Nathan Cleary
Captain - Halfback
Player Bio
- Height:
- 182 cm
- Date of Birth:
- 14 November 1997
- Weight:
- 92 kg
- Birthplace:
- Sydney, NSW
- Age:
- 28
- Nickname:
- Clez
- Debut Club:
- Penrith Panthers
- Date:
- 04 June 2016
- Opposition:
- Melbourne Storm
- Round:
- 13
- Previous Club:
- -
- Junior Club:
- Brothers Penrith
- Biography:
Nathan Cleary is central to the Penrith Panthers’ success and widely regarded as one of the NRL’s elite halfbacks. A product of the club’s junior system and a member of the 2015 premiership-winning NYC side, he debuted at 19 and quickly made his mark. He finished as the NRL’s leading point-scorer in 2017 with 228 points, the youngest player in over a century to do so, and became the youngest to surpass 200 points in a season.
Since then, Cleary has built a decorated career, highlighted by multiple premierships, Clive Churchill Medals (2021, 2023), Dally M Halfback of the Year awards (2020, 2021, 2025), and representative success with New South Wales and Australia, including an Ashes triumph.
In 2024, he co-captained the Panthers to a historic fourth consecutive premiership, overcoming injury setbacks to play a decisive role in the finals series. He carried that influence into 2025, leading a remarkable late-season resurgence and guiding the side deep into the finals.
During the 2025 season, he became Penrith’s all-time leading point-scorer, surpassing Ryan Girdler’s long-standing record. His performances earned him the 2025 Merv Cartwright Medal and Dally M Halfback of the Year honours, further reinforcing his status as one of the premier players of the modern era.
Career
- Appearances
- 203
- Tries
- 70
2026 Season
- Appearances
- 9
Scoring
- Tries
- 3
- Goals
- 44
Kicking
- Forced Drop Outs
- 3
- Average Kicking Metres
- 491.9
- Goal Conversion Rate
-
Attack
- Try Assists
- 11
- Line Break Assists
- 6
Passing
- Offloads
- 12
- Receipts
- 603
Defence
- Tackles Made
- 183
- Tackle Efficiency
-
Running Metres
- Average Running Metres
- 111
- Total Running Metres
- 1007
Fantasy
- Total Points
- 670
- Average Points
- 74.4
2026 Season - By Round
| Round | Opponent | Score | Position | Minutes Played | Tries | Goals | 1 Point Field Goals | 2 Point Field Goals | Points | Kicking Metres | Forced Drop Outs | Try Assists | Linebreaks | Tackle Breaks | Post Contact Metres | Offloads | Receipts | Tackles Made | Missed Tackles | Total Running Metres | Hit Up Running Metres | Kick Return Metres | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broncos | Won | 0 - 26 | Halfback | 80 | - | 5 | - | - | 10 | 386 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 27 | 2 | 63 | 17 | 2 | 75 | - | - |
| 2 | Sharks | Won | 26 - 6 | Halfback | 80 | 1 | 5 | - | - | 14 | 670 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 77 | 29 | 4 | 144 | - | - |
| 3 | Roosters | Won | 4 - 40 | Halfback | 80 | - | 6 | - | - | 12 | 651 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 11 | 2 | 63 | 20 | 6 | 97 | - | - |
| 4 | Eels | Won | 48 - 20 | Halfback | 80 | - | 8 | - | - | 16 | 407 | - | 4 | - | 3 | 25 | - | 50 | 15 | 1 | 80 | 13 | - |
| 5 | Storm | Won | 50 - 10 | Halfback | 73 | 1 | 6 | - | - | 16 | 402 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 1 | 63 | 14 | 2 | 148 | - | - |
| 6 | Bulldogs | Lost | 32 - 16 | Halfback | 80 | - | 2 | - | - | 4 | 373 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 23 | - | 55 | 21 | 2 | 88 | 11 | - |
| 7 | Dolphins | Won | 22 - 23 | Halfback | 85 | - | 3 | 1 | - | 7 | 595 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 77 | 24 | 3 | 85 | 11 | 5 |
