They say one man’s loss is another man’s gain—just ask Jett Cleary, the 20-year-old younger brother of Nathan.
Following the season-ending ACL injury to New Zealand Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf, Cleary has been elevated into the Warriors’ high-flying NSW Cup side and may well stay there for the remainder of the season, placing him within touching distance of an NRL debut.
Cleary’s promotion follows the news that former Gold Coast Titans half Tanah Boyd has been drafted into the Warriors first-grade side by head coach Andrew Webster to replace the injured Metcalf.
Prior to this weekend’s NRL Round 19, Boyd had started in 13 games for the Warriors in NSW Cup this season.
MORE: New Zealand Warriors team list, latest squad news for Round 19
‘A good opportunity to succeed on my own’
A talented Penrith junior who played SG Ball with the Panthers in 2024, Jett Cleary shocked many in the rugby league world when he signed a three-year deal with the Warriors through to the end of the 2027 season.
“Obviously, there’s Nathan and dad (Ivan) and they’ve got their own thing going in Penrith,” Jett told Kiwi TV network 1News earlier this year.
“I could’ve easily stayed there and rode what they’re doing now because they are pretty successful, but I thought this was a good opportunity to step out of the limelight and try to succeed on my own.”
The younger Cleary, who was born in Auckland, made his debut for the Warriors in the Pre-Season Challenge and has since spent the majority of 2025 playing Jersey Flegg (U21).
Cleary and the first-placed Warriors NSW Cup side host the Western Suburbs Magpies at Go Media Stadium this Sunday.