How a radical diet is helping Nathan Cleary and his Panthers teammates chase grand final glory
- Some Panthers stars follow a carnivore diet
- Nathan Cleary is in a select group for the grand final
- Young soldier Paul Alamoti insists he has never felt better
- Panthers are chasing a fourth straight NRL premiership
It’s an extreme carnivore diet that many athletes swear by – and it could propel Nathan Cleary and the Panthers to their fourth consecutive NRL title on Sunday.
Cleary, 26, has joined Izack Tago, Paul Alamoti, Luke Garner and Soni Luke on a meal plan that consists mainly of meat, fish and eggs.
Tago told the Sydney Morning Herald the superstar halfback – who will carry a shoulder injury into the decider at the Accor Stadium – was motivated after seeing his teammates ‘have more clarity’.
“Nath thought he’d look at it himself,” Tago said. “I know he’s done a lot of research and had some conversations with doctors. Then he decided to jump on it too.
‘You certainly know the difference. ‘For me, I noticed that I had more clarity. When I wasn’t working on it, I felt brain fog.
“You can see it made a difference for some guys this year.”
Backrower Garner stated that coach Ivan Cleary ‘trusts the players’ with what they eat – and this comes as doctors have warned that skipping key food groups such as fruits and vegetables could increase the risk of heart disease.
Alamoti, who is in the best form of his career, admitted he was “quite skeptical” at first but soon noticed positive changes, most notably feeling fresher and more energized.
It’s an extreme carnivore diet that many athletes swear by – and it could propel Nathan Cleary and the Panthers to their fourth consecutive NRL title on Sunday (pictured, newly built-out halfback)
Cleary, 26, has joined Izack Tago, Paul Alamoti, Luke Garner and Soni Luke on a meal plan consisting mainly of meat, fish and eggs (pictured, with friend Mary Fowler)
Panthers center Paul Alamoti (right) noticed positive changes, especially feeling fresher and having more energy
Meanwhile, Scott Sorensen is confident he can find his way back into the Penrith team in the grand final after a hamstring injury, but this could come at the expense of Matt Eisenhuth.
The pair travel together to training from southern Sydney several times a week – and if Kiwi international Sorensen gets the nod, Eisenhuth won’t be kicking any stones.
“I’m getting ready to play,” he said.
“We live in the Shire and although most people think that might be a pain… we’re happy with it either way.
“We’re all competitive animals and you’re aiming to be in that 17 and you can have days where it can frustrate you.
“That’s part of footy, some people are the superstars, but you also have your toilers.”
Kick-off for Sunday’s NRL grand final between the Panthers and Melbourne Storm is at 7.30pm AEST.