Nathan Cleary makes call on Blaize Talagi's Penrith move amid surprise admission about injury

Penrith co-captain Nathan Cleary has talked up his likely new halves partner Blaize Talagi after returning to pre-season training with the Panthers ahead of schedule. Cleary and Talagi both underwent shoulder surgery in the off-season, with Penrith's four-time NRL premiership-winning halfback re-joining Penrith's squad on Thursday - just five weeks after going under the knife.

And Cleary is wasting no time forming an understanding with Talagi, following the 19-year-old's move from Parramatta at the end of last season. The pair are widely tipped to become Penrith's new-look halves pairing for 2025, following Jarome Luai's move to the Wests Tigers.

Cleary and Luai formed one of the greatest halves partnerships of the modern era after rising up through the junior ranks together and the No.7 knows it will take some time to gel with Talagi. But the Penrith co-captain says he's excited about what he's already seen from his new teammate and impressed by the teenager's willingness to learn.

“He has come back in really good shape for a guy who had his shoulder done a week after me and he’s absolutely flying," Cleary said about Talagi. “I’ve been getting to know him these past couple of days. He’s actually my locker neighbour so that’s been nice.

“He’s a shy young kid but he’s really willing to learn. If you tell him something then he takes it on board straight away, and he’s a quick learner. I don’t have any expectations yet, but I played him last season and know that he’s a great player with great talent, but he’s also got a lot to learn. I just want to get to know him as a person first and help him where I can on the training field."

Talagi will be battling with the likes of Jack Cole for the No.6 jersey at the Panthers and Cleary admits there is "healthy competition" to be named his halves partner. “There’s a long way to go before round one comes around, and there are other guys who are putting their hands up for the number six position. It’s really healthy competition," he added.

Cleary says he's actually ahead of schedule in terms of his recovery from shoulder surgery and will ramp up his workload after Christmas. “It’s pretty much a three or four month recovery so it’s been good so far. I came back to training yesterday (on Thursday) and it’s been good so far,” Cleary told NewsWire. “I’m slowly ticking the boxes and then it’ll start ramping up after Christmas. I’m a little bit ahead of schedule which is cool."

Nathan Cleary reveals details of strange dietary routine

The Penrith halfback also revealed details of a somewhat strange dietary routine that's helped him deal with repeated hamstring injuries in the past. Cleary says the 'carnivore' diet consists of some unfamiliar meals such as sea moss, coupled with steaks, scrambled eggs and bone broth.

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“When I was going through the hammy troubles last year, I wanted to have a clean slate and take a step back to look at everything I was doing,” Cleary said after hamstring issues limited him to just 13 games this year. “If there was anything I could do to help me in any way then I’d do it.

“The carnivore stuff isn’t full-time. I use it here and there as a bit of a cleanse and then I add fruit and sweet potato back in after that. I just want to be more conscious of my diet and try to do any little one-percenters that will keep me on the field. I go through periods where I’m quite disciplined, but after a game I’ll have a little treat here and there to keep a healthy balance. I’ve been feeling really good, particularly in my gut, with my recovery time and my mental clarity.”