What will Ivan Cleary’s Penrith departure mean for Nathan’s NRL future?

For most of the past decade, the Cleary name has been synonymous with the Penrith Panthers and the club’s history-breaking run of premiership success.

But with Ivan Cleary now confirmed to be stepping down as head coach at the end of 2027 and being replaced by current assistant Peter Wallace, the question that hangs over the foot of the mountains is an intriguing one: will son Nathan follow him?

The timing couldn’t be more loaded, of course.

The four-time premiership halfback and two-time Clive Churchill Medalist is also off contract at the end of 2027—making him a free agent from November 1 like several of his Panthers teammates including Isaah Yeo, Brian To’o and Liam Martin—and he has already refused to rule out testing the open market, a process he described earlier in the season as ‘pretty foreign’ while adding he was ‘quite open to everything.’

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Coming from a 28-year-old who has only ever worn a Panthers’ jersey in the NRL, it’s no wonder Penrith fans are getting a little nervous, particularly given one of the most compelling arguments for Nathan staying put has always been the presence of this father as head coach.

Indeed when both Ivan and Nathan re-signed for five years back in 2022, Nathan was unambiguous about what Penrith meant to him.

“I came here as a 14-year-old kid after following dad around, it’s home for me now,” he said.

“I couldn’t picture myself anywhere else.”

But with Ivan now departing that anchor is gone.

Should Nathan enter the NRL open market the bidding war will likely be unprecedented, particularly should the cashed up PNG Chiefs be amongst the suitors dangling the carrot of re-uniting with his former premiership halves partner, Jarome Luai.

In reality virtually every club in the competition would likely be interested, but perhaps the most intriguing possibility could lay offshore with Cleary’s girlfriend and Manchester City footballer Mary Fowler based in northern England.

There are reports Hull FC has already reached out to Cleary’s management with a monster four-year deal and it’s unlikely to be the last enquiry from Super League, even more so given today’s news.

Nathan has also previously acknowledged he could be open to rugby union adding another layer of cross-code complexity to any future contract negotiations.

Whatever happens, without father Ivan on the sideline Nathan is about to face the most consequential decision of his playing career—and for the first time ‘home’ may not win.

What will Ivan Cleary’s Penrith departure mean for Nathan’s NRL future?

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