Nathan Cleary makes ‘sad’ admission on Mary Fowler injury situation

Nathan Cleary is back with the Blues ahead of next week’s State of Origin opener but admits his heart and mind are torn by superstar partner Mary Fowler’s plight in the UK.

Fowler suffered a nightmare ACL tear while playing for Manchester City last month, cruelling her hopes of leading the Matildas at the Asian Cup on home soil next March. It also immediately changed her plans for the off-season.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nathan Cleary makes ‘sad’ admission on Mary Fowler situation.

Fowler has had to remain in England to continue rehabilitating her knee after surgery and will not be able to attend Origin I in Brisbane.

“She’s over in England sort of going through her rehab at the moment,” Cleary told 7NEWS Sydney.

“It’s a tough time for her but I’m also super proud of her, just the way she’s attacked it so far.”

Fowler has been in good spirits since going down injured, regularly sharing updates on her life and recovery.

But there is a part of Cleary still wishing he was not tied down by his NRL commitments.

“It’s sometimes sad that I can’t be there with her, just looking after her. But I’m very proud of her,” he said.

Fowler was on hand to support Cleary last year when he suffered a shoulder injury late in the season.

All he wants now is to return the favour.

“She doesn’t need advice from me, she’s got it all sorted out,” Cleary said.

“It’s about me just being there to support her and help her on the journey.”

Cleary missed NSW’s 2024 Origin success with a hamstring injury and Penrith have struggled so far this season, though his form has largely held up.

So much has changed that the 27-year-old wondered whether he would be recalled by new Blues coach Laurie Daley.

“You definitely think that at times, particularly with the players you’re up against,” he said.

But Cleary has been backed in as the lead halfback in his new partnership with last year’s winning No.7 Mitchell Moses.

“At the end of the day you want to put your best foot forward for the team, egos won’t get in the way of that,” Cleary said.

Moses will don the No.6 jersey for the first time since 2017 and is ready to cede to Cleary.

“He is the No.7 — that excites me a fair bit,” Moses said.

“I’ve never been able to play that (five-eighth) role, well I actually have at the Tigers when I was playing five-eighth in my early days.

“But I haven’t been able to in a while, that excites me for him to be the dominant halfback and I can pick my opportunities.

“Any time you can play with a player of his calibre it’s massive.”

Where the balance of power lies will be particularly noticeable when NSW end their sets.

As Daley noted, the duo’s kicking game will be able to rescue a bad set.

Cleary lags just behind Moses, who leads the competition for average kick metres in the NRL this season.

The pair also have a variety of floaters, grubbers and crossfield kicks that could cause plenty of problems for the Maroons.

“It’s crucial (to have two great kickers) and it’s a hard thing to stop,” Moses said.

“But we have to work out what is best for us and what works best for us. We’ll go to work with that and get it sorted.”

Moses’s presence should ease the pressure on Cleary.

Only Mitchell Pearce and Andrew Johns have worn the Blues No.7 jersey more times than the Penrith co-captain, but the knock on Cleary remains that he has yet to dominate an Origin series.

“I’m looking forward to the partnership ... it’s about us working out how we want to get the ball and in which situations, and obviously the kicking game helps on both sides of the ruck,” Cleary said.

“It’s about complementing each other’s game and making sure we bring the best out of each other.”

- with AAP