| 8 | Knights | Won | 12 - 44 | Halfback | 80 | 1 | 6 | - | - | 16 | 433 | - | - | 1 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 71 | 18 | - | 161 | - | - |
| 9 | Sea Eagles | Won | 18 - 16 | Halfback | 80 | - | 3 | - | - | 6 | 510 | - | 1 | - | 4 | 42 | 3 | 84 | 25 | 1 | 124 | - | - |
Career By Season
| Year | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | Tries | Goals | 1 Point Field Goals | 2 Point Field Goals | Points | Kicking Metres | Kicking Metres Average | Goal Conversion Rate | Forced Drop Outs | Try Assists | Offloads | Receipts | Tackles Made | Missed Tackles | Tackle Efficiency | Total Running Metres | Average Running Metres | Kick Return Metres | Total Points | Average Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 2016 | 15 | 10 | 5 | - | 67% | 3 | 53 | - | - | 118 | 3,850 | 256.69 | 80.30% | 5 | 8 | 6 | 594 | 294 | 35 | 84.82% | 898 | 59.00 | - | 782 | 52.1 |
| Panthers | 2017 | 26 | 14 | 12 | - | 54% | 11 | 92 | - | - | 228 | 8,533 | 328.18 | 90.20% | 19 | 10 | 18 | 1,374 | 478 | 70 | 87.23% | 2,031 | 78.00 | 26 | 1,457 | 56.0 |
| Panthers | 2018 | 17 | 10 | 7 | - | 59% | 4 | 40 | - | - | 98 | 3,908 | 229.88 | 78.43% | 7 | 9 | 14 | 889 | 279 | 35 | 88.85% | 1,331 | 78.00 | - | 870 | 51.2 |
| Panthers | 2019 | 21 | 8 | 13 | - | 38% | 10 | 58 | 1 | - | 157 | 4,580 | 218.11 | 87.88% | 18 | 9 | 21 | 1,193 | 349 | 49 | 87.69% | 1,880 | 89.00 | 52 | 1,136 | 54.1 |
| Panthers | 2020 | 21 | 19 | 2 | - | 90% | 8 | 86 | 4 | - | 208 | 10,391 | 494.81 | 79.63% | 27 | 17 | 13 | 1,494 | 379 | 51 | 88.14% | 1,832 | 87.00 | 29 | 1,538 | 73.2 |
| Panthers | 2021 | 20 | 19 | 1 | - | 95% | 10 | 94 | 1 | 1 | 231 | 10,970 | 548.50 | 85.45% | 26 | 21 | 19 | 1,410 | 370 | 52 | 87.68% | 2,232 | 111.00 | 54 | 1,740 | 87.0 |
| Panthers | 2022 | 17 | 15 | 2 | - | 88% | 3 | 76 | 1 | - | 165 | 8,142 | 478.96 | 85.39% | 17 | 18 | 17 | 986 | 305 | 47 | 86.65% | 1,640 | 96.00 | 6 | 1,116 | 65.6 |
| Panthers | 2023 | 22 | 17 | 5 | - | 77% | 8 | 89 | 4 | 1 | 216 | 10,629 | 483.13 | 83.96% | 22 | 20 | 34 | 1,423 | 381 | 53 | 87.79% | 2,765 | 125.00 | 59 | 1,672 | 76.0 |
| Panthers | 2024 | 13 | 11 | 2 | - | 85% | 4 | 50 | - | 1 | 118 | 4,959 | 381.48 | 81.97% | 10 | 16 | 13 | 831 | 239 | 40 | 85.66% | 1,761 | 135.00 | 33 | 912 | 70.2 |
| Panthers | 2025 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 59% | 6 | 79 | - | 1 | 184 | 12,726 | 578.47 | 87.78% | 25 | 17 | 20 | 1,466 | 434 | 62 | 87.50% | 2,151 | 97.00 | 8 | 1,511 | 68.7 |
| Panthers | 2026 | 9 | 8 | 1 | - | 89% | 3 | 44 | 1 | - | 101 | 4,428 | 491.94 | 83.02% | 3 | 11 | 12 | 603 | 183 | 21 | 89.71% | 1,007 | 111.00 | 5 | 670 | 74.4 |
Career Overall
| Year Start | Year End | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | Tries | Goals | 1 Point Field Goals | 2 Point Field Goals | Points | Kicking Metres | Kicking Metres Average | Goal Conversion Rate | Forced Drop Outs | Try Assists | Offloads | Receipts | Tackles Made | Missed Tackles | Tackle Efficiency | Total Running Metres | Average Running Metres | Kick Return Metres | Total Points | Average Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 2016 | 2026 | 203 | 144 | 58 | 1 | 71% | 70 | 761 | 13 | 4 | 1,824 | 83,117 | 409.44 | 84.37% | 179 | 156 | 187 | 12,262 | 3,691 | 515 | 87.76% | 19,525 | 96.00 | 274 | 13,403 | 66.0 |
Latest
Team Mates
Penrith Panthers players and staff respect and honour the traditional custodians of the land and pay our respects to their elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
