Nathan Cleary facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 14 November 1997 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb; 14 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 26 July 2025
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| Relatives | Jason Death (uncle) Josh Stuart (uncle) |
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Nathan Cleary (born 14 November 1997) is a professional rugby league player from Australia. He is the captain and plays as a halfback for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL). He also plays for the NSW Blues in the State of Origin series.
Many people think Nathan is one of the best players in modern rugby league. He played in five Grand Finals in a row from 2020 to 2024. He was a co-captain in four Grand Final wins for the Panthers (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). He won the Clive Churchill Medal twice, in 2021 and 2023, for being the best player in the Grand Final. He was also named Dally M Halfback of the Year in 2020 and 2021.
Nathan has also played for Australia internationally. He helped Australia win the 2022 Rugby League World Cup. In 2017, he played for the City NSW team.
Contents
- About Nathan Cleary
- Nathan's Playing Journey
- Starting Out in Rugby League
- First Steps in the NRL (2016)
- Top Point Scorer (2017)
- State of Origin Debut (2018)
- Overcoming Challenges (2019)
- Grand Final and Origin (2020)
- Premiership Win and Awards (2021)
- World Cup Champion (2022)
- Third Premiership (2023)
- Fourth Premiership (2024)
- Recent Season (2025)
- Awards and Achievements
- Statistics
- Nathan's Life Outside Rugby
- Images for kids
About Nathan Cleary
Nathan Cleary was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His father, Ivan Cleary, is a famous rugby league coach and former player. Ivan coaches Nathan at the Penrith Panthers.
Nathan spent some of his childhood living in Auckland, New Zealand. This was when his father played for and later coached the New Zealand Warriors. Nathan first played soccer as a child. He switched to rugby league when he was a pre-teen. He played for junior teams like the Mount Albert Lions in Auckland and the Penrith Brothers in Sydney. He finished high school at St Dominic's College in Penrith in 2015.
Nathan has family roots from Croatia and Ukraine. His uncles, Josh Stuart and Jason Death, were also professional rugby league players.
Nathan's Playing Journey
Starting Out in Rugby League
Nathan Cleary moved up through the Penrith club's junior teams. He played in their Under 16 and Under 18 teams. He was the captain of the Under 18 team in 2015.
He also played a few games for the Windsor Wolves. Then, he joined Penrith's Under 20 team. In 2015, he was chosen for the Australian Schoolboys team. He captained this team against New Zealand's Under 18 team. Nathan played 20 games in his Under 20 career. He scored 11 tries and kicked 109 goals.
First Steps in the NRL (2016)
Nathan started 2016 as the main halfback for Penrith's Under 20 team. In May, he played for the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis. He scored a try and kicked 5 goals in their win.
On June 2, he signed a new contract with the Panthers until the end of 2019. Two days later, in Round 13, Nathan made his first appearance in the NRL. He played for the Penrith Panthers against the Melbourne Storm. The next week, he scored his first NRL try and kicked five goals.
After some changes in the team, Nathan became the main halfback for the rest of the season. He was a strong contender for the rookie of the year award. He finished his first season with 3 tries and 52 goals from 15 games. He was Penrith's top point-scorer with 116 points. Nathan was also chosen for the emerging NSW Blues squad.
Top Point Scorer (2017)
Nathan played in the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines tournament. In May, he was chosen for the NSW City Origin team. This was for the last ever City vs Country game.
He finished the 2017 season as the highest point-scorer in the NRL. He had a total of 228 points. He was the youngest player to do this since 1913. He played in all 26 games for Penrith. He scored 11 tries and kicked 92 goals. Nathan also became the youngest player ever to score 200 points in a season.
State of Origin Debut (2018)
Nathan started the 2018 season playing very well. However, he got a knee injury in Round 3. Even with the injury, he was still considered for the halfback spot for New South Wales. Nathan returned to play in Round 11. He helped Penrith win against his father's team, the Wests Tigers.
In Round 12, Nathan played very well against the St George Illawarra Dragons. This earned him a spot in the New South Wales squad. On June 6, 2018, Nathan played his first game for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 2018 State of Origin series. He started as halfback in their 22-12 win against Queensland. He played in all three Origin games that year for the Blues.
Overcoming Challenges (2019)
At the start of the 2019 season, some people criticized Nathan and Penrith for not playing well. In Round 4, Nathan kicked a goal after the final siren to send the game into extra time. He then kicked a 40-meter field goal to win the game for Penrith 9-8.
On May 27, Nathan was chosen as halfback for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series. This was despite Penrith's slow start to the year. New South Wales lost the first game, but Nathan was kept for the second game in Perth, which New South Wales won 38-6.
