The New Zealand Warriors could be about to lose their second young half this year, with Jett Cleary requesting a release to join brother Nathan at the Penrith Panthers.
Cleary is off-contract at the end of next year with the Warriors, but it was believed the Warriors were keen on retaining the rising star.
The younger brother of one of the greatest halfbacks to ever lace up a boot, Jett is yet to make his first grade debut, but has made his mark on the NSW Cup competition since debuting there in the middle of 2025.
News Corp are reporting he now wants to head back to Penrith for 2027 where his father Ivan will coach one final season before handing over the reins to Peter Wallace, and Nathan will play throughout 2027 before determining his own future.
The news comes at an intriguing time, with the Warriors already losing Luke Hanson to the Gold Coast Titans at the end of this year, and Luke Metcalf to the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Jett would likely have been the first-choice back-up for the Warriors behind Te Maire Martin and Tanah Boyd heading into 2027, and while the Auckland-based club haven't agreed to the release yet, they may well choose not to stand in his way.
It's understood the Warriors will want compenasation or a player swap to allow the departure of the rising star.
Nathan recently ruled out joining the Warriors from the start of 2028 given he didn't want to be in his brother's way.
"I still don't know. I'm still in the process of thinking it over. I'm not sure yet,” Cleary said per NewsWire in July when quizzed.
“I wasn't born in Auckland, but I grew up a fair bit there and I will admit I was a Warriors fan growing up.
“But at the end of the day, even if that was an option, I'd be blocking my little brother's pathway. I'm not too sure about that.
“I want to put a bit more thought into it. The last few weeks there has been a bit of a comedown from Origin, and I've been trying to get back into routine with the boys and get back into consistent training.
“That sort of (contract) stuff will work itself out in the background.”
If he does make the move to the Panthers though, it could well mean the end of Blaize Talagi at the club.
Talagi took over as the first-choice five-eighth alongside Cleary in 2025, but has been dropped in recent times, with Jack Cogger starting ahead of him.
The former Eel is locked up at the foot of the mountains for next year, and so too is Talagi, while the other option, Jack Cole, is due to depart for the Perth Bears at the end of 2026.
