Mary Fowler cut short her time in Australia after a week to return to England and resume playing, having helped Nathan Cleary through the early stages of his leg injury.
"Well, she was only here for a week. She had to go back to England to get back playing. But by the end of it, I felt bad for her," Cleary joked on the Ausmerican Aces Podcast.
Cleary said he could barely move and depended on Fowler for help.
"Like I was just laying there just asking for everything and she was an absolute ... just amazing. She was a superstar. She did everything for me."
He added that Fowler was tired when she returned to England and said, "She was incredible."
Cleary's leg was broken in a tackle by Phoenix Crossland during Penrith's preliminary-final loss to Newcastle.
He had multiple surgeries and could not bear weight for five days, leaving his availability for Round 1 next season uncertain despite suggestions he could recover in time.
"It's been a very slow process and it's just been different to any other injury I've had to deal with before," Cleary said.
He explained that earlier injuries had followed a more predictable recovery after surgery, while this one had fluctuated.
"I'm starting to turn a bit of a corner now and able to sort of get it out of the boot, get it moving," he said.