Panthers skipper talks life in the spotlight, chase for triple treat of premierships

Nathan Cleary is no stranger to the spotlight, but he has seen the price of fame, with his personal life coming into the public eye now more than ever as his team hunts a third straight premiership.

Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary

For four years Penrith have been the best team in the NRL, but captain Nathan Cleary has learnt quickly how heavy the crown is.

It’s never been truer than now with his personal life in the spotlight.

After claiming their third minor premiership in four seasons, the Panthers are favourites to make history as the first team in the NRL era to win three straight premierships.

Success has brought the 25-year-old riches and incredible opportunities, but the darker side of that attention means the loss of his privacy.

His rumoured relationship with Matildas star Mary Fowler means every picture he posts on Instagram is flooded with people commenting her name, while secret snaps taken on a walk the two shared almost a month ago are whipping around the internet.

The Panthers skipper is still learning how to handle the spotlight. Picture: Richard Dobson

On the verge of what could be the most significant finals series of the past 26 years, Cleary can feel the eyes on him in ways he hasn’t before.

He understands it, but he’s annoyed by it.

“It is what is, it’s a little bit annoying to not have a private life but I like to not talk about it too much and keep anything I can private,” he said on Monday at the NRL’s finals launch.

“Things take off pretty quick with social media but I’ll try to keep a private life if I can.”

Neither superstar has confirmed the relationship explicitly, but the recent interest in his love life has added another layer to Cleary’s fame.

TALL POPPY SYNDROME

Cleary’s star has rapidly risen in line with Penrith’s success, but with that has been a redefinition of how he’s perceived by the public.

He considers himself a normal 25-year-old. He’s mostly introverted and friendly, but as captain of the Panthers he’s expected to be superhuman.

Or so it feels.

After being at the top for so long, tall poppy syndrome has inevitably come into play with the public.

“It’s a common thing in Australia to do that, we’ve been the victim of that in recent times,” he says.

“In 2020 we got a lot of support and people were loving it, but it feels like we’re doing the same thing and people just started to nitpick.

“No one’s perfect of course, but once you make a mistake or you don’t go as well or you don’t act the way everyone wants you to act then it’s a big thing and people jump all over it.

“It’s the world we live in.

“You’ve got to continue to be yourself because that’s helped you get to where you are.”

Cleary is aiming to lead his team to another premiership. NRL Pics

Winning is a habit that Penrith have perfected, but their routine success has become expected to the point that small failures feel massive to the public.

Typical player behaviour is scrutinised heavily too, which Cleary believes is normalised by the media.

His celebratory Panther tattoo was widely mocked last year, as was his TikTok drama during Covid, but any time he’s injured, suspended or has a bad game, keyboard warriors are ruthless with personal attacks.

“Social media is such a big thing these days. People have an opportunity to say whatever they want without putting a face to it,” he says.

“That’s the main platform where all this stuff happens.

“To be honest, if I’m walking around the shops, it’s all positive. People ask for a photo and they’re really nice, it’s just online where people start saying stuff.

“(Tall poppy syndrome is) extremely weird. Even not long ago with the Matildas, everyone got around them, it was a great thing for the country to come together but as soon as they lost, there were people nitpicking it instead of appreciating it for what it was.”

ONLINE ATTACKS

In the depths of it all players have experienced online abuse including death threats and threats of harm to themselves and their families.

It’s such a stark contrast to Penrith’s on-field success and the elation that comes with winning.

“(I first started to notice it) probably a bit through that 2021 season,” Cleary says.

“We had a really good year but lost the grand final the year before. A lot of people were riding the wave with us and supporting us, but you only have to do one thing wrong and it flips pretty quickly.”

Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai, one of Cleary’s closest friends, has copped some of the worst of it.

“I feel sorry for Romey who has had to put up with more individual attacks. But he’s understanding as well that’s the world we live in at the moment. That’s just how it is,” he says.

Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

It’s a lesson Cleary quickly learned after debuting at 18.

“For me, it’s been a crazy journey,” he continues.

“Sometimes it is your fault and you do make mistakes. But it’s about what you do next that matters.

“Probably the biggest thing I’ve learnt is that people’s perceptions are going to happen no matter what you do.

“You can’t try and please everyone, it just becomes too draining.

“You’ve just got to stick to your values and take on board what people close to you are saying.

“I’m glad I learnt it pretty quickly at a young age.”

Originally published as Panthers skipper talks life in the spotlight, chase for triple treat of premierships