Penrith teenage sensation Nathan Cleary has opted against reactivating a get-out clause in his contract that would have allowed him to follow his father to another NRL club.
Cleary, who recently extended his deal with the Panthers until the end of 2019, originally had a get-out clause in his contract that expired on June 30 that granted him permission to leave the foot of the mountains if Ivan Cleary landed a job at another club.
However, the 18-year-old, who starred in Penrith's win over South Sydney on Friday night, is determined to forge his own path and has decided to remove the father-son clause from his newest deal, a strong indication of his desire to make it on his own.
Cleary, who still lives at home with his parents and siblings, does have a guarantee from the club that they would provide him with accommodation if his family were to relocate when his dad found a new head coaching role.
But as the talented halfback admits, he most likely wouldn't have been afforded the opportunity to play NRL at such a young age had his father remained at the club as coach.
Ivan was controversially told during the off-season that his services at Penrith were no longer required, casting a shadow over the future of his son, who was off contract at the end of 2016.
Gun for hire: Former Panthers coach and father of Nathan, Ivan Cleary. Photo: Brendan Esposito
But within a month of Ivan's departure, Nathan signed a two-year extension in November and added another year to that deal this month to ensure he will remain at Penrith until at least the end of the 2019 season.
The Panthers have unearthed some of the game's best young talent in recent seasons, including Bryce Cartwright, Matt Moylan, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Te Maire Martin and James Fisher-Harris.
They've also managed to recruit representative players Trent Merrin and James Tamou in the past 18 months, while luring English Super League Man of Steel Zak Hardaker to the club on loan for the rest of this season.
The Panthers traded James Segeyaro to Leeds and paid the club a £40,000 transfer fee to lure Hardaker to Penrith for the remainder of the season.
Hardaker has somewhat of a chequered history off the field, but his father will make the trek across to Sydney with him to ensure a smooth transition to the NRL.
The Englishman is likely to slot into the centre position, given Kiwi internationals Peta Hiku and Dean Whare are out through injury.
While Jamie Soward still has another year to run on his contract, the English Super League is looming as an option for the Panthers playmaker.
Veteran Peter Wallace, who appeared certain to be moved on after this year, is now set to be rewarded with a new one-year deal.
The Panthers held their 50th anniversary gala dinner at Panthers on Saturday night, inducting four members into a newly formed club hall of fame.
Foundation player Grahame Maron, as well as premiership winners Royce Simmons, Greg Alexander and Craig Gower, were all inducted into the club's hall of fame.
The Panthers are hoping to announce new inductees into the hall of fame every few seasons.
