- Nathan Cleary is currently in the UK to be with the Matildas star
- Ivan has recently opened up about his mental health battles
Penrith master coach Ivan Cleary has made a hilarious joke at his son Nathan’s expense as he discussed the halfback’s romance with Matildas star Mary Fowler while being interviewed on live TV.
Fresh off Penrith’s historic fourth straight NRL premiership, the Panthers playmaker recently made a dash to the UK to spend quality time with his partner.
The pair grabbed headlines over the weekend after making a shock appearance at the Super League final in Manchester where Wigan Warriors won their fourth straight title.
The celebrity romance has captured the attention of the nation – a fact that’s not lost on Nathan’s dad Ivan.
While appearing on Channel Nine’s Today show to promote his new book on Tuesday, the supercoach was jokingly asked if Nathan should be at home training instead of holidaying overseas.
‘I assume he’s already training over there,’ Cleary grinned.
‘But he’s following Mary around – he’s a male version of a WAG over there.’
The four-time premiership-winning coach is on top of the world after Penrith’s historic win against the Storm in the NRL decider, but few know how much the reserved 53-year-old has struggled in his private life.
Ivan Cleary says his son Nathan is like a male WAG when he’s in the UK visiting Mary Fowler
The Panthers playmaker recently made a dash to the UK to spend time with his football star girlfriend (pictured together)
Cleary has recently opened up about his lengthy struggles with mental health in a new autobiography.
‘I’ve been lucky enough to win four premierships in the last four years, but it took 26 years to achieve that as a player and a coach… there are a lot of downs as well in a long career,’ Cleary told Today.
‘Probably in 2019 when I first went back to Panthers I definitely knew I was struggling. I’d had some previous instances that I probably didn’t really realise. I suppose over time you work it out.
‘Struggling to get out of bed, or not wanting to. Other things like becoming emotional for no real reason… or there obviously are reasons there.
Ivan Cleary (pictured) has recently opened up about his battle with depression and revealed the signs that proved he wasn’t in a good place mentally
‘I was, like many men, I was holding it all in, not discussing it. I started by talking to my wife – she made it very clear she was disappointed I wasn’t opening up.
‘I thought I didn’t want to burden her, or that people are doing it harder than me, I need to harden up and get on with it.
‘It’s been a long journey, but something I wanted to share because it’s not all beer and skittles.’