![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789872853_395_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\nJett Cleary was the talk of the town last month after making a successful NRL debut for the New Zealand Warriors, but his long-term goal is to partner brother Nathan in the halves at Penrith.<\/p>\n
By all reports he will soon walk into the club for pre-season training familiar with many of his new teammates, with Cleary widely expected to make the move to Penrith after securing an early release from the Warriors.<\/p>\n
But he will still face a huge challenge to get his hands on the No. 6 jersey.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n
Watch every game of the 2026 NRL Telstra Premiership Finals Series before the Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n When Cleary arrives at Penrith in a few months\u2019 time there will be no favouritism \u2014 not that it will be an issue anyway. <\/p>\n Because from speaking to some of Cleary\u2019s former and soon-to-be teammates, one thing is clear: Jett is ready to fight for every minute and there is one trait that sets him apart from brother Nathan.<\/p>\n Here, foxsports.com.au looks at Jett\u2019s rise, what it means for the future of one of his teammates and how the youngest Cleary will fare under father Ivan in his last year in charge.<\/p>\n J. Cleary scores 3 assists in 1st half | 00:44<\/p>\n JETT MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF<\/p>\n Following in a more famous sibling\u2019s footsteps is often fraught with danger.<\/p>\n When one child turns out to be a superstar in a given sport, it\u2019s extremely rare that a sibling will follow in their footsteps let alone make a success of it.<\/p>\n Ever since now-champion brother Nathan made his first grade debut in 2016, Jett\u2019s been on a hiding to nothing.<\/p>\n And expectations have risen exponentially every year since 2021 when Nathan won the first of his four premierships and first of his two Clive Churchill Medals with the Penrith Panthers.<\/p>\n You can only wonder what was going through the back of Jett\u2019s mind as he was trying to carve out his own career and reputation.<\/p>\n But the 21-year-old continued to create his own path and has risen to become a first grade footballer.<\/p>\n After making his NRL debut for the New Zealand Warriors in Round 27<\/a> in Auckland, and finishing with a record four try assists, rising Penrith superstar Casey McLean watched on from Australia and felt proud.<\/p>\n The Clearys celebrate Jett\u2019s debut game for the Warriors.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n McLean played with and against Jett in the junior grades and told foxsports.com.au that the youngest Cleary hadn\u2019t been too affected by his older brother\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s kind of running his own race and he\u2019s been able to do what he\u2019s been able to do because he\u2019s creating his own path and he\u2019s made it, so good on him,\u201d McLean said.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose that it\u2019s cool to see what\u2019s coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n Just playing one first grade match is a massive achievement that few get close to, but when you\u2019re a Cleary it doesn\u2019t get the recognition it deserves.<\/p>\n Jett\u2019s got it all ahead of him and while playing one first grade game is the hardest thing for most players to achieve, the challenge is only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n In a few months, the real task starts \u2013 and there will be no favours coming his way.<\/p>\n JETT THE \u2018DOG\u2019<\/p>\n There was a time when being labelled a \u2018dog\u2019 wasn\u2019t a good thing, it meant you were a coward. <\/p>\n But these days, players use the term in the exact opposite way.<\/p>\n A \u2018dog\u2019 is now a footy player who rips in and is a competitor.<\/p>\n McLean described Jett as a \u2018dog\u2019 due to his experiences playing against him in the juniors.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s obviously the brother of Nathan but he\u2019s such a player himself, Jett,\u201d McLean said. <\/p>\n \u201cI was lucky enough to grow up playing against him a fair few times and to see what he\u2019s become, it\u2019s so cool. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s definitely fiery, especially when we were little. He used to get into me, but it was all banter back at the day. I got to lucky enough to play a couple of Harold Matt\u2019s games with him and got to know him a little bit as well. <\/p>\n \u201cHe and Nathan are two different people, you can\u2019t really compare the two.\u201d<\/p>\n Jett during his St Dominics days. Picture: Jonathan NgSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n Penrith prop Luron Patea had similar memories of Jett. He played SG Ball with Jett as they were coming up through the ranks and he saw first-hand just how touch the younger Cleary is.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got this more aggressive side to him than Nathan does. That\u2019s kind of cool to have, knowing that when your halfback does take it, he can give it back to you (physically). Players are trying to get at him and he can hold his own,\u201d Patea said. <\/p>\n Jett played junior footy at Glenmore Park Brumbies with Patea\u2019s younger brother.