BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 03: Nathan Cleary of the Panthers runs the ball during the 2021 NRL Grand Final match between the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium on October 03, 2021, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Nathan Cleary has been reportedly forced to return his Clive Churchill Medal following the NRL grand final after an engraving mistake.

Wide World of Sports have reported that the medal presented to Cleary had Stadium Australia engraved on it, rather than Suncorp Stadium.

That came following the NRL relocating out of Sydney, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory as the competition relocated amidst a major coronavirus pandemic outbreak on the east coast of Australia.

Queensland narrowly avoided the outbreak and despite one scare where a day of games were postponed for 24 hours, the competition was able to be played out in south east Queensland.

The NRL reportedly never saw to fix the Clive Churchill Medal though, and according to the reports, took it back off Cleary mere moments after he was presented with it.

The report suggests Cleary is yet to be returned the medal, with the Panthers growing increasingly angry about the debacle, and the NRL reportedly attempting to cover the issue up.

"They promised that they would correct it and return it ASAP and begged Nathan not to say anything about it," a highly-placed Panthers source told Wide World of Sports.

"We were okay with it but it's been weeks and weeks and not so much as a word from them."

This issue follows the NRL's decision to fine Cleary and Stephen Crichton for "disrespecting" the Provan-Summons Trophy, although the official breach notice explained that neither Cleary or Crichton were responsible for damaging the trophy.