Nathan Cleary facts for kids
Cleary in 2022
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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 | 90 kg (200 lb; 14 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 6 October 2024
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| Relatives | Jason Death (uncle) Josh Stuart (uncle) |
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Nathan Cleary (born 14 November 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a halfback for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL). He also plays for Australia at an international level.
Nathan has won the Clive Churchill Medal twice (in 2021 and 2023). This award is given to the best player in the NRL Grand Final. He was also named Dally M Halfback of the Year in 2020 and 2021. As co-captain, Nathan has led the Penrith Panthers to four straight premiership wins from 2021 to 2024. They also made five Grand Final appearances in a row. Many experts believe he could become one of the greatest players ever.
He has also played for the NSW Blues in State of Origin games. He has represented City NSW and played for Australia.
Contents
Nathan Cleary's Early Life
Nathan Cleary was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His father, Ivan Cleary, is a former rugby league player and now coaches him at the Penrith Panthers.
Nathan spent some of his childhood in Auckland, New Zealand. This was when his father played for and later coached the New Zealand Warriors. He went to Sacred Heart College, Auckland for two years. Nathan first played soccer but switched to rugby league as a pre-teen. He played junior rugby league for the Mount Albert Lions in Auckland and the Penrith Brothers in Sydney. He finished high school at St Dominic's College, Penrith in 2015.
Nathan has Croatian and Ukrainian family background. His uncles are Josh Stuart and Jason Death, who were also rugby league players.
Nathan Cleary's Playing Journey
Starting His Career 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 captain of the under-18 team in 2015.
He also played a few games for the Windsor Wolves. Later, he joined Penrith's under-20 squad. Nathan was chosen for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2015. He captained them against New Zealand's under-18 team. In his under-20 career from 2015 to 2016, he played 20 games. He scored 11 tries and kicked 109 goals.
Making His NRL Debut in 2016
In 2016, Nathan started as Penrith's main halfback in the under-20 competition. In May, he was picked for the Junior Kangaroos team. He played five-eighth and helped them win against the Junior Kiwis.
On June 2, he signed a new contract with the Panthers until 2019. Two days later, in round 13, Nathan made his first NRL game for the Penrith Panthers. He played against the Melbourne Storm. Even though Penrith lost, Nathan played well, making 38 tackles. The next week, he scored his first NRL try and kicked five goals against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
After some experienced players left or changed positions, 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.
Success and Milestones in 2017
In 2017, Nathan was part of Penrith's team for the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines. He was also chosen for the NSW City Origin team.
He ended the season as the highest point-scorer in the NRL with 228 points. He was the youngest player to do this since 1913. He played in all 26 games for Penrith, scoring 11 tries and kicking 92 goals. Nathan also became the youngest player ever to score 200 points in a single season.
State of Origin Debut in 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. He returned to play in Round 11.
On June 6, 2018, Nathan played his first game for New South Wales in the 2018 State of Origin series. He started at halfback in their 22-12 win against Queensland. Later that week, he kicked a field goal to win the game for Penrith against Canberra. He played in all three Origin games that year for the Blues.
Overcoming Challenges in 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 force extra time. He then kicked a 40-meter field goal to win the game for Penrith 9-8.
On May 27, he was chosen for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series. This was despite Penrith having a tough start to the year. New South Wales lost the first game but won the second game in Perth.
In Round 18, Nathan scored a try and kicked 6 goals as Penrith won 40-18. In the final game of the year, he scored 4 tries and kicked 9 goals in a big 54-10 win. He scored 34 points in that game, which is the second-highest in a single NRL game.
Grand Final and Origin in 2020
In Round 12, Nathan scored a try and kicked seven goals as Penrith beat Manly 42–12. In the 2020 qualifying final, he scored three tries and kicked a field goal. This helped Penrith win a close game against the Sydney Roosters.
Nathan played 21 games for Penrith in the 2020 NRL season, including the Grand Final. Penrith lost the Grand Final 26–20 to Melbourne.
He also played for New South Wales in the 2020 State of Origin series. He was praised for his excellent kicking in Game 2, but New South Wales lost the series 2-1.
Premiership Glory in 2021
In Round 10, Nathan scored three tries and kicked eight goals in Penrith's 48-12 win. The next week, he scored two tries and kicked ten goals in a huge 56-12 victory.
Nathan kicked eight goals for New South Wales in the first game of the 2021 State of Origin series. They beat Queensland 50-6. In June, he had 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 victory over South Sydney. Nathan was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player in the Grand Final. He was also named Dally M Halfback of the Year.
After the Grand Final, Nathan was noted for acting disrespectfully towards the NRL Telstra Premiership Trophy.
World Cup Win in 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, he scored a try and kicked seven goals in Penrith's 42-6 win.
In Game 2 of the 2022 State of Origin series, Nathan scored two tries and kicked eight goals. New South Wales won 44-12. In Game 3, New South Wales lost a close game to Queensland. Nathan was sent off in a later game for a dangerous tackle. This meant he missed five games.
Nathan returned for the 2022 Qualifying Final. He played outstandingly in Penrith's 27-8 victory. 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 team for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. He made his debut for Australia in their second match, scoring a try and kicking 12 goals in a big 84-0 win. Nathan played for Australia in their World Cup final victory over Samoa.
Three-Peat Premiership in 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, he kicked a two-point field goal from 40 meters to tie the game 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. In Round 6, he scored two tries and kicked seven goals. In Round 7, he kicked two field goals, including the winning one in extra time. On May 22, he 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. He played 22 matches for Penrith in the 2023 NRL season. This included the club's 26-24 victory over Brisbane in the 2023 NRL Grand Final. Penrith won their third straight premiership. Nathan won the Clive Churchill medal again. He helped Penrith come back from being 16 points behind with less than 20 minutes to go. This was the biggest Grand Final comeback in NRL history. He did this even with a knee injury and some teammates off the field. He helped set up three tries and scored the winning try himself.
Four-Peat Premiership in 2024
On February 24, Nathan played in Penrith's 2024 World Club Challenge final loss. He scored a try in the first half. In March, it was announced he would miss a month with a hamstring injury. On May 12, he was ruled out for eight more weeks after re-injuring his hamstring.
In Round 20, Nathan returned and kicked a two-point field goal in extra time to win the game for Penrith. The next week, he scored three tries and kicked seven goals in a big 46–10 win. In Round 24, he got a shoulder injury and was out for a while.
Nathan returned for Penrith's qualifying final win. He played 13 matches for Penrith in the 2024 NRL season. This included the club's 14–6 Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm, securing their fourth straight premiership.
Nathan Cleary's Achievements
Individual Awards
- Ben Alexander Rookie of the Year: 2016
- Penrith Panthers Members' Player of the Year: 2016, 2020
- Merv Cartwright Medal: 2020, 2021
- RLPA Halfback of the Year: 2020, 2021
- RLPA Players' Champion: 2020
- Brad Fittler Medal: 2020
- Dally M Halfback of the Year: 2020, 2021
- Clive Churchill Medal: 2021, 2023
Team Honours
- NRL Premiership (Penrith Panthers): 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- NRL Minor Premiership (Penrith Panthers): 2020, 2022, 2023
- State of Origin series (New South Wales): 2018, 2019, 2021
- World Cup (Australia): 2021
Nathan Cleary's Career Statistics
Club Performance
| † | 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 | |
| Career totals | 172 | 61 | 638 | 84.06% | 16 | 1539 | |
Nathan Cleary's Personal Life
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.
