Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary says he is ahead of schedule after returning to training on Thursday, just five weeks after shoulder surgery.
He hopes to build a relationship with new recruit Blaize Talagi as the Panthers chart a path to what would be a staggering fifth straight NRL premiership.
It comes as the 27-year-old revealed the extreme dietary measures he is taking while away from partner Mary Fowler on the comeback trail.
Talagi, who moved to the reigning champions from Parramatta, looms as a replacement in the half for Jarome Luai, the latest in a long line of premiership winners to depart in recent seasons.
Both Talagi and superstar Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards have also undergone shoulder surgery in the off-season, but all could be available for their first game in Las Vegas, with Cleary looking good in Thursday’s session.
The four-time premiership winner was at Nepean Hospital with teammates on Friday afternoon to spread Christmas cheer, with locals happy to see their main man looking so good just weeks after major surgery to repair a shoulder injury restore that plagued him in the preparation and reigned. knocked him out for a few weeks on the eve of the final.
Cleary has had a series of shoulder injuries in recent seasons that have kept him off the park
The Panthers playmaker underwent surgery this offseason to hopefully correct the joint before 2025
‘The recovery takes about three to four months, so so far it’s been good. I started training again yesterday (Thursday) and it’s been good so far,” Cleary told NewsWire.
“I’m slowly ticking off the boxes and after Christmas it starts to take off. I’m a little ahead of schedule, which is cool.
“There are a few lads at the club who have come back from shoulder surgery and everyone is doing really well. We are all making good progress together.’
Cleary has been unable to do full contact or big ball work, with the champion playmaker set to spend pre-season building a relationship with 19-year-old Talagi.
But it won’t be an easy swap for Luai as Cleary and his former five-eighth spent a decade together through the junior ranks before becoming a dominant combination in the NRL.
They were Batman and Robin for so long that everything felt second nature. That’s why Cleary doesn’t want to make any bold predictions about Talagi battling Jack Cole for the number six jersey.
Cleary is on a temporary carnivore diet to speed up his recovery and be ready for the upcoming season
Part of the diet includes drinking sea moss daily as part of his breakfast
Cleary also eats four steaks a day to tone his body and lose fat
“I don’t have any expectations right now,” Cleary said.
“He’s come back in really good shape for a guy who had his shoulder done a week after me and he’s absolutely flying.
‘I got to know him over the past few days. He’s actually my locker neighbor, so that was fun.
‘He’s a shy little boy, but he’s really willing to learn. If you tell him something, he immediately takes over and learns quickly.
‘I don’t have any expectations yet, but I played against him last season and I know he is a great player with a lot of talent, but he still has a lot to learn.
‘I want to get to know him as a person first and help him where I can on the training field.
‘There’s still a long way to go before the first round arrives, and there are other guys rolling up their sleeves for the number six position. It’s really healthy competition.’
Cleary could invite Talagi over for dinner to share some ideas where the teen would be treated to sea moss, steaks, scrambled eggs and then some bone broth and more sea moss for dessert.
The Panthers are eyeing an unprecedented fifth consecutive NRL premiership in 2025
It’s all part of Cleary’s carnivore diet, which he turned to when dealing with repeated hamstring injuries that limited his career to just 13 games in 2024.
“When I was going through the hammy issues last year, I wanted to have a clean slate and take a step back and look at everything I was doing,” he revealed.
“If there was anything I could do to help me in any way, I would do it.
“The carnivore thing is not full-time. I use it here and there as a little cleansing and then I add fruit and sweet potato back in.
‘I just want to be more conscious about my diet and try to do a small percentage that keeps me on the field.
‘I have periods where I’m quite disciplined, but after a match I get a little treat here and there to keep a healthy balance.
“I feel really good, especially in my stomach, with my recovery time and my mental clarity.”