<\/p>\n And even back then, Patea noticed that Jett didn\u2019t take a backward step against far bigger opposition players.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a strong Pacific Islander presence in the Penrith Junior League and many of those players are able to intimidate with their size.<\/p>\n Patea was impressed back then to see how Jett used to handle the bigger boys trying to dominate him physically. <\/p>\n \u201cSome of the games I used to watch him play, it was real funny watching players think they could after him\u2026 he\u2019s skinnier compared to the other boys out in the area\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get heaps of big Islander boys trying to run at him thinking he\u2019s going to take a backwards step but man, he goes after it which is pretty cool. I just remember watching it and getting a glimpse of how he was as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n Finefeuiaki signs new Dolphins deal | 00:32<\/p>\n Fox League\u2019s Cooper Cronk watched on as Jett set up a number of tries for the Warriors on debut, which got all the headlines.<\/p>\n But that wasn\u2019t what Cronk liked most.<\/p>\n It was Jett\u2019s reaction to a hit he copped that raised Cronk\u2019s eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cHe set up some tries, but the most impressive part for me, and I think you can build a good, solid career as a halfback out of this, is that when he got hit late after a kick he had a bit of fire in his belly and got up and pushed and shoved,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t disrespectful, but it was competitive and that\u2019s the type of thing you want to see in a halfback. You don\u2019t want to see a halfback go into their shell when a front rower comes after you. You want to see them put their body on the line.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he copped a hit, he stood up for himself and that was the most impressive part for Jett Cleary\u2019s game. He copped a big whack and fought fire with fire and got up and did his job.\u201d<\/p>\n Cronk not only praised Jett\u2019s toughness, but said he saw enough in him to suggest he can make it as an NRL player.<\/p>\n He has the Cleary DNA.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a halfback that has some footy IQ because the Warriors system requires a halfback that is able to execute the game plan,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe way Andrew Webster has set that team up is you need a halfback that can move to both sides of the ruck and create.\u201d<\/p>\n Angus Crichton to return for Roosters | 02:56<\/p>\n Penrith\u2019s Kiwi back-rower Isaiah Papali\u2019i said Jett would benefit from being back home with family soon and that this experience at the Warriors would put him in good stead.<\/p>\n Nathan grew up playing against Polynesian kids while Ivan was coaching the Warriors and it helped him grow into a tough halfback because he was often taking on bigger kids.<\/p>\n Papali\u2019i knows too well how tough it is playing against guys like himself and Jett hasn\u2019t taken a backward step while coming up against those bigger bodies. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been killing it over in New Zealand and I guess him coming home will be a plus for him, being back with his parents and family,\u201d Papali\u2019i said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited for him to come over and get to know him and hang out with him.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you can probably see the Warriors are doing a great job at playing consistently and playing a tough brand of footy and he\u2019s taking that head on.<\/p>\n \u201cHe did a great job on debut and I think the more opportunities he gets, he\u2019s just going to keep improving and I\u2019m excited for him to come next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Romy’s tribute to retiring Millie Elliot | 01:13<\/p>\n WARNING FOR JETT AHEAD OF PENRITH SWITCH<\/p>\n Jett requested and got his release from the Warriors in August <\/a>so he could join Nathan and father Ivan at Penrith.<\/p>\n The hope is they\u2019ll be the halves combination next season.<\/p>\n So, how does Penrith hooker Mitch Kenny feel about the prospect of passing out of dummy half to two Clearys in 2027?<\/p>\n \u201cJett\u2019s obviously coming over here for a reason and he\u2019ll get a chance to prove himself in the pre-season like everyone,\u201d Kenny replied.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of nice to think about two brothers playing together, but who knows, there\u2019s a long way to go and there\u2019s a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n The three-time premiership-winning rake told foxsports.com.au that there would be no nepotism when Jett walks into the Penrith centre of excellence for pre-season training.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not coming here just to walk into the position. He\u2019ll have to earn it like anyone else,\u201d Kenny said.<\/p>\n When it comes to fathers coaching their sons it usually goes one of two ways.