Nathan Cleary

He finished the season as highest pointscorer in the NRL with a total of 228 points, the youngest player to achieve this since 1913.

He played in all 26 games for the Penrith club, scoring 11 tries and kicking 92 goals.

Cleary also became the youngest player ever to score 200 points in a season.

Nathan Cleary (born 14 November 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Penrith Panthers in the Australian NRL and Australia at international level.

He won the Clive Churchill Medal in 2021 and 2023 as well as Dally M Halfback of the year in 2020 and 2021.

As co-captain, Cleary also led the Penrith Panthers to three consecutive premiership wins from 2021 to 2023.

Being the captain in all 4 of his grand final appearances, he is considered one of the best halfbacks of all time.

He has represented the NSW Blues in State of Origin, played for City NSW and played for Australia at international level.

Cleary is the son of coach and former professional rugby league footballer Ivan Cleary who coaches him at the Penrith Panthers.

Cleary was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

He spent a number of his childhood years living in Auckland, New Zealand while his father was playing for, and later coaching, the New Zealand Warriors.

Attended Sacred Heart College, Auckland for two years and having grown up playing soccer, Cleary switched to rugby league during his pre-teens, playing at a junior level for the Mount Albert Lions in Auckland and the Penrith Brothers in Sydney.

He completed his HSC while attending St Dominic's College, Penrith in 2015, where he was a prefect.

Cleary is of Croatian and Ukrainian descent.

He is the nephew of Josh Stuart and Jason Death.

He previously held a New Zealand passport.

Cleary progressed through the Penrith club's junior system, playing in their Harold Matthews Cup (under 16) and S. G. Ball Cup (under 18) teams, the latter of which he captained in 2015.

He appeared for the Windsor Wolves in the Ron Massey Cup and Sydney Shield in a handful of games, before being called into Penrith's National Youth Competition (under 20) squad mid-season.

Cleary was unavailable to play in Penrith's 2015 NYC Grand Final winning team due to his selection in the Australian Schoolboys team, whom he captained during their two match series against New Zealand under-18s.

Cleary played 20 games, scoring 11 tries and kicking 109 goals for 262 points in his U20s career from 2015 to 2016.

Starting the season as Penrith's first-choice halfback in the NYC, Cleary was selected to play for the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis in May, where he played at five-eighth scoring a try and kicking 5 goals in the 34-20 win.

He made his New South Wales Cup debut for the Penrith club in round 11, the only game he'd play in that competition in 2016.

Cleary was named in Penrith's squad for the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines.

On 1 May, Cleary was named in the NSW City Origin representative team to play in the last ever City vs Country game.

Cleary started the 2018 season as possibly the NRL's form player before suffering a knee injury in Round 3 against Canterbury-Bankstown where Penrith lost 20-18 at ANZ Stadium.

While he was out with the injury, Cleary was still leading in contention for the halfback spot for New South Wales.

Cleary made his return to the field in Round 11 against his father's team the Wests Tigers, where he helped steer the Penrith club to a 16-2 victory at Penrith Stadium.

In his next performance in Round 12 against table toppers the St George Illawarra Dragons, Cleary earned his spot in the New South Wales squad after a fine match, scoring a try as Penrith won convincingly 28-2 at Penrith Stadium.

On 6 June 2018, Cleary made his debut for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 2018 State of Origin series against Queensland, starting at halfback in the 22-12 win at the MCG.

Later that week, he kicked the match winning field goal in Penrith's 23–22 win over Canberra at GIO Stadium.

On 2 June, He extended his contract with the Panthers until the end of the 2019 season; his decision to do so voided a 'father-son' clause in his contract, which would have allowed him to leave the club following his father's dismissal as Penrith's head coach late the previous year, had he so pleased.

Two days after the signing, in round 13, Cleary made his NRL debut for the Penrith Panthers against the Melbourne Storm at five-eighth.

Despite a 6-24 defeat at AAMI Park, Cleary had a great debut; making 38 tackles.

The next week against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Cleary scored his first NRL try, as well as kicking five goals in Penrith's 31-24 win at Brookvale Oval.

Following a man of the match performance against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in round 15, The Daily Telegraph said of Cleary: "[it's] hard to believe he is only 18 playing his third NRL game. Composed under pressure, kicked well and supported inside for a crucial second half try."

After the departure of seasoned half Jamie Soward and Peter Wallace shifting to hooker, Cleary remained at halfback for the rest of the season.

He was in the race for the rookie of the year award, but lost to the Gold Coast Titans halfback, Ashley Taylor.

He finished his debut season with 3 tries and 52 goals from 15 matches.

He was the Penrith club's highest point-scorer with 116 points.

Cleary was rewarded with being named in the emerging NSW Blues squad.