In a rare interview, the Panthers coach delves into topics ranging from the Foo Fighters to Nathan being coached elsewhere, Jarome Luai’s $6 million Tigers deal, and concerns for the upcoming season.
Achieving NRL success on the field often translates to off-field rewards, and the Penrith Panthers’ threepeat Rugby League champions are no exception. Players like Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, and Brian To’o have invested their earnings in local properties, establishing themselves as local figures of prominence.
Coach Ivan Cleary has also established roots in the area, while some players like bench player Luke Garner have chosen to explore opportunities further afield.
In 2018, Nathan Cleary made a savvy investment by purchasing a $1.5 million character home near BlueBet Stadium, the team’s home ground, during his third year with the Panthers. Securing the property for $150,000 less than the asking price, Cleary capitalized on a soft market. The property’s value has likely appreciated by at least 50% since then, given the area’s rising property prices over the past five years.
A new chapter in the close bond between the father-son NRL premiership-winning duo commenced with the transfer of the 4-bedroom home on the Nepean River. Property records indicate that the 892 sqm property changed hands through an internal family transfer for $1.7 million. Ivan Cleary initially purchased the Western Sydney home for $1.175 million in 2013 during his first stint as Penrith coach, back when Nathan was still in his teens.
