Australian · Sydney, Australia · Born 14 November 1997Australian rugby league halfback and captain of Penrith Panthers and NSW Origin, multiple NRL premiership winner and Dally M Medal recipient
Nathan Cleary spent part of his childhood in Auckland while his father Ivan coached the Warriors, then came home to Sydney and ended up coached by that same father again -- this time at Penrith, first as a promising junior and eventually as the club's franchise halfback and co-captain. It's an arrangement most professional sports would treat with suspicion; in the Panthers' case it's produced four consecutive premierships. Cleary made his NRL debut for Penrith in 2016, and three of the game's most respected former halfbacks -- Andrew Johns, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston among them -- have separately gone on record predicting he'll finish his career considered the greatest to play the position, a level of pre-emptive praise that puts real pressure on everything he does from here rather than settling any argument now. He's already collected two Clive Churchill Medals as the best player in a grand final and a Dally M Medal as the competition's best overall, but the number that actually separates him from most of his rivals is durability: five straight grand final appearances between 2020 and 2024 with the same halfback directing every one of them.
Leading Penrith Panthers to three consecutive NRL premierships (2021-2023)
How They Played
Exceptional game management, precise kicking game, strong leadership and clutch performances in big matches
Lasting Impact
Cleary has redefined the modern halfback role with his combination of traditional playmaking skills and athletic ability. His leadership of Penrith's dominant era has established him as one of the greatest halfbacks in NRL history.
Career Honours
- NRL Premiership 2021
- NRL Premiership 2023
- State of Origin 2018
- State of Origin 2019
- State of Origin 2021
- State of Origin 2022
- State of Origin 2023
- Dally M Medal 2022
- Clive Churchill Medal 2021
- Clive Churchill Medal 2023
- RLPA Players' Champion 2022
- NRL All Star selection 2022
- Rugby League World Cup 2022
| Club | Period | Apps | Tries | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penrith Panthers | 2016–2024 | 160 | 14 | #7 |
 Australia | — | 32 | — | — |
Australian Athletes