Rival NRL clubs are anticipated to queue up for Nathan Cleary's services for 2028 and beyond as the two-time Clive Churchill Medal winner potentially looks to leave Penrith alongside his father at the conclusion of next year.
Ivan Cleary's decision to call time on his decorated coaching run at the foot of the mountains after the 2027 season has piqued interst in his son's future, with a fresh start elsewhere potentially on the cards for the star halfback.
Nathan Cleary won't be short of suitors given his standing and the halfback carousel that arises each off-season, with some of the Panthers' biggest rivals potentially among the clubs best-placed to make a move for his signature.
On this week's episode of the NRL Contract Show with analyst Darren Parkin, Zero Tackle editor Scott Pryde believes "there's a good chance he will change clubs" at the end of his contract, with several clubs likely to make their case to appease the Penrith playmaker.
Running through potential landing spots for the New South Wales and Australia representative, Pryde flagged the Roosters, Bulldogs and Warriors, among others, as the clubs that could look to strike.
"The biggest watch is going to be on Nathan Cleary. The amount of money some clubs are going to throw at him, combined with some of his personal situation and his father not coaching (after 2027)... I think there's a good chance he will change clubs," Pryde said on the NRL Contract Show.
"(The Roosters) are linked to every big-name player that's coming off-contract. That's just the nature of the Roosters. The biggest thing in this space is that Sam Walker is off-contract at the end of 2027. If the Roosters are going to look for an upgrade on Walker, there's only one guy you'd be looking at: Nathan Cleary. They've got plenty of money on the table, and James Tedesco and Daniel Tupou are probably going to retire in the next couple of years. From a leadership and money point of view, they could probably make it work.
"Canterbury need a halfback, there's no doubt about that. It's beyond all reasonable doubt now that Lachlan Galvin is not one of those. He's an exceptional five-eighth who probably needs to play alongside an experienced halfback who can control the system. Matt Burton, I think, will leave at the end of his current deal, which would free up money to go after Cleary, but they would need to make more roster shuffles to make it work and move Cleary into their salary cap.
"The Warriors are a big one. Nathan Cleary grew up in New Zealand and has spoken about his love for the country. The Warriors are losing (Luke) Metcalf and will have a significant amount of money they'll need to send. Yes, they have Luke Hanson and Jett Cleary coming through their system, but that in itself could be a play for Nathan Cleary if Nathan wants to play with his brother for a couple of years."
After a busy fortnight in the NRL player movement landscape, with Cam McInnes, Connor Watson, Sam Verrills, William Kennedy and Hudson Young among the names making headlines, there was plenty more to discuss on this week's episode of the NRL Contract Show.
Ben Hunt and Ronald Volkman feature in ‘sign or send', and a ‘Contract Flashback' deep dive on Jason Taumalolo signing with the Cowboys on a 10-year contract.
