Nathan Cleary named for NRL return with Panthers as Mary Fowler departs for Paris Olympics

The Penrith Panthers have confirmed that Nathan Cleary will make his return to the NRL this weekend - 10 weeks after he aggravated a hamstring injury in Round 10. The superstar halfback hasn't played since he damaged his hamstring again in May while playing the Bulldogs, but is set for a return against the Dolphins on Sunday after being named in the Panthers' starting 13 in their team list reveal on Tuesday afternoon.

Cleary strained his hamstring in Round 3, and only played one full game before hurting it again in Round 10. The Panthers have decided to play it very safe with their star halfback, however he's set to return to the No.7 role to partner Brad Schneider in the halves. Regular No.6 Jarome Luai has been named among the reserves along with Brian To'o and Liam Martin but fellow Penrith Origin stars Isaah Yeo and fullback Dylan Edwards have been rested by coach Ivan Cleary.

The 10-week break came at the perfect time for Cleary in his personal life, as it meant he got to spend more time with girlfriend Mary Fowler than he normally would. Fowler has been back in Australia since the end of May after her Women's Super League season ended in heartbreak.

She only jetted back out last week and headed to Spain for the Matildas' training camp before the Paris Olympics. Fowler played in Australia's friendly with Canada in Spain last weekend, and is now preparing to head to Paris for the Games.

It means Cleary and Fowler got to spend around two months together before they had to start their sporting commitments again. The superstar couple have been posting a number of photos on social media, which show them enjoying romantic getaways and relaxing get-togethers during their downtime.

The timing of Cleary's injury coinciding with Fowler's break has even sparked bizarre theories on social media that his hamstring issue isn't as bad as the Panthers are making out. But as we've seen with Melbourne Storm winger Xavier Coates, a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury is usually an eight-week layoff.

Nathan Cleary set for long-awaited return with Panthers

The Panthers have admitted Cleary might have been able to play in Round 19 - nine weeks after the injury occurred. But they had a bye last week, which gave Penrith the perfect opportunity to rest Cleary for one more week.

“I’m definitely hoping (he plays this week), but it’s one of those things that we wouldn’t want to rush,” Panthers hooker Mitch Kenny said on Monday. “No matter what the circumstances are, he’s always working hard.

“He’d be stinging to get out there because he’s a footballer and he hasn’t been able to play for a lot of the season. He’s been great around the group. I’m sure internally it’s been quite frustrating for him, but it looks like he’s tracking pretty well and hopefully he’s back out this week doing what he does best.”

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The Panthers haven't missed a beat in Cleary's absence, sitting second on the ladder with 11 wins and five losses. Rookie Jack Cole and veteran Brad Schneider have filled in admirably in the halves, while Jarome Luai has been shining at halfback.

“He sees the game in a different way to anyone else," Cole said about the learnings he's received from Cleary. "It’s like he’s playing in slow motion, especially at training where everyone’s playing fast but he seems to be at a different pace.

“Even listening to the language he uses when he speaks about footy is so different. You can be in the same room as him and you just have to listen to him – you don’t need to ask questions – and you learn so much.

“He’s next level and I hope to be learning from him for a long time. Still being young, I’ve been trying to pick up that language and put it into my game. You’re always picking up on little things that you wouldn’t normally look for (when you listen to Cleary). When you start, you probably don’t think the game is that sophisticated, but that’s why he’s so good because he looks at all the little things that add up to the big things.”

with agencies