NRL superstar Nathan Cleary has opened up with an unvarnished take on his relationship with Matilda Mary Fowler after months of scrutiny, assumptions and even false claims that the pair are engaged.
Ever since Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed the sporting superstars were an item, the power couple has come under the spotlight no other sporting couple in Australian history.
Cleary has spoken about being involved in a car chase with pursuing photographers, has been accused of deliberately whipping his shirt of because he knew the cameras were watching and the pressure being put in the public eye has put on the young couple.
When a media outlet published an article claiming they couple were engaged, teammate Brian To’o took the ball and ran with it by cheekily ‘confirming’ they were set to get married.
Most recently, the rumour mill has linked Cleary to a move to England in 2025 to be closer to his sweetheart.
Nathan Cleary has given his fans a heartfelt insight into his relationship with Matildas superstar Mary Fowler
Cleary and Fowler have become the most popular sporting couple in Australia since Daily Mail Australia revealed they were an item in 2023
But what has life really been like for the couple behind closed doors? Cleary opened up on Channel Nine’s Marlee and Me podcast about the impact Mary had made on his life.
‘I’ve loved it, it’s all I ever could have dreamed of in having a partner, to be honest,’ he said.
‘It’s just added new perspective but it’s also added an extra layer there that when things are going good you want to share with them and want to talk about it and when things aren’t going good, they’re there too.
‘Super supportive and I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s just a great addition to life to be honest and made me really happy.
‘Love wins.’
Marlee from the Channel Nine Marlee and Me podcast asked Cleary about what their relationship was really like
Cleary also admitted that he tried to shield Mary from the intense media scrutiny.
While the 26-year-old Penrith star had the media training and experience to deal with the constant attention, he admitted he was worried about the impact it would have on 21-year-old Fowler who burst onto the scene at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
‘I probably felt more sorry for her [Mary] to be honest. She’s younger than I am and sort of after the World Cup happened she became quite a public figure and it all happened so quick,’ he said.
‘Her relationship is in the public eye. It’s hard to wrap your head around but we spoke about it and said just control the things that we can control.
‘Just go about life as normal as we can.’
Cleary said he felt he needed to shield Mary from the media because of her age and because she didn’t have much experience after bursting onto the scene at the 2023 World Cup
Now Cleary is adopting the same approach to his relationship as he does to his football
Now Cleary is approaching his personal life with the same steely determination and same patience to play the long game that he has applied to his football career that has already netted three NRL premierships and a grand final appearance in 2024.
When Marlee asked what his next achievement could be after so much success, he spoke about his methodical approach to football and how it was helping him be a better partner in his relationship with Mary.
‘When you say the next achievement, it’s probably not so much my mindset,’ he said.
‘It’s more about little wins within myself. I think that’s part of like looking ahead at the next thing.
‘It’s the next day for me, it’s the next day of how can I be a better person, how can I be a better player, how can I just get better?’
‘It’s probably a mindset I have a lot is finding ways to get better. A lot of the time it’s the little incremental gains over a long period of time. They turn to big gains.
‘That is my mindset rather than so much accolades or achievements.’
‘That’s just as much off the field as it is on it. I do believe that if you’re improving yourself as a person, then it comes out in your footy as well.’
