Nathan Cleary is an Australian professional rugby player from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, who currently plays as halfback for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. Nathan Cleary also represents New South Wales in the annual State of Origin series.
Read on to find out about his salary, net worth, career statistics and more.
Nathan Cleary Quick Facts
| Name | Nathan Cleary |
| Age | 25 |
| Date of Birth | 14 November 1997 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches / 182cm |
| Weight | 14 st 7 lbs / 92kg |
| NRL Team | Penrith Panthers |
| Position | Halfback |
| @_nathancleary – 315k followers | |
In this Nathan Cleary article
Who is Nathan Cleary?
Nathan Cleary is an Australian professional rugby player who captains the Penrith Panthers in Australia’s National Rugby League. A product of the Panthers’ elite academy, Cleary made his NRL first-team debut aged just 19 against Melbourne Storm at five-eighth, going on to play 15 games for this side, and finished with 3 tries and 52 goals – the highest scorer that year with 116 points.
Cleary led the Panthers to back-to-back NRL Premiership wins in 2021 and 2022, and is on course to captain his side to a third consecutive title this season.
Nathan Cleary Playing Career
Nathan Cleary has spent the bulk of his rugby playing career at Penrith, having moved through the team’s junior system before he turned 16. He was then selected as the first-choice halfback in 2016 in the now-defunct NRL Under-20s league, before making his full NRL debut in the latter half of 2016.
A product of the Panthers’ elite academy, Cleary made his NRL first-team debut aged just 19 against Melbourne Storm at five-eighth, going on to play 15 games for this side, and finished with 3 tries and 52 goals – the highest scorer that year with 116 points.
Cleary then started his first full year with Penrith Panthers in 2017, which saw him finish as the league’s highest point scorer with 228 points. The feat made him the youngest player to achieve the highest points finish since 1913.
Nathan Cleary has now won the NRL Grand Final twice with Penrith Panthers, in 2021 and 2022.
He has been selected to play for New South Wales in State of Origin every year since 2018.
Nathan Cleary Salary
Nathan Cleary has essentially pledged the remainder of his playing career to Penrith, and, according to Sydney Morning Herald recently signed a contract extension which will keep him at the club until the end of 2027.
His contract is reportedly worth A$1.1 million per season, and a clause stipulates it will increase in line with the NRL salary cap.
The Daily Mail adds that former Australian professional rugby player Andrew Johns says Cleary could easily have demanded in excess of A$2 million from other clubs, and praised his “selfless” act in committing to the Penrith Panthers on a salary that belies his talent.
Nathan Cleary Injury
Cleary has suffered a couple of major injuries in recent years. The first of which came in 2018, when he suffered a knee injury in Round 3 against Canterbury-Bankstown. Cleary was out for the next six rounds, making his return in Round 11 against the Wests Tigers, who at the time were being coached by his father, Ivan.
Nathan then sustained a shoulder injury in June 2021, and at the time it wasn’t sure if he would make a return in the season. He eventually did return in Round 22, wherein he helped Penrith Panthers record a win over St. George Illawarra.
Update
During his appearance on Channel 9, Cleary clarified that the hamstring injury affected his other leg, not the one that sidelined him last year. He expressed that if the upcoming match were a grand final, he would have participated. “We’re facing Manly this week, then we have a bye,” Cleary stated on Channel 9 regarding the injury. “It’s a minor hammy tear, distinct from last year’s. It’s reminiscent of what occurred before the actual tear last year, very minor, and it’s in the other leg. I’m discussing with the physio how to manage it effectively. If it were a grand final last week, I could have played. It’s about balancing workload, especially with extras and kicking, something I never had to consider growing up.”
Cleary is expected to be selected for another State of Origin series with the New South Wales Blues before leading Penrith’s quest for a fourth consecutive premiership.
Nathan Cleary Wife / Girlfriend
Nathan Cleary was dating Australian model Tèah Foot, albeit in an on-again-off-again fashion. However, it was reported in August 2022 the couple had split up. Tèah is the sister of former Sydney Swans player, Zac Foot.
Nathan Cleary Dad
Nathan Cleary is the son of former professional rugby player, and current NRL Premiership-winning Penrith Panthers coach, Ivan Cleary.
Ivan Cleary has been coaching his son’s side since 2019, lifting the premiership in 2021 and 2022.
Nathan Cleary Tattoo
It would be difficult for anyone to deny Nathan Cleary’s unwavering commitment to his boyhood club, but following the Penrith Panther’s NRL Grand Final win in 2021, Cleary had the triumph immortalised on his body.
Cleary got himself a huge tattoo of a black panther’s head down the left side of his torso. The text reads, “Champs ’21”
The way the Panthers have been playing in recent years, he might be starting to run out of canvas soon.
What did Nathan Cleary do on TikTok?
In 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia, Nathan Cleary was served a A$10,000 fine after images emerged of both him and his teammate and roommate, Tyrone May, with a group of friends at their house (at the time, it was forbidden for different households to mix).
Cleary responded to the images by saying the women in the photos were only at his house for a short period of time, while they waited for a cab to pick them up. However, a TikTok video was released soon after, showing Nathan Cleary dancing with the same women seen in the images.
This led to him being served an extra A$30,000 fine and a two-game suspension, by the NRL.
Nathan Cleary Career Stats
| Appearances | 150 |
| Games Won | 104 |
| Games Lost | 46 |
| Win Percentage | 69% |
| Tries | 52 |
| Goals | 545 |
| Points | 1,315 |
Unwind and Explore
Nathan is an avid traveller, often exploring different corners of the world when he’s not on the pitch. He’s visited iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, and Las Vegas. He even spent time with veteran Dan Carter. Later in the year, he joined the popular Liv Golf League with Zac Hosking. During the off-season in November, Nathan enjoyed quality time with his team and family at a beach in New York.
Recent Updates On Nathan Cleary
In October 2023, he led his team to victory against the Broncos, a much-needed win. He also had the opportunity to attend the NBA Australia games, capturing videos and shots while watching the practice sessions. Reflecting on his experiences, he acknowledges both the pleasant and challenging moments, emphasising that the good outweighs the bad.
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