NRL great Mark Carroll tells Nathan Cleary to quit NRL for Mary Fowler

Nathan Cleary has been told he should leave the NRL at the end of the season to prioritise his future with Matildas superstar Mary Fowler.

NRL great Mark Carroll has urged superstar halfback Nathan Cleary to sensationally quit the NRL to move to England in order to live with and support his partner Mary Fowler.

Cleary was in attendance at the Matildas’ friendly against South Korea on Monday night and Carroll says there is a visible shift in his mood when his girlfriend is by his side.

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The 57-year-old also believes Cleary has achieved everything that drives him in Australia and can move to England to continue his rugby league career in the Super League, while also being able to be by Fowler’s side, which he says is a win-win situation.

“The great thing about Cleary is he can have his cake and eat it, too. He doesn’t have to quit rugby league to be with the love of his life,” Carroll wrote in his weekly column for The Nightly.

“Cleary’s won four premierships with Penrith, landed two Clive Churchill medals and played in three winning State of Origin series with NSW. He’s represented Australia in five Tests, helping the Kangaroos to a World Cup victory in 2021.

“He will be part of the revived Kangaroo tour at the end of the year, providing he is fit. At 27, the half-back’s legacy in the game is ensured. There’s not much more for him to prove.”

Nathan Cleary Mary Fowler together

In the last 12 months, multiple rumours have been circulating about Cleary considering a move to England to be closer to Fowler, who is a star at powerhouse football club Manchester City.

Cleary is, however, contracted to the Panthers until the end of 2027 and therefore even if he wanted to leave he would need to be granted permission from his club.

But much like Penrith’s decision to let James Fisher-Harris break his contract for family reasons at the end of last year, it would come as no surprise if they let Cleary leave if he so desired.

And it’s something Carroll hopes happens.

 “I’m sure he and Mary have discussed a move and I hope he does take the leap. It would not only be a great love story, but Cleary’s move into uncharted rugby league waters would also capture the hearts of fans in two countries,” Carroll said.

Mark Carroll (pictured) has urged Nathan Cleary to leave the NRL.

NRL’s silver lining if Nathan Cleary did move to the Super League

While the claim that losing the NRL’s biggest star is a good thing for the league is a stretch, Cleary moving to the Super League could arguably grow the sport astronomically.

It has been widely reported in recent months that the NRL is considering investing in Super League.

So if Cleary was to join the Super League as a marquee signing, what better time than then to make the leap.

If he was to move to the UK there would be no shortage of suitors, with Wigan, St Helens or Leeds likely making the most sense.

But it it’s up to league chief executive Andrew Abdo the couple will become the faces of their new PNG franchise.

Fowler, a 2023 women’s World Cup hero, previously said she was “so proud to be Papuan”.

The 22-year-old’s mother Nido is from Kira Kira, a village in the PNG capital of Port Moresby where her parents first met.

Fowler, who has become a hero in PNG, also had an opportunity to represent Ireland because her father Kevin Fowler was born there.

Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary are Australia’s sporting power couple. Picture Instagram

Her potential support for the forecast 18th NRL franchise would be the icing on the cake for the NRL where Cleary has previously been singled out as the most desirable signing for the new team to make.

Abdo clearly recognises the potential for her relationship with Cleary to help grow the game in PNG and was asked point-blank about the NRL’s hopes surrounding the pair when asked about their relationship on the Hello Sportpodcast.

“It could be something that plays out in the future as something really exciting,” Abdo said of Fowler and Cleary.

“A really exciting combination isn’t it. It’s like I was talking about earlier, it captivates people.

“There will be a lot of people that are Mary Fowler fans that now are interested in rugby league.

“There’s a lot of people who know nothing about sport who are interested in the romance between the two. And obviously if Nathan was playing for PNG down the track that would be pretty interesting as well.”

The reality is, however, that his contract with the Panthers is until 2027 and until he asks for a release everything else is just speculation.

Originally published as NRL great Mark Carroll tells Nathan Cleary to quit NRL for Mary Fowler