NRL superstar Nathan Cleary may be eyeing the biggest shift of his decorated rugby league career—not to a rival club or code, but to the opposite side of the country and closer to a possible marriage.
In a revelation that could have serious implications for the Penrith Panthers, former North Sydney Bears forward Josh Stuart has outlined a bold plan to lure Cleary to Western Australia as the face of the prospective Perth Bears franchise.
Stuart, who is also Cleary’s uncle and a trusted family confidant, believes love, lifestyle, and legacy could all converge to make the move a reality.
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Speaking to News Corp, Stuart recounted a telling conversation with his nephew just months into Cleary’s relationship with Matildas star Mary Fowler.
“He said, ‘Uncle Josh, when did you know you were in the right relationship to get married?’ That blew me away,” Stuart said. “I knew we had something serious here.”
Cleary and Fowler, who met at an Adidas event in 2023, have maintained a high-profile long-distance relationship, with Cleary based in Sydney playing for Penrith and Fowler in Manchester with English powerhouse Manchester City.
Their public acknowledgment of the relationship in April 2024 set tongues wagging, and speculation about Cleary’s long-term future intensified.
Stuart, now a mortgage broker, remains close to Cleary and assists with his finances. He sees Perth—seven hours closer to the UK than Sydney by air—as the ideal location for the couple to manage their careers and relationship.
“Is Western Australia a lot closer to England than Sydney? It is,” he pointed out, emphasizing the benefits of bridging the geographic gap for the elite sports couple.
Moreover, the potential Cleary-Fowler union and Cleary’s move west could be transformational for the NRL’s national expansion ambitions. Stuart has been instrumental in the Perth Bears’ bid to re-enter the competition and sees Nathan as the keystone of a new legacy.
“You don’t just start a club. You build a legacy—and what better way than with the Clearys in red and black again?” he said, referencing the family’s past ties to the Bears.
Adding fuel to the speculation, Stuart revealed he’s teeing off with Nathan’s father and current Panthers coach Ivan Cleary this week to discuss the future.
Ivan, who also played 29 games for the original Bears, has dismissed immediate talk of a move, stating:
“Nathan’s here for another two years, so that’s where he’s going to be.”
Still, with union figures like Tim Horan entertaining the idea of Cleary switching codes and Fowler’s UK commitments long-term, the path to Perth—and perhaps a wedding—may become increasingly attractive.
Nathan Cleary has maintained that he remains committed to Penrith and is “making it work” with Fowler, but the intersection of personal life and professional opportunity suggests the Cleary family’s next big move could be as much about the heart as it is about the game.
