Phil Gould has said it would be “extraordinary” if Nathan Cleary ever left the Penrith Panthers, underlining his belief that the club’s captain should remain a one-club player.
Cleary is contracted to Penrith through the end of the 2027 NRL season, having signed a long-term extension with his father, Ivan, in 2022. The deal was intended to keep the influential halfback at the club through the prime years of his career. ([nrl.com](https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/04/13/cleary-combo-lock-in-long-term-deals-in-panthers-boost/amp/))
Gould, who previously held a senior football role at Penrith, has long viewed Cleary as central to the Panthers’ identity and future. He was instrumental in securing the playmaker’s first major extension in 2018, when Cleary was still establishing himself as one of the competition’s leading young players. ([nrl.com](https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/09/24/nathan-cleary-the-biggest-signing-in-phil-goulds-time-at-penrith-panthers/amp/?utm_source=openai))
The latest comments come as Cleary’s future continues to attract attention, with reports earlier this year indicating that he could consider testing the open market for the first time if a further agreement with Penrith is not reached. Cleary has previously acknowledged that leaving the Panthers would be difficult. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nrl/story/_/id/48309957/nathan-cleary-open-testing-market-first?utm_source=openai))
For Gould, however, the preferred outcome remains clear: Cleary should spend his entire NRL career at Penrith, where he came through the club’s system and has become the defining figure of the Panthers’ modern era.
