Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher jokes Mary Fowler coming to Australia key to Clearys staying at Penrith

The Panthers are plotting on extending their dynasty into the next decade with Penrith CEO Brian Fletcher revealing the club was eager to sign Nathan and Ivan Cleary beyond the end of their 2027 contracts.

In front of thousands of rapturous fans at Panthers Leagues Club on Wednesday Fletcher also joked the club would work on bringing Nathan Cleary’s partner Mary Fowler back to Australia from the UK - where she plays for Manchester City in the Super League - to entice Nathan to stay at Penrith.

“Last year on radio I said if we win in ‘23, we’ll definitely win in ‘24 and ‘25. So don’t be afraid of next year,” Fletcher said.

“We’ve also got ‘26 and ‘27 to go. And why I say that is, Ivan Cleary and Nathan Cleary are signed until the end of ‘27. It’s my job and the CEO of Football, Matt Cameron, to extend that as far as we can.

“Matt’s job also is he’s got to bring Mary back to Australia.”

Nathan Cleary will fly to the UK to be with his Matilda girlfriend and forgo immediate surgery on his injured shoulder.

Nathan Cleary earlier riled Parramatta fans when he had a dig at Ray Price and Peter Wynn on social media over their claims the 1980s Eels team that three premierships in a row was a better team than the four-peat Panthers.

Cleary posted a “curious emoji” above a picture of the Eels greats after one of their grand final triumphs.

On Sunday night Ivan Cleary hailed Penrith’s fourth premiership as the finest in their sequence, telling his players it stood above all others in their dynasty.

Speaking to the Panthers before their team song, he praised their resilience after a 14-6 triumph over Melbourne which capped a defensive masterclass in the finals.

The Panthers’ premiership came despite halfback Nathan Cleary playing only 10 regular-season games, while Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin and Scott Sorensen also battled injuries.

“It’s probably a bit of everything,” coach Cleary said, explaining why this was his side’s best title.

“The style of game, the way we played in the finals after we didn’t really come into the finals playing that well.

“Playing against Melbourne, who are just peerless in the last 20 years of the NRL. They have had a great year. All their best players are in good form.

“All that together, and just the way the game went ... It’s unbelievable.”

Penrith players labelled Sunday night’s win as physically the toughest of their four successive grand final victories.

Their 2021 win over South Sydney had a thrilling finish, 2022 against Parramatta was a domination and 2023 featured the greatest grand-final comeback against Brisbane.

But Sunday’s win was their grittiest in the middle, as the Panthers suffocated Melbourne out of the game and rarely offered the Storm’s attacking weapons any good ball.

The effort continued a remarkable run in finals matches, with Penrith having won a record 12 on the trot while conceding only 9.3 points per game since the first of those matches in 2021.

Cleary remains adamant that hunger can return again next year, as the Panthers hunt a quintet of premierships without Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris and Sunia Turuva.

“We’ll have a new group again, we’ve got some challenges for sure with guys leaving. But we’ve done it before,” Cleary said.

“I’ll know when they all turn up how they’re looking. I know what they’re like. I think they’ll be alright.”

with AAP