LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Nathan Cleary, the Penrith Panthers star halfback, is facing scrutiny over his performance at the start of the 2025 NRL season.
The Panthers, the four-time defending premiers, have struggled significantly, winning only two of their first eight games, with Cleary delivering an average showing against the Manly Sea Eagles recently.
The team is in urgent need of a winning streak, but their current form raises concerns about achieving that soon.
On this week's episode of The Loose Carry Podcast, coach Lee Addison offered insights into Cleary's struggles, attributing them partially to the departures of key players James Fisher-Harris and Jarome Luai.
He noted, "People might look at Cleary and think he is a little bit out of form."
Overall, while Nathan Cleary's performance has been called into question, there are underlying factors related to team dynamics post-departures that may explain his current struggles.