In Round 25, the last game of the year, Nathan had an amazing performance. He scored 4 tries and kicked 9 goals in their 54-10 win over Newcastle. He scored 34 points in this game, which was the second-highest points scored by a player in a single NRL game.
Grand Final and Origin (2020)
In Round 12, Nathan scored a try and kicked seven goals as Penrith beat Manly 42–12. In the 2020 qualifying final, Nathan scored three tries and kicked a field goal. Penrith won 29–28 against the Sydney Roosters.
Nathan played 21 games for Penrith in the 2020 NRL season. This included the 2020 NRL Grand Final. Penrith lost the Grand Final 26–20 to Melbourne. Nathan scored a last-minute try and kicked two goals in the game.
Nathan was chosen for New South Wales for the 2020 State of Origin series. He played well in Game 2, where he was praised for his great kicking. However, New South Wales lost the series 2-1.
Premiership Win and Awards (2021)
In Round 10, Nathan scored three tries and kicked eight goals in Penrith's 48-12 win over the Gold Coast. The next week, he scored two tries and kicked ten goals in Penrith's 56-12 win over South Sydney.
Nathan kicked eight goals for New South Wales in the first game of the 2021 State of Origin series. They beat Queensland 50-6. On June 30, Nathan got a shoulder injury and could not play for a while. He returned in Round 22.
Nathan played 20 games for Penrith in the 2021 NRL season. This included the club's 2021 NRL Grand Final win over South Sydney. Nathan won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the Grand Final. He was also named Dally M Halfback of the Year.
World Cup Champion (2022)
On May 29, Nathan was chosen for New South Wales to play in Game 1 of the 2022 State of Origin series. In Round 14 of the 2022 NRL season, Nathan scored a try and kicked seven goals in Penrith's 42-6 win over Newcastle.
In Game 2 of the 2022 State of Origin series, Nathan scored two tries and kicked eight goals. New South Wales won 44-12 against Queensland. In Game 3, New South Wales lost to Queensland. Nathan was suspended for five games later in the season for a dangerous tackle.
Nathan returned for the 2022 Qualifying Final. He played very well in Penrith's 27-8 win over Parramatta. He played 17 games for Penrith that year, including their 2022 NRL Grand Final win over Parramatta.
In October, he was chosen for the Australia squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. Nathan made his debut for Australia in the second match. He scored one try and kicked 12 goals in an 84-0 win over Scotland. Nathan played for Australia in their 2021 Rugby League World Cup final win over Samoa.
Third Premiership (2023)
On February 18, Nathan played in Penrith's close loss to St Helens RFC in the 2023 World Club Challenge. In Round 4 of the 2023 NRL season, Nathan kicked a two-point field goal from 40 meters away. This tied the game between Penrith and Parramatta at 16-16 with seconds left. Penrith later lost in extra time.
The next week, Nathan scored a try, kicked eight goals, and one field goal in Penrith's 53-12 win over Canberra. In Round 6, he scored two tries and kicked seven goals in Penrith's 44-12 win over Manly. In Round 7, Nathan kicked two field goals, including the winning one, in Penrith's 16-15 extra-time win over Newcastle. On May 22, Nathan was chosen for New South Wales for Game 1 of the 2023 State of Origin series.
In Round 14, Nathan left the field with a leg injury. It was later announced he would miss up to six weeks with a torn hamstring. He returned in Round 21. In the 2023 preliminary final, Nathan scored a try and kicked seven goals in Penrith's big 38-4 win over Melbourne.
Nathan played 22 matches for Penrith in the 2023 NRL season. This included the club's 26-24 win over Brisbane in the 2023 NRL Grand Final. Penrith won their third straight premiership. Nathan won the Clive Churchill Medal again for being the best player in the Grand Final. He helped Penrith come back from being 16 points behind with less than 20 minutes left. This was the biggest comeback in NRL Grand Final history. He helped set up three tries and scored the winning try himself with less than three minutes left.
Fourth Premiership (2024)
On February 24, Nathan played in Penrith's 2024 World Club Challenge final loss against the Wigan Warriors. He scored a try in the first half. On March 25, it was announced that Nathan would be out for a month with a hamstring injury. On May 12, he was ruled out again for eight weeks after re-injuring his hamstring.
In Round 20, Nathan returned to the Penrith team. He kicked a two-point field goal in extra time to help them beat the Dolphins 28–26. The next week, he scored three tries and kicked seven goals in Penrith's 46–10 win over St. George Illawarra. In Round 24, Nathan got a shoulder injury and was out for a while.
Nathan returned for Penrith's 30–10 qualifying final win over the Sydney Roosters. He played 13 matches for Penrith in the 2024 NRL season. This included the club's 14–6 Grand Final win over the Melbourne Storm, securing their fourth straight premiership.
