- Sports power couple announced to the public in late 2023
- The couple has been under intense scrutiny ever since.
- Cleary reveals what her love is like behind closed doors
NRL superstar Nathan Cleary has opened up with an unvarnished view of his relationship with Matilda Mary Fowler after months of scrutiny, assumptions and even false claims the couple are engaged.
Since Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that the sporting superstars were a couple, the power couple has not been in the spotlight for any other sporting couple in Australian history.
Cleary has spoken of being involved in a car chase with photographers chasing him, has been accused of deliberately whipping his shirt because he knew the cameras were watching and the pressure being put on the young couple in front of the public.
When a media outlet published an article claiming the couple was engaged, teammate Brian To’o took the ball and followed it by shamelessly “confirming” that they were ready to get married.
More recently, rumors have linked Cleary with a move to England in 2025 to be closer to his lady love.
Nathan Cleary has given his fans a candid insight into his relationship with Matildas superstar Mary Fowler.
Cleary and Fowler have become Australia’s most popular sports couple since Daily Mail Australia revealed they were a couple in 2023.
But what has the couple’s life really been like behind closed doors? Cleary spoke on Channel Nine. marlee and me podcast about the impact Mary had had on his life.
“I’ve loved it, it’s everything I could have ever dreamed of having a partner, to be honest,” he said.
“It just adds a new perspective, but it also adds an extra layer that when things are going well, you want to share it with them and talk about it, and when things aren’t going well, they’re there too.”
‘I feel very supportive and I loved it. To be honest, it’s a great addition to life and made me very happy.
“Love wins.”
Marlee from the Channel Nine Marlee and Me podcast asked Cleary what their relationship was really like.
Cleary, pictured with his dog Prince, spoke fondly about the influence Mary has had on his life since they became a couple last year.
Cleary also admitted that he tried to protect Mary from intense media scrutiny.
While the 26-year-old Penrith star had the training and media 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 in the Women’s Cup. FIFA 2023. World Cup.
‘I probably felt more sorry for her (Mary) to be honest. “She is younger than me and more or less after the World Cup she became a public figure and everything happened very quickly,” he said.
‘Their relationship is in the public eye. It’s hard to understand, but we talked about it and said to just control the things we can control.
“Let’s just continue with our lives as normal as possible.”
Cleary said he felt he needed to protect 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 taking the same approach to his relationship as he did to his football.
Cleary now approaches his personal life with the same steely determination and patience to play the long game that he has applied to a football career that has already earned him three NRL premierships and a grand finals appearance in 2024.
When Marlee asked him what his next accomplishment might be after so much success, he talked about his methodical approach to football and how it was helping him be a better partner in his relationship with Mary.
“When you say next achievement, that’s probably not so much my way of thinking,” he said.
‘It’s more about small victories within me. I think that’s part of looking to the future and seeing what’s next.
“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 mentality I have a lot: finding ways to improve. Many times these are small incremental gains over a long period of time. They resort to huge profits.
“That’s my way of thinking, more than so many accolades or achievements.”
‘That’s both off the field and on. “I think if you’re improving as a person, that’s also reflected in your football.”