Johns: The English club that should sign Nathan Cleary

With Nathan Cleary allowed to talk to rival clubs from November 1, Matty Johns and Denan Kemp have discussed whether the superstar halfback could land.

Having won four premierships in a row, three Dally M Halfback of the Year and RLPA Player of the Year award, the 28-year-old has become one of the game's greats with Penrith.

But with Ivan Cleary’s bombshell announcement to leave his coaching role after the 2027 season, the speculation around his son’s future at the Panthers has risen, given his contract finishes in the same year.

Following that news, Kemp believes it's now more than likely that Cleary will depart once his deal ends.

“I think it points more towards him going and exploring something else,” Kemp said on SEN’s Morning Glory with Matty Johns.

“I think the fact he's going to the open market, because the offer from Penrith is going to be big, it's going to be essentially whatever he wants.

“So, the fact that he's even considering going elsewhere, like ok, it is good to be a one-club player, but you've won four premierships. How do you get that motivation?

“He's going to be 29 when this deal ends. Surely, you've only got a certain amount of years to really achieve greatness, and what's the difference between five premierships and four premierships?”

But while there would be plenty of interest within the NRL for his services, Johns thinks his playing future could lie in the northern hemisphere.

Especially if the NRL’s plans to take over the Super League come to fruition.

“You've got a situation, Mary Fowler, who (is) his partner, she plays for Manchester City, he's already been offered a million pounds a year by Hull,” Johns explained.

“And it's a very interesting time for the English Super League or the English game.

“If the NRL does take over, and they're looking to push the game into London, as we know next year, they're talking about starting the season in London as well as Vegas.

“It might be in the NRL's interest to have Nathan Cleary go to the London Broncos.”

The Broncos are currently undefeated in the RFL Championship (English second division) with a point differential of 523 (266 points ahead of second place).

The Panthers will conclude Magic Round against the winless Dragons on Sunday.

Kick-off takes place 6:25pm AEST with SEN having live coverage of the match from 6pm across SEN’s radio network and on the SEN app.