He'd watch replays, sometimes twice. Matter of fact, he previously held a New Zealand passport. In his beloved Blues: Nathan Cleary gets into the groove at Origin training.Credit:AAP. He was the Panthers highest point-scorer with 116 points.

Surf's up at North Narrabeen for NSW Blues halfback Nathan Cleary. [7] He previously held a New Zealand passport. But first there is Origin I. [15][16] On 2 June, Cleary extended his contract with the Panthers until the end of the 2019 season;[15] his decision to do so voided a 'father-son' clause in his contract, which would have allowed him to leave the club following his father's dismissal as Penrith's head coach late the previous year, had he so pleased. The beach played a big role in Ivan's life, which explains the regular trips to Bali, including a family photo of Nathan, Ivan, Bec, Indiana [19], Jett [13] and Milaya [11] after the Warriors grand final in 2011.

Campion remains good friends with Ivan and texted him at the start of the week to wish Nathan the best. [41], In round 12 of the 2020 NRL season, Cleary scored one try and kicked seven goals as Penrith defeated Manly 42–12 at Brookvale Oval. Some of him surfing and playing cricket, two sports that stopped quickly when they moved to Sydney's west because there was no beach and Saturday morning sport in the summer had zero appeal. Nathan Cleary (born 14 November 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL), as a halfback. [24][25] He finished his debut season with 3 tries and 52 goals from 15 matches. Or the time he was listening to his dad give some pre-game instructions while playing for Collaroy Cromer in the under-6s football team. "I became a coach by accident," says Ivan, who also has a degree in land economics. Most of the photos feature a chubby-faced Nathan decked out in a Warriors jersey during his dad's playing days at the club and then later as head coach.

Despite New South Wales losing the first game, Cleary was retained for the second game in Perth which New South Wales won 38-6 at Perth Stadium. "When Nat told us last weekend he got picked for NSW, I have a little shrine [in the living room] for dad, I had a bit of a cry and said, 'grandad would be so proud of you'. He played in all 26 games for the Panthers, scoring 11 tries and kicking 92 goals. NSW Blues halfback Nathan Cleary (far left) on holiday in Bali after the 2011 NRL grand final with dad Ivan, mum Bec, Malaya (now 11), Indiana (19) and Jett (13). [38][39], In Round 18 against St George, Cleary scored a try and kicked 6 goals as Penrith won the match 40-18 at Penrith Park. When Ivan didn't have a spec of grey hair. Nathan Cleary (right) studies Big League magazine before the 2005 grand final. [30] While he was out with the injury, Cleary was still leading in contention for the halfback spot for New South Wales. With such a whopping contract, Nathan is for sure relishing net worth in the range of millions. A frowning Nathan is spotted reading a Big League magazine. Scorpios. ", "Stats Insider: The evidence of Nathan Cleary's impact on the Panthers", "Ash burns rivals in NRL's top rookie race", "Penrith Panthers rookie Nathan Cleary picked in Emerging NSW Blues Origin squad", "2017 Auckland Nines squads: Every player named for the tournament", "NRL history books beckon for Penrith's Nathan Cleary", "Penrith Panthers NRL 2018: Nathan Cleary knee injury to sideline star half for extended period", "Dailytelegraph.com.au - Subscribe to The Daily Telegraph for exclusive stories", "Cleary, Maloney star as Panthers outplay Dragons", "State of Origin: NSW Blues halfback Nathan Cleary goes from very nervous to match winner", "Nathan Cleary NSW Blues State of Origin debut, Brad Fittler on defence, tackles", "Cool Cleary kicks Panthers to victory – Panthers", "The unseen hours that led to Nathan Cleary's stunning clutch plays", "Fitness no issue for Graham as NSW consider Cleary replacements", "Queensland name three State of Origin debutants for Game I", "Hot Panthers to keep riding rookie wave", "Nathan Cleary breaks club record as Penrith Panthers send James Maloney out a winner", "Charlie Staines stars in massive Penrith win over Manly", "Ivan full of praise for Nathan's composure", "Melbourne Storm beat Penrith Panthers as it happened", "Nathan Cleary third NRL player investigated for breaching coronavirus restrictions", "NRL had to punish Nathan Cleary for the two lies about his TikTok video", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nathan_Cleary&oldid=987019093, New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players, New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 November 2020, at 10:40. Of the 11 Blues debutants who will run on to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Wednesday's Origin opener, none offer long-suffering Blues fans more hope than rookie playmaker Cleary. Cleary is one hell of a talent. First Name Nathan. Rugby league halfback who became an immediate sensation after joining the Penrith Panthers in 2016. "I coached him in soccer, but I've never coached him in rugby league. Cleary family reveals Nathan as a picture of Blues perfection. And the giant expectations. Nathan Cleary Is A Member Of . Sadly, Cleary's biggest fan, his late grandfather Tim Stuart, won't be there. Damian McKenzie.