Recent Season (2025)
In May 2025, Nathan was chosen for New South Wales for Game 1 of the 2025 State of Origin series. In Round 7 of the 2025 NRL season, Nathan became Penrith's all-time record point scorer. This happened during the club's 40–12 win over the Sydney Roosters.
Nathan played in all three games of the 2025 State of Origin series. New South Wales lost the series 2-1 to Queensland.
Awards and Achievements
Individual Awards
- Ben Alexander Rookie of the Year: 2016
- Penrith Panthers Members' Player of the Year: 2016, 2020
- Dally M Halfback of the Year: 2020, 2021
- RLPA Players' Champion: 2020
- RLPA Halfback of the Year: 2020, 2021
- Brad Fittler Medal: 2020
- Merv Cartwright Medal: 2020, 2021
- Clive Churchill Medal: 2021, 2023
Team Achievements
- NRL Minor Premiership (Penrith Panthers): 2020, 2022, 2023
- Co-Captain (Penrith Panthers): 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- NRL Premiership (Penrith Panthers): 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- State of Origin series (New South Wales): 2018, 2019, 2021
- Vice-Captain (New South Wales): 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- World Cup (Australia): 2021
Statistics
Club Statistics
| † | Denotes seasons in which Cleary won an NRL Premiership |
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |  Penrith |
15 | 3 | 53 | 80.30% | 0 | 118 |
| 2017 | 26 | 11 | 92 | 90.20% | 0 | 228 | |
| 2018 | 17 | 4 | 40 | 78.43% | 2 | 98 | |
| 2019 | 21 | 10 | 58 | 87.88% | 1 | 157 | |
| 2020 | 21 | 8 | 86 | 79.63% | 4 | 208 | |
| 2021† | 20 | 10 | 94 | 85.45% | 2 | 231 | |
| 2022† | 17 | 3 | 76 | 85.39% | 1 | 165 | |
| 2023† | 22 | 8 | 89 | 83.96% | 5 | 216 | |
| 2024† | 13 | 4 | 50 | 81.97% | 1 | 118 | |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 40 | 90.91% | 0 | 88 | |
| Career Total | 184 | 64 | 678 | 84.33% | 16 | 1,627 | |
Head To Head Record
| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Broncos |
13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 62% |
 Raiders |
11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 73% |
 Bulldogs |
12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 83% |
 Sharks |
12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 67% |
 Dolphins |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
 Titans |
8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 88% |
 Sea Eagles |
13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 77% |
 Storm |
14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 50% |
 Knights |
10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 90% |
 Cowboys |
11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 64% |
 Eels |
18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 61% |
 Dragons |
8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75% |
 Rabbitohs |
16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 69% |
 Roosters |
14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 71% |
 Warriors |
10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70% |
 Tigers |
12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 75% |
Points vs Every Team
| Opponent | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Total Points | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos |
13 | 5 | 47 | 3 | 118 | 8.5 |
| Raiders |
11 | 5 | 46 | 2 | 114 | 10.4 |
| Bulldogs |
12 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 84 | 7.3 |
| Sharks |
12 | 3 | 51 | 0 | 114 | 9.5 |
| Dolphins |
2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 12.0 |
| Titans |
8 | 5 | 33 | 1 | 87 | 10.9 |
| Sea Eagles |
13 | 4 | 52 | 0 | 120 | 9.8 |
| Storm |
14 | 2 | 31 | 1 | 71 | 5.5 |
| Knights |
10 | 7 | 50 | 2 | 130 | 13.0 |
| Cowboys |
11 | 5 | 39 | 0 | 98 | 9.1 |
| Eels |
18 | 3 | 57 | 2 | 129 | 7.2 |
| Dragons |
8 | 6 | 29 | 0 | 82 | 10.3 |
| Rabbitohs |
16 | 6 | 56 | 1 | 137 | 8.6 |
| Roosters |
14 | 5 | 65 | 1 | 151 | 10.5 |
| Warriors |
10 | 4 | 38 | 0 | 92 | 9.2 |
| Tigers |
12 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 84 | 7.1 |
Nathan's Life Outside Rugby
Nathan Cleary is a co-owner of Drink West Brewery. He owns it with Tyson Pedro and Tai Tuivasa.
In October 2023, Nathan shared his support for the Yes campaign. This campaign was about having an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in Australia.
In August 2023, Nathan started dating Matildas soccer star Mary Fowler. They made their relationship public in January 2024.
Images for kids
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Cleary playing for the Windsor Wolves in 2015
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Cleary playing in the NYC in 2015
