Champion halfback Nathan Cleary has come through Penrith’s infamous pre-season camp unscathed, firming for round one in Las Vegas

These are the photos that show four-time premiership winner Nathan Cleary is edging closer to a round one return, as star girlfriend Mary Fowler pines for Australia after their summer getaway.

Nathan Cleary is edging closer to a round one return in Las Vegas, as girlfriend and Matildas star Mary Fowler pines for a ‘flight back’ to Australia after a loved-up summer holiday with the Penrith champion.

Cleary is racing the clock to line-up in Las Vegas after undergoing a latarjet procedure to repair the shoulder injury the halfback carried through the finals campaign.

It’s understood Cleary is close to returning to full contact training, putting him firmly in the frame to be available for selection in Las Vegas, where the Panthers will take on Cronulla at Allegiant Stadium on March 2.

In another positive sign ahead of Penrith’s season opener, Cleary also got through the Panthers’ pre-season camps, which have a gruelling reputation, unscathed.

Cleary even donned a pair of boxing gloves and traded blows with fullback Dylan Edwards in a boxing drill. Edwards, who was hampered by a knee issue at the back end of last season, also had off-season shoulder surgery but is expected to line-up in round one.

Nathan Cleary takes on abseiling during Panthers pre-season camp. Photo: Penrith Panthers

The star halfback was spotted abseiling down a cliff during the pre-season camp in Katoomba in a sign his recovery is well on track.

The four-time premiership winner also had an ominous warning to his NRL rivals ahead of Penrith’s 2025 campaign.

“Batteries are charged,” Cleary posted on social media during his summer soiree with Manchester City striker Fowler.

The sporting power couple’s Aussie Christmas break, which included a trip to Cairns, seemingly also had a similar effect on Fowler.

Fowler produced a wonder goal to help Manchester City, currently sitting third on the Women’s Super League table, to a 4-2 victory over Aston Villa.

It comes after Fowler lightheartedly suggested she wanted to leave England’s gloomy winter weather for the tropical surrounds she enjoyed with Cleary while the couple explored North Queensland, where the 21-year old was born and raised.

Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary enjoyed the Australian summer together.

“I wish I could get a flight back,” Fowler told Optus Sport this week.

“It was so nice being in the heat (back in Australia). But we had our January camp in Abu Dhabi so that was a nice little ‘in between’ (the hot and cold).”

Helping her deal with the dreary weather, Fowler has turned to arts and crafts since arriving back in England.

“My older sister has inspired me to get back into art, so thought I’d start sharing some arts and crafts I’ll be trying out,” she told her 438,000 Instagram followers as she showed off a mini clay flower pot.

As for Cleary, his attention now turns to the finals stages of his shoulder rehabilitation.

If the star playmaker is not given the green light to take the field in Las Vegas, coach Ivan Cleary has options in Brad Schneider and youngster Jack Cole.

Cleary isn’t the only Panther racing the round one clock.

New recruit Blaize Talagi needed a shoulder clean-out after copping an injury playing for Samoa during the island nation’s tour of England late last year.

But like Cleary, Talagi also got through Penrith’s pre-season camp unscathed and tackled the drills and exercises without issue.

Hardman backrower Liam Martin, who is expected to be available for round one, was spotted putting his shoulder to the test in a contact warm-up drill during the camp.

Martin pulled out of the Kangaroos squad in a bid to overcome a shoulder AC joint injury that needed needling to take the field last year.

Originally published as Champion halfback Nathan Cleary has come through Penrith’s infamous pre-season camp unscathed, firming for round one in Las Vegas