NRL star-turned-commentator Braith Anasta has revealed why he feels sorry for rugby league superstar Nathan Cleary over his affair with Mary Fowler.
Since Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed the sports stars were a couple, the power couple has been one of the biggest stories in Australian sport.
Anasta, who has also created her fair share of media headlines over the years, says she knows exactly what Cleary is going through.
“I sat down with Nathan at a GQ dinner, midseason,” Anasta said. The Jimmy and Nath Show on Thursday.
‘What a human being he is. I was very impressed. We chatted all night.
“It’s really hard for him when you’re a young boy or girl, like Mary.
‘They are in love and they just want to live the relationship like everyone else, but they can’t.
“There’s a lot of pressure on both of us. And it puts pressure on the relationship.
Football star turned TV commentator Braith Anasta (pictured) says he feels sorry for Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler because of all the scrutiny they have to deal with.
Anasta spent an entire night chatting with Nathan Cleary (pictured with Fowler) and was “very impressed” with the Panthers running back.
“I feel sorry for him, because he just wants to play football and he just wants to be in love and enjoy that relationship.”
Anasta went on to say that unfortunately, the media attention will not stop because people are very interested in the couple.
The show’s hosts then joked that Anasta should ask Cleary to propose to Fowler.
“I’ll call him now,” Anasta joked. “Or we’ll just start a rumor.”
Cleary recently spoke about what the media attention has been like and how he and Fowler are coping with it.
“One day I was driving and I realized this car was following me,” she told the Marlee & Me podcast.
‘Then I did some laps, I did some laps, and they did exactly the same laps. I was practically in a car chase.
Anasta said the intense attention puts pressure on the couple and their relationship.
Fowler’s commitments to Manchester City in the UK mean he cannot come to Australia to support his man as he stars in this Sunday’s NRL grand final.
“That was kind of mind-blowing to me. I get it, I guess, because people care about (romance).
“It all happened so fast, and now that their relationship was in the public eye, it was hard to understand.”
Cleary also spoke about rumors that he staged the photos of him and Fowler hugging in Perth, and the fact that he was shirtless at the time fueled speculation that he tipped off the photographer.
“I swear to God I had no idea,” he said.
‘Before that, we were probably pretty blasé about how much people really cared.
“After the park we went back to the car and then we saw someone with the big camera there, and almost a couple of hours later it all came to light.”
The couple first attracted attention as a potential couple when they were spotted together on a leisurely stroll along the Nepean River in Penrith, western Sydney, last year.
They were then seen sharing ice cream after a promotional event organized by Adidas, a brand they both endorse.
Since those Perth photos were taken, the couple have shared plenty of love photos on social media, and Fowler catches up with Cleary whenever she can return to Australia to enjoy some time off from her job with Manchester City or honor it. Playing and training commitments with the Matildas.
Rumors recently emerged connecting Cleary with a possible move to play in the English Super League competition to be closer to his teammate.
According to what has been described as outlandish speculation, the Panthers playmaker is considering a year away from the NRL in a move that would send shockwaves through Australian rules football.
That seems unlikely, however, with Panthers boss Brian Fletcher and Cleary’s manager George Mimis emphasizing the idea had never been raised with them.