- Cleary will try to win fourth straight title on Sunday
- Fans have been speculating about Fowler attending
Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary has taken time out from his grand final preparations to reveal he is ‘always checking in on’ Mary Fowler to see how she’s dealing with the intense interest in their romance.
The 26-year-old will be trying to win his fourth premiership in a row when he and his Panthers teammates take on Melbourne in Sunday’s grand final – and while there’s been speculation about Fowler attending, Cleary has confirmed her commitments with Manchester City will make that impossible.
In the last two weeks he has opened about his relationship with Fowler in detail for the first time, explaining that he once got into a ‘car chase’ with paparazzi after Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed their relationship with photos of the couple embracing in Perth.
Now the NRL’s best player has detailed how he shows his concern for Fowler as she grapples with being in the public eye.
‘I felt a bit sorry for Mary, just with her personal life being in the spotlight too and all the added attention,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘For her, it’s all blown up so quickly, just after the World Cup last year, then us two.
‘I’m always checking in on her, but she handles it well.
‘It’s been a meteoric rise, but she’s humble and has got a very good head on her shoulders.’
Nathan Cleary worries about how Mary Fowler deals with the huge interest in their relationship and makes a point of checking in on her
The Panthers star says he ‘felt a bit sorry for Mary’ when the intense interest in their romance first unfolded and she had to grapple with fame
Asked if he and Fowler talk about their respective sports and give each other pointers, he said, ‘Sometimes it’s just good to have someone there to talk to.’
Cleary could be holding the premiership trophy at about 9.30 on Sunday night, but Fowler has already earned a huge accolade this week.
The Matildas star was named the Professional Footballers Australia young women’s footballer of the year on Thursday, joining national teammates Ellie Carpenter and Alex Chidiac as two-time winners of the award.
Fowler, 21, said the honour, voted on by her peers, meant ‘a lot’ to her,
‘It’s one of the best awards I can receive because getting something from the players I play alongside, and play against, it means … that they think I’m doing well and give me that kind of recognition,’ said the Manchester City attacking weapon, who also took home the award in 2022.
‘I just feel super grateful for that.’
Fowler has found form with Manchester City after struggling to make an impact during the Aussie national team’s disastrous campaign at the Paris Olympics.
She had a night to remember in the French capital last month as she turned in a superb performance against Paris FC in the Women’s Champions League.
Fowler got in on the 5-1 goal bonanza shortly after halftime, slotting the ball home following a shocking goalkeeping error that handed her a golden opportunity to find the back of the net.
The Matildas star (pictured playing for Manchester City last month) has taken out one of Australian soccer’s top honours this week
Earlier this month, Cleary also opened up about rumours that he staged the photos of him and Fowler cuddling in Perth, with the fact he was shirtless at the time fuelling speculation that he tipped off the photographer.
‘I swear to god I had no idea,’ he said.
‘Leading up to that, we were probably pretty blasé about how much people actually cared.
‘After the park we went back to the car and then we saw someone with the big camera there, and pretty much a couple of hours later it all came out.’
And while he’s one of the most recognisable and popular athletes in Australia, the three-time premiership winner admitted Aussies sometimes ignore him in favour of Mary when they want a photo.
‘Sometimes I get brushed. [Fans say] “Oh, not you”.’