Jett Cleary has broken his silence on why he decided to sign with the New Zealand Warriors, splitting from brother Nathan and father Ivan at the Panthers. The younger Cleary brother is a Penrith junior, and fans had high hopes he would one day team up with brother Nathan in the Panthers’ halves.

But Jett made the decision to forge a different path last year when he signed a three-year deal with the Warriors. The 19-year-old played in the Warriors’ trial game against Cronulla last month, and got a taste of top-level rugby league.

He’ll likely spend the 2025 season in reserve grade, and the jury is still out about whether he has what it takes to be an NRL player. At one stage last year it looked like Jett might be the Panthers’ five-eighth-in-waiting after Jarome Luai signed with the Wests Tigers.

Speaking to TV network 1News in Auckland this week, the teenager opened up about why he left his brother and father (coach Ivan) to sign with the Warriors. The 19-year-old said he’s keen to make a name for himself and not ride the coat-tails of his family.

“Obviously, there’s Nathan and dad and they’ve got their own thing going in Penrith,” he said. “I could’ve easily stayed there and rode what they’re doing now because they are pretty successful, but I thought this was a good opportunity to step out of the limelight a bit and do it my own way and try succeed on my own.”

Jett opened up on the connection he has with the New Zealand NRL team after he was born in Auckland while Ivan was an assistant coach there. Jett lived in Auckland until he was 7, before the family moved back to Australia in 2012.

“Most of the time I was in the creche in the little kids section (of the club). That was always fun,” he said. “It’s so weird because I used to joke with my mates and my mum that I’ll go play for the Warriors one day. I always joke with mum that I kind of spoke it into existence I think, I love the Warriors and I’ve always wanted to play for them.”

Rumours of Jett Cleary’s reunion with family in PNG

Speculation has been rife that Jett might look to return to the Panthers after gaining some experience at the Warriors that he might not have been afforded in Penrith. But with young guns Jack Cole and Blaize Talagi at the four-time premiers, it might be hard for Jett to crack a first-grade spot at the Panthers.

One theory that’s been doing the rounds is the new PNG team could target all three of Nathan, Ivan and Jett Cleary for their inaugural season in 2028. Nathan and Ivan’s current contracts both expire in 2027, and the fact Nathan’s girlfriend Mary Fowler has family in PNG could tie into things.

Speaking late last year, Panthers legend Scott Sattler said on SEN radio (with tongue in cheek): “Nathan and Ivan Cleary come off contract at the end of 2027, and by 2028 Jett Cleary might have played 50 NRL games with the Warriors. For 2028, the conspiracy is all going to play out. The Clearys times three – Ivan, Nathan and Jett – will sign with PNG, and move up there with Mary. We think this could be a conspiracy that’s all been playing out in front of our eyes.”

Speaking this week, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo made some very suggestive comments linking Nathan and Mary’s relationship to the potential success of the PNG franchise. “There will be a lot of people that are Mary Fowler fans that now are interested in rugby league,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who know nothing about sport who are interested in the romance between the two. And obviously if Nathan was playing for PNG down the track that would be pretty interesting as well.”