<\/p>\n They either favour the son, or do the exact opposite and treat them harsher than the other players.<\/p>\n Coach Ivan is the sort of father who Kenny said would be the latter. <\/p>\n \u201cI think he will (treat Jett tougher than the other players) and I\u2019ve heard him say that he probably wouldn\u2019t have debuted Nathan when he did and stuff like that, so there certainly won\u2019t be any favouritism,\u201d Kenny said. <\/p>\n “Absolutely!” Phins Premiership chances | 02:09<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n Fresh deal in $2.2m per season jackpot as Luai jets off with huge snub for Tigers<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Last Dance\u2019: The reality facing Cronulla\u2019s golden era with calls to \u2018blow up\u2019 roster<\/a><\/p>\n Izack Tago has also won multiple premierships at Penrith and he said while Jett will learn a lot from Nathan, his brother will also be his hardest critic. <\/p>\n \u201cNathan will hold him to that same account and be teaching him a lot so it will be cool to witness their journey together,\u201d Tago said. <\/p>\n Reverse nepotism is a real thing.<\/p>\n Performance and sports psychologist at Condor Performance <\/a>David Barracosa told foxsports.com.au that it can be both a conscious and subconscious thing for a coach.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do see that (reverse nepotism) happen and sometimes it\u2019s a conscious thing where it is like \u2018okay I really want to make sure that my son or daughter is earning their stripes and they\u2019re really earning their opportunities\u2019,\u201d Barracosa said. <\/p>\n \u201cIn other times I think it can be a little bit of a subconscious thing because there is that little bit more familiarity. They can push a little bit harder because there\u2019s a pre-existing relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cSome coaches may use it as a tactic to really show there is an equal playing field and everyone\u2019s got to earn their stripes irrespective of the name on the back of your jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n Being Ivan\u2019s father may get the most out of Jett, because Cleary senior will know which buttons to push \u2013 and Jett\u2019s more likely to respond to him.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause there is that familiarity, they know that they can push a little bit harder because it\u2019s not going to be misinterpreted and they can challenge them a little bit more because the player knows where that\u2019s coming from and they know they\u2019ve got their best intentions,\u201d Barracosa said. <\/p>\n Nathan and Jett Cleary after Penrith’s premiership win in 2021. NRL ImagerySource: Supplied<\/p>\n HOW IVAN DEALS WITH NEPOTISM CONCERNS<\/p>\n The last thing Ivan wants when Jett is at Penrith is a similar situation to what the Flanagans experienced at St George Illawarra.<\/p>\n Coach Shane played son Kyle at halfback and it was met with criticism<\/a>, to the point where some suggested it cost the coach his job earlier this year.<\/p>\n Ivan won\u2019t have to worry about his job when he coaches his final season next year, and sports psychologist David Barracosa said professionalism usually takes over when a person coaches their son at the elite level. <\/p>\n \u201cCoaches take the really professional highway when it comes to these things,\u201d Barracosa said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey put themselves in a position where even though it is potentially family that they\u2019re making decisions on, it\u2019s just a player in a squad.<\/p>\n \u201cThe coaches I work with who have been in this position work really hard on being able to separate work from personal life and setting boundaries and looking at the way that they manage their relationships in order to be able to maintain that boundary.\u201d<\/p>\n The Flanagan situation was played out publicly which made things even harder on the family.<\/p>\n Barracosa said it was only natural that a coach\u2019s treatment of their son would cause more public debate than their dealings with another player in the team.<\/p>\n Flanno to come in at the Tigers? | 03:36<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of the pressure does come from external comments in terms of those decisions that are put under the microscope more because there is that family link and therefore I think the decisions they make are often amplified whether it\u2019s by media or on social media,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cFrom the coach\u2019s perspective it\u2019s about maintaining professional boundaries and I think both the player and coach are very aware of the nature of that because they\u2019re also aware of the impact that can have on a locker room if it isn\u2019t managed correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think there is a very clear intention to do things right.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivan didn\u2019t have to worry about nepotism concerns with Nathan because he picked himself and that\u2019s the hope for Jett.<\/p>\n But he\u2019s currently got Jack Cogger in front of him and Blaize Talagi despite the fact the former Eel lost his No. 6 jumper earlier this year.<\/p>\n WHAT TO DO WITH BLAIZE?<\/p>\n