Cleary is the son of the professional rugby league footballer and his current coach, Ivan Cleary. Despite a 6-24 defeat at AAMI Park, Cleary had a great debut; making 38 tackles. Nathan Cleary Popularity . Cleary scored a last minute try in the second half and kicked two goals in Penrith's 26–20 loss.[44]. "He got hit by a car in a car park at Collaroy,'' Bec says. [47], "Nathan Cleary a chip and chase off old block", "Penrith Panthers' Nathan Cleary only began playing rugby league six years ago", "Nathan Cleary making his name in rugby league", "Football and rugby league unite for special training session - New Zealand Football", "Penrith young gun Nathan Cleary's growing case for the title of best teen NRL player ever", "Warriors coach Ivan Cleary grew up in Manly heartland", "Blues star Nathan Cleary has revealed he almost declared his allegiance to the Kiwis", "Penrith Panthers teenager Nathan Cleary mature beyond his years", "Windsor Wolves ready for round 9 clash against Mounties", "Nathan Cleary and Jaydn Su'a star in Junior Kangaroos win over Junior Kiwis", "Nathan Cleary opts against reactivating father-son get-out clause at Penrith Panthers", "Penrith Panthers teen Nathan Cleary tipped to make NRL debut against Storm", "Super Cooper's brave dig leads perfect Storm", "Penrith ice stunning comeback at Brookvale", "Penrith Panthers v South Sydney Rabbitohs player ratings: Who flew, who flopped? His younger brother Jett and sister Milaya were born in New Zealand, but always supported Queensland because of Steve Price, who was playing for [dad] Ivan at the Warriors.

© FamousBirthdays.com - use subject to the information collection practices disclosed in our Privacy Policy. The 20-year-old will have up to 20 family members at the game. Ivan Cleary in his Tigers tracksuit alongside Nathan in his Panthers gear.

", Ivan adds: "Tim was his biggest fan. "We had paid for him and mum to fly up and watch him play. He played soccer before switching to rugby as a pre-teen. Ivan said he would have no magical words of advice for him before kick-off.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. There are photos of Cleary rollerblading down the Manly corso. He is the son of rugby coach Ivan Cleary and the nephew of rugby league player. Ivan knows Nathan will cope. [4], Cleary is of Croatian descent. Kalyn Ponga. Ivan and Nathan have made no secret of the fact they would love to be at the one club one day. "I always tell Nat 'it would be easier if you played together'. [27] On 1 May, Cleary was named in the NSW City Origin representative team to play in the last ever City vs Country game. And nerves. [36][37], On 27 May, Cleary was selected at halfback for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series despite his lacklustre start to the year and with Penrith only managing 2 wins from their first 9 games. He didn't want to take his shoe off because he thought his foot was going to fall off.''.

"It was a car park so he was only driving slowly. Yet," Ivan says, with a smile. [28], Cleary finished the season as highest pointscorer in the NRL with a total of 228 points, the youngest player to achieve this since 1913. Like little Nathan, not even two years of age, charging through a lounge room and ready to launch a yellow plastic football off a tee while wearing a Sydney Roosters jersey. Rugby Player. He played for City Origin and New South Wales in the State of Origin series. "He passed away on September 22 [2015], three days before Nat played for the Australian Schoolboys in Brisbane. "We'd picked him up from school in Kindergarten, I was too busy worrying about what he had left in his lunchbox, not watching what he was doing, and he ran out in front of a P-plater. As per the deal, he will stay at the club till the end of the 2024 NRL season. He spent a number of his childhood years living in Auckland, New Zealand while his father was playing for, and later coaching, the New Zealand Warriors. The little kid with a big right boot used to go to bed straight after school so he could stay up late and watch his beloved NSW. Later in September 2019, the 20-year-old rugby star signed a five-year contract with the Penrith Panthers of National Rugby League, making him the highest-paid player of the Panthers. Cleary appeared for the Windsor Wolves in the Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield in a handful of games,[10][11] before being called into Penrith's National Youth Competition (under 20) squad mid-season. Coach Ivan Cleary lays down the law to a young Nathan and his Collary Cromer under-6 teammates. So does coach NSW Brad Fittler. I'll never put any pressure on him or make him think he has to play for Ivan. A photo of Ivan holding Nathan and his little sister Indiana in his final game for the Warriors in 2002 is one of his favourites. Cleary later apologized to the Penrith club and his teammates over the incident. Having grown up playing soccer, Cleary switched to rugby league during his pre-teens, playing at a junior level for the Mount Albert Lions in Auckland and the Penrith Brothers in Sydney.

"Even when dad was sick in the end, and on a dialysis machine three times a week, he would still get to as many games as he could,'' Bec says. Nathan Cleary (born 14 November 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL), as a halfback. He loved to flick through the weekly mag and Rugby League Week, which were bought religiously every week by his grandfather. Scorpio Rugby Player #1. [23] He was in the race for the rookie of the year award, but lost to the Gold Coast Titans halfback, Ashley Taylor. Cleary was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He never saw him play first grade, which was a shame.". Josh Addo-Carr. Rugby Players. If you watch the TV coverage closely on Wednesday night, Cleary will run on to the hallowed turf and take a quick glance to the sky. [45] Cleary played a total of 21 games for Penrith in the 2020 NRL season including the 2020 NRL Grand Final. Bec certainly hopes it happens.