{"id":572209,"date":"2026-08-18T00:46:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T00:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/572209\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T00:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T00:46:10","slug":"never-left-the-frame-big-cleary-reveal-as-surprise-move-opens-door-for-blockbuster-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/572209\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Never left the frame\u2019: Big Cleary reveal as surprise move opens door for blockbuster switch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nathan Cleary is reportedly set to head to free agency to test his value with one rival club emerging as the leading contender to sign the superstar halfback.<\/p>\n<p>Cleary is under contract until 2027 with the Panthers understood to be confident of locking the No.7 down on an extension.<\/p>\n<p>Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? <a href=\"https:\/\/kayosports.com.au\/en-AU\/welcome\/nrl?extcamp=fsaeditoriallinkleague-edt-fsp-lnk-awr-grc-nrl-kyo&amp;channel=fsa&amp;campaign=fsacontra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/poster-fallback.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>However, Code Sports\u2019 Dean Ritchie said all indications are Cleary will begin negotiating with rival clubs from November 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI keep hearing from very good sources and I\u2019ll repeat myself, I\u2019m told he is going to go to November 1,\u201d Ritchie said on NRL 360 on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know Ready (Brent Read) has some different mail and I respect that but my mail is pretty strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ritchie said the New Zealand Warriors were firming as the biggest threat to the Panthers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know where he is going to end up but I keep hearing that a viable option is the Warriors. It never left the frame,\u201d Ritchie said.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan Cleary to the Warriors?Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Cleary\u2019s father Ivan played 53 games at the club before kicking off his NRL head coaching career there, leading the Warriors in 154 games between 2006-2011.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan\u2019s brother Jett is currently the club\u2019s reserve grade half but is<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/nrl\/nrl-premiership\/nrl-2026-warriorspanthers-in-minor-spat-over-jett-clearys-release-request-ivan-cleary-what-happened-daily-news-and-updates\/news-story\/3af4fb71920f9e3dd59c5f3a70302466\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"> set to return to Sydney and join the Panthers next season.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>NRL360 host Braith Anasta noted Jett\u2019s departure could open the door for Nathan to head across the Tasman.<\/p>\n<p>Cleary previously indicated his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/nrl\/nrl-premiership\/nrl-2026-nathan-clearys-huge-hint-on-future-as-warriors-linked-to-panthers-star-free-agency-looms-will-he-leave-penrith-jett-cleary\/news-story\/1ece10ffa420ab923f16deefaf452942\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">reluctance to entertain a move to the Warriors if it meant blocking the path of his younger brother.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said he wouldn\u2019t go to the Warriors because he didn\u2019t want to take his brother\u2019s spot in the halves but is brother is now coming here,\u201d Anasta said.<\/p>\n<p>The PNG Chiefs, meanwhile, have made their intentions to target Cleary clear, but Ritchie declared the expansion club out of the race.<\/p>\n<p>NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA &#8211; MARCH 21: Ivan Cleary talks with his son Jett Cleary of the Warriors during the round three NRL match between Newcastle Knights and New Zealand Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium, on March 21, 2026, in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Scott Gardiner\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe 100% does not want to go to PNG. You could put a red pen through it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>It comes despite Matty Johns\u2019 revealing the Chiefs are confident they will land a superstar playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on SEN radio, Johns revealed his sources are confident that PNG will land one of Cleary or Rooster halfback Sam Walker.<\/p>\n<p>Walker put contract talks with the Roosters on hold until the end of the season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think with Sam it\u2019s either gonna be the Roosters or it\u2019s gonna be PNG. The money (at PNG) is crazy,\u201d Johns said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently, they\u2019re very confident. My mail is they\u2019re confident that they\u2019ll get either Cleary or Walker. That\u2019s what they\u2019re talking.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nathan Cleary is reportedly set to head to free agency to test his value with one rival club&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":572210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[111,139,69,213],"class_list":["post-572209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}