club release him on compassionate grounds if asked? Of course they would.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo hopes Fowler’s PNG heritage may push Cleary to become the new franchise’s first blockbuster signing. Fowler’s mother, Nido, is from Kira Kira, a village in Port Moresby.
In a Hello Sport podcast, Abdo said Fowler’s influence could help PNG to become an NRL force through the signing of Cleary.
“It could be something that plays out in the future as something really exciting,” Abdo said. “A really exciting combination isn’t it. It’s like I was talking about earlier, it captivates people.”
At a premiership-winning fan day last year, Panthers group CEO Brian Fletcher lightheartedly called on Penrith’s football club chief executive, Matt Cameron, to try and bring Fowler to Australia so the club could keep Cleary.
“Matt’s job is to bring Mary back to Australia,” Fletcher said.
That’s clearly not going to happen - she is playing a global sport - so it could be on Nathan who eventually makes the big move.
Cleary is a well-documented footy nerd who adores rugby league and his triumphant Panthers – but there’s no shame in hardened footy players surrendering to true love.
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DOG TREATS
Three-time Panthers grand final winning centre Izack Tago appears to have claimed more responsibility – on and off the field.
Despite still being just 22, Tago has taken over from Jarome Luai in leading Penrith’s famous post-match team song – lyrics we seem to have heard a 1000 times in the past five years.
Luai led the raucous song, while players generally spray each other with water, for the past few years but has now joined Wests Tigers.
Tago stood in the middle of his teammates and initiated the song for the first time in the Allegiant Stadium dressing rooms after Penrith’s round one win over Cronulla.
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Hottest rumour circulating Allegiant Stadium last weekend?
Stadium hospitality workers claimed it was their biggest night ever for beer sales, with one suggesting he sold more booze in one hour at the NRL than he usually does for an entire Las Vegas Raiders NFL game.
Maybe it was those thirsty Poms? Meanwhile there are already calls from England for Leeds to play St Helens to play in next year’s Vegas extravaganza.
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Strong sporting blood lines certainly run deep in the Liddiard family.
Premiership-winner David played first grade for Parramatta, Penrith and Manly while Glen represented the Eels, Panthers, Bears and South Queensland Crushers.
Now Glen’s son, Tyran, is carving out a name for himself in first grade cricket for Penrith as a keeper-batsman, top-scoring with 171 last weekend.
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Notoriously private former NRL star Jamal Idris made a public appearance at the Tuncurry-Forster races last weekend.
Idris keeps to himself these days and shies away from any media exposure. Also at the Jockey Club’s Family of League day were ex-first graders Paul Sironen, Phil Sigsworth, Gary Bridge, Mick Healey, David Brooks, Steve Lavers and Neil ‘Bing’ Pringle.
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Parramatta general manager Mark O’Neill invited three 200-game club legends to speak with the current team ahead of Sunday’s round one game against Melbourne.
Mick Cronin, Mark Laurie and Brett Kenny chatted with the playing group about the club’s history and their individual achievements.
Ex-forwards Ray Price and Nathan Hindmarsh also spoke with the team recently. It’s all part of coach Jason Ryles’ plans to involve former Eels champions.
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