Blues halfback Nathan Clearly says he will make a call on his playing future on his 21st birthday, the 14th of November, on whether to sign a $1 million-a-year deal with either the Penrith Panthers, Wests Tigers or Sydney Roosters.
"Nathan wants to wait until November to make this decision on his future,' Panthers GM of football Phil Gould toldย The Daily Telegraph.
"He turns 21 in November. His father and manager talked him into this current contract with Panthers, which he signed two years ago.
"They said he could make the decision himself when he turns 21.
โI respect that wish and Iโm comfortable with the timeline. Iโm comfortable with the whole process, actually."
Nathan's dad, Ivan Cleary, coaches the Wests Tigers but says he will not pressure his son into joining the club.
Other reports suggest that the Sydney Roosters see Nathan as the perfect replacement for Cooper Cronk and are plotting a scheme to add both Ivan and Nathan for 2020.
"Itโs going to be a huge decision what he does," Ivan toldย The Daily Telegraph.ย
"Iโm sure he will make the right one."
Ivan said that the best decision for Nathan was "not necessarily" to join him at the Wests Tigers, but "wherever he thinks is best."
"But I would like to coach him one day, Iโve made that clear," he said.
"Whenever that is, it is. A lot can happen in a week in footy, let alone a year.
"Now he has this whole Origin thing so he just needs to focus on that and everything will work itself out.โ
"Nathan seems to take most things in his stride. Nathan is a good student of the game and he listens well. Definitely, his temperament is one of his strengths.
"Having said that, it will be a completely new level for him, like all those debutants. They will all be pretty nervous. They will all handle it differently. I guess weโll find out."
Cleary will play his first game for the Blues in Origin I on Wednesday, June 6 at the MCG.
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