Nathan Cleary isn’t ruling out a move to rugby. Is it time for the Panthers to panic?

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Nathan Cleary says he is in no rush to thrash out a contract extension with the Panthers and has refused to rule out an eventual switch to rugby, insisting he wants to retire with “no regrets”.

Penrith officials have begun plotting ‘Operation Keep Clearys’ in a bid to keep Nathan and his father, coach Ivan Cleary at the club beyond 2027, when their contracts expire.

Nathan Cleary, who plays off 14, played in Wednesday’s LIV Adelaide Pro-Am at The Grange.

The pair will become the hottest signatures in the game if they hit the open market come November 1 – but for Nathan, there is no sense of urgency to broker a new deal.

“In my mind, there’s no need to make a decision right now,” Cleary said on Thursday. “I don’t want to make decisions about my future too quickly, or jump the gun on anything.

“At the end of the day, I love where I’m at right now. To me, I haven’t really thought too much about my future because I still have two years to run on my contract. I understand people will start to talk about it, but it’s not in my mind at all – it still seems so far away.

“I look at how I want to be once I retire, I want to have no regrets – and that’s with the way I play, my preparation, whether I’m enjoying myself, contract negotiations … it’s a more holistic thing rather than just about contracts. I never want it to become a distraction. [But] it still feels so far away.”

‘At the end of the day, I love where I’m at right now. To me, I haven’t really thought too much about my future because I still have two years to run on my contract.’

Nathan Cleary

Cleary revealed last week on the Unscripted podcast with former teammate Josh Mansour that he was open to switching codes.

When pressed if he was serious about walking away from the Panthers and rugby league for rugby, Cleary told this masthead: “My passion is rugby league. I couldn’t see myself leaving any time soon. Somewhere down the track, maybe. But not at the moment.

“I’m not closing any doors. I’m open to anything. I’m also very happy with where I’m at, I’m very happy with rugby league – it’s my passion – and I couldn’t see anything changing anytime soon.

“I don’t want to say something like, ‘I’m never going to do it’, then you eventually do it. So much can change in the sporting world. It’s hard for me to envisage not [playing for] Penrith. I absolutely love Penrith, it’s home to me.”

Cleary with Cameron Smith and Steve Smith on Wednesday.

Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has spoken about wanting to lure Cleary to rugby, while Australian rugby legend Tim Horan suggested the halfback might want to “spread his wings” and sample the 15-man code.

But the bigger threat to Penrith, who are keen to make Cleary a Panther for life, are NRL newcomers the PNG Chiefs, who can offer a tax-free deal.

The Panthers have always extended Cleary’s contract before he became a free agent. Arguably the game’s best player, Cleary is likely to command at least $1.5 million a season with his next deal.

Complicating matters for the Panthers is the fact a host of other stars are also off contract at the end of 2027, including co-captain Isaah Yeo, Liam Martin, Brian To’o, Moses Leota, Mitch Kenny and young playmaker Blaize Talagi.

Nathan Cleary congratulates Brisbane’s Reece Walsh after last year’s preliminary final.

Asked if he felt he had nothing left to achieve in the NRL, four-time premiership winner Cleary said: “I feel like achievements are what other people see.

“For me, I’ll never reach my full potential in rugby league. That’s the way I’m wired. I always think I can get better, and I’m glad I’m like that. I’ll never be like I’ve completed everything, because rugby league isn’t a game that can be completed.”

The Panthers led 14-0 in their preliminary final last season, only to lose to eventual winners Brisbane.

They have enjoyed a trouble-free pre-season and Cleary is optimistic about 2026.

“There’s a genuine belief we can do something special, but potential means nothing if you don’t work hard and actually get the most out of that potential,” Cleary said.

“For me, I feel like I can get better at everything. The beauty of the game we play, you’re not just an attacker, defender, or kicker, you have to do all those things every week. I can get better in all those areas. I enjoy that challenge.”