Nathan Cleary all smiles after a Penrith Panthers game in 2025
Carroll, 57, wrote in his column The Nightly on Monday, the NRL icon should “follow his heart and join partner Mary Fowler full time in England.”
Australian Matildas for a game against South Korea on Monday.
“The great thing about Cleary is he can have his cake and eat it, too,” says Carroll.
“He doesn’t have to quit rugby league to be with the love of his life,” he said.
The rumour mill around the NRL’s transfer to the super league is well established, with speculation of the champion halfback joining Wigan, St Helens or Leeds.
At the age of 27, the Panther’s halfback has achieved it all in rugby league.
He has won four premierships with Penrith, won two Clive Churchill medals, won three State of Origin series with NSW, and has topped it off with a World Cup victory with the Kangaroos in 2021.
Cleary is contracted with the Panthers until 2027 and would therefore need to seek permission to leave the club before the end of his contract date.
NRL headquarters recently stated they had “no issue with players moving clubs for genuine family reasons or on compassionate grounds if both parties mutually agree.”
Cleary’s former teammate and three-time premiership winning front rower James Fisher-Harris was granted permission to leave the Panther’s club in 2024 to be closer with family in New Zeala.
Cleary has previously stated that he was open to the idea of playing in the Super League.“I’m not against it,” said Cleary.
“I have a pretty open mind to that kind of stuff,” he said.
“I think just being able to experience different cultures and different experiences is something I enjoy doing.”
Carroll, who played one season for the London Broncos in 1998, believes he and Mary have discussed the move and hopes they take the leap of faith.
“It would not only be a great love story, but Cleary’s move into uncharted rugby league waters would also capture the hearts of fans in two countries,” Carroll said.
Panthers slump continues
After losing four of their fist five games of the 2025 season, questions are being asked if the Panthers NRL dynasty is over.
A fourth consecutive loss to the Cowboys over the weekend means the reigning premiers are currently having their poorest run of form in half-a-decade.
Penrith will be looking to avoid a fifth straight loss when face the Dolphins away in Brisbane this Thursday.
The Dolphins sit alongside the Panthers on the bottom of the ladder with two points each, making it a crucial game to win for both squads if they don’t want to lose sight of the top eight.
Post-game on Friday the Penrith Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary told the media the team is in “uncharted waters.”
“We’ve worked really hard over a long period of time to develop a winning culture at the Panthers and winning cultures drill down on stuff that we can control and it’s my job as a coach to coach better – there’s so many factors that go into this,” he said.
“We’ve got to come up with the answers and that’s what we’re trying to do.”