Cleary forges own path
PENRITH teenage sensation Nathan Cleary has opted against reactivating a get-out clause in his contract that would have allowed him to follow his father to another NRL club.
Cleary, who recently extended his deal with the Panthers until the end of 2019, originally had a get-out clause in his contract that expired on June 30 that granted him permission to leave if Ivan Cleary landed a job at another club.
However, the 18-year-old, who starred in Penrith’s 28-26 win over South Sydney on Friday night, is determined to forge his own path and has decided to remove the father-son clause from his newest deal, a strong indication of his desire to make it on his own.
Cleary, who still lives at home with his parents and siblings, does have a guarantee from the club that they would provide him with accommodation if his family were to relocate elsewhere when his dad found a new head coaching role.
But as the talented halfback admits, he most likely wouldn’t have been afforded the opportunity to play NRL at such a young age had his father remained at the club as coach.
Ivan was controversially told during the off-season that his services at Penrith were no longer required, casting a shadow over the future of his son, who was off contract at the end of 2016.
But within a month of Ivan’s departure, Nathan signed a twoyear extension in November and added another year to that deal this month to ensure he will remain at Penrith until at least the end of the 2019 season.
The Panthers have unearthed some of the game’s best young talent in recent seasons, including Bryce Cartwright, Matt Moylan, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Te Maire Martin and James FisherHarris.
They’ve also managed to GETTY IMAGES