LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Matty Johns is shaking in his boots at the thought of losing NRL superstar Nathan Cleary to rugby union if he decides to take his talents to England to be with his girlfriend, Mary Fowler.
The Penrith halfback has hinted at the possibility of playing in the Super League to be closer to Fowler, who struts her stuff for Manchester City in the UK.
After clinching his fourth grand final victory with the Panthers, speculation is rife that Cleary might make the switch to the Super League to spend more quality time with Fowler across the pond.
While Cleary and his old man Ivan are locked in with the Panthers until 2027, the club's CEO is hopeful they'll stick around until 2030.
But will they give Cleary the green light to head to England if he asks for a release? That's the million dollar question.
If a Super League team manages to woo Cleary, it would be a major win for English sports but a tough pill to swallow for the NRL.
Johns likened the situation to his brother, the legendary Andrew Johns, who was also a hot commodity in the rugby world and flirted with the idea of playing for a European rugby powerhouse back in the day.
Matty fears that Cleary's rising star power could attract the attention of big European rugby clubs if he ventures to England for a taste of the Super League action.
"There have been instances in the sport where the players have caught the eye internationally, like European rugby and Andrew (Johns) was one of those," said Johns on SEN's Morning Glory with Matty Johns.
Will Cleary follow in his brother's footsteps and make the jump to a whole new ball game? Time will tell.