Panthers general manager Phil Gould has revealed an agreement has with halfback Nathan Cleary to leave the club to join his father Ivan at the Wests Tigers if he desires so.

The 20-year old comes out of contract at the end of next season and speculation is ongoing that he will join his dad at the Tigers.

Cleary would be able to negotiate with rival clubs as of November 1, and he and Ivan have gone on record to say they would like to team up some day.

And Gould has declared that while he would love to hang onto Cleary, he would not stand in the star Blue's way if he wanted to leave the club to play under his father.

"He’ll make a decision at the end of the year," Gould told Nine after the Tigers loss to Canterbury on Friday night.

"Whatever that decision is, I will support it 100% and Ivan will support it 100% because it’s his career.

"But I have an agreement with Nathan. If one day he says, ‘I want to go play with my dad’, let’s make it happen. I’ve got no problem with him going to play with his father whatsoever."

Gould added that a Cleary family reunion was inevitable to happen one day and that he would put not pressure on Nathan in regards to his decision.

"The answer is very simple - Ivan is a father who wants to coach his son, we all understand that," Gould said.

"Nathan is a son who would like to play for his father one day - we all understand that.

"I believe it will happen. And I would like to see it happen. But the decision right now is in Nathan’s hands. Neither his father or I are putting any pressure on him."

 

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