Nathan Cleary’s “diligence” and his unwillingness to take any shortcuts have the Panthers premiership star firming for a round 1 return in Las Vegas despite fears he could miss the start of the season due to a shoulder injury that plagued him during the finals.
The champion playmaker had major shoulder surgery in the off-season after he was limited to just 13 appearances last year due to a couple of serious hamstring injuries as well as the shoulder issue he had to deal with throughout the finals.
Cleary missed the Pacific Championships and was in doubt for the start of the new season, but his relentless drive to return earlier than scheduled has him primed to be there when the premiers face the Sharks on March 2.
“He’s looking really good,” teammate Liam Martin said.
“He’s back doing full training with us and is coming along well. He’s doing everything in his power to be right (for round 1) and hopefully he’ll be there.
“It’s a credit to him (how quickly he’s able to recover). His diligence is second to none and he does everything in his power. He doesn’t take any shortcuts in his diet or his recovery or sleep.
“You can see why he’s able to come back a lot quicker and better than most people. It’s incredible to see.”
Cleary turned to a diet of steak, sea moss, bone broth and scrambled eggs last year as a bit of a cleanse to aid his recovery, but it’s not just his diet that’s been flipped upside down, with the rep star to have a new halves partner in 2025.
