Nathan Cleary brings an end to European holiday with Mary Fowler to begin shoulder rehab

Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary swaps whirlwind European holiday with Mary Fowler for a four-month shoulder rehab journey to Las Vegas.

Penrith champion Nathan Cleary is set to undergo the ‘gold standard’ in shoulder surgeries after a whirlwind European holiday with girlfriend and Matildas star Mary Fowler.

Cleary is replacing the breathtaking Swiss Alps for a hospital bed as he starts a four month recovery period in a bid to be declared fit for Penrith’s season opener against Cronulla in Las Vegas on March 1.

Cleary will go under the knife on Monday, a month after helping guide Penrith to a historic four-straight premierships, to repair the shoulder injury he carried through the finals series.

The delay in Cleary’s surgery, because his specialist was on annual leave, meant the sporting power couple, who are normally 17,000km apart, were able to spend the last three weeks together in Europe.

Their next rendezvous will likely be in Sydney over Christmas and new year, when Fowler’s Manchester City breaks for the competition’s annual four-week winter hiatus.

But the love struck couple made the most of their time together in Europe.

The pair were first spotted together in the crowd at Old Trafford watching the Super League grand final, before the Panthers halfback was in the stands at Anfield to watch the Manchester City striker in action.

They also spent some time in Switzerland, where the athletic duo hiked the scenic Seealpsee alpine lake and then took in the sights of Barcelona in Spain. Cleary was also on hand to watch Fowler and the Matildas take on Switzerland in an international friendly match in Zurich.

Cleary’s attention now turns to getting back on the field in time for round one starting with a shoulder reconstruction.

NRL Physio Brien Seeney said the Latarjet surgery will not only stabilise Cleary’s left shoulder but reduce the risk of re-dislocation in the future.

“For that type of shoulder surgery, it’s the gold standard. It has the lowest re-dislocation rates out of all of the types of shoulder reconstructions,” Seeney said.

“They take a piece of bone from the shoulder blade and attach it to the front of the ball and socket joint. They are trying to deepen the socket to make the joint more stable and less likely to pop out.

“The good news is that it can be a quick recovery, around three-four months and it has a low re-dislocation rate. It’s around five per cent but can be as low as two-percent.”

The halfback will spend around a month in a sling before beginning rehabilitation and with no setbacks can be back into full contact training by February.

“Usually you’ll be in a sling for a period of 4 to 6 weeks to allow the shoulder to heal and stabilise,” Seeney said.

“Then he will start range of movement exercises, getting some light strength back into it in the early phases. He’ll gradually progress through to gym strengthening rehab in the four to six weeks after he’s out of the sling. Then he’ll be looking at starting contact training around early February, which is the base case scenario.”

Cleary is just one of the many globetrotting NRL stars heading back home to get to work ahead of another gruelling pre-season over the next four months.

Teammate Mitch Kenny is winding down a European adventure that included running the Rome half marathon while the Panthers hooker was in Italy.

Dolphins star Jake Averillo has a wedding to tackle on top of his pre-season preparations after proposing to his partner Charlie while in Lake Como, Italy.

After a Bali getaway, new Wests Tigers recruit Royce Hunt has already been hitting the gym in Sydney despite not having to report to Concord until later this month.

Canterbury star Jaeman Salmon got into the Oktoberfest spirit while in Munich and is making a final stop in Dubai before jetting back home.

Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds has swapped Brisbane’s drama with Ezra Mam for the bright lights of Las Vegas and Las Angeles. He made a pit stop at Allegiant Stadium, after playing at the venue earlier this year, to catch an NFL match between the Raiders and Chiefs.

The veteran playmaker was also given the VIP treatment when he attended an LA Rams game two week and was presented with a personalised NFL jersey.

Originally published as Nathan Cleary brings an end to European holiday with Mary Fowler to begin shoulder rehab