Staggering truth about Mary Fowler emerges after Nathan Cleary masterclass in Vegas
😃 The good: Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler
😔 The bad: Donald Trump's silence and no-show
😡 The ugly: Alarm bells ringing for Melbourne Storm?
As if we needed confirmation, Nathan Cleary gave us a reminder he's the best player in the game with another masterclass in Penrith's win over Cronulla in Vegas. Playing his first game since last year's grand final – and just months after off-season shoulder surgery – the four-time premiership winner pulled all the right strings to suggest the Panthers are again the team to beat in 2025.
But it's not just Cleary's on-field quality we've come here to praise. It's the way he handles all the Mary Fowler talk that is so impressive. The media is obsessed with the relationship and Cleary, to his credit, understands the interest and is happy to indulge reporters.
Minutes after he finished filleting the Sharks, the Penrith superstar was asked by Fox League host Yvonne Sampson whether he was going to have the chance to catch up with Mary again before he left the US. With a big smile, he responded: "Unfortunately not. I got to see her the other day (in San Diego) and that was nice, so hopefully I'll see her in a month."
It's clear Fowler and Cleary are good for each other. He promised dad and coach Ivan his midweek dash to see Fowler in Matildas camp would not impact his preparation, predicting it would only heighten his performance. He was good to his word. Let's hope the pair can maintain their long-distance love affair – and the intense scrutiny around their every move.
As for Las Vegas MKII, it was another resounding success despite the farcical Australia-England "Test". My old cat would have put up more of a fight than the Lionesses in their embarrassing 90-4 loss. That's one game we could do without when the schedule for Vegas 2026 is announced.
Could Donald Trump possibly be reading this column in between trying to prevent WWIII and banning paper straws? Highly unlikely you'd think.
But it seems those closer to the American President than us may be reluctant to comment on what DJT is up to just in case it gets back to him. Yahoo Sport Australia reached out to the White House after league boss Peter V'Landys began a campaign to get the Trumpster to Vegas for the start of the NRL season.
We emailed, asking: "We are seeking comments on the back of a story which refers to an invitation for the President to attend the opening match of our National Rugby League (NRL) competition in Las Vegas on March 1-2. We are keen to know the likelihood of the President's attendance."
The State Dept Press Office responded: "Thank-you for your inquiry. For questions pertaining to engagements by the President of the United States, please contact the White House press office."
We did just that – three times – and heard crickets. Attention was then turned to a number of media figures – many of whom have written books about Trump – for comment. We just wanted to know if the begging tactics employed by PVL would work on Trump or be a turn off. Again, we copped the sounds of silence.
One Australian-based American political expert told Yahoo Sport Australia: "Don't be offended. Trump can be very vindictive and can take even seemingly innocuous comments the wrong way, so many are reluctant to put their head above the trenches and talk about him. It's just not worth the risk."
We're not offended…well, maybe just a little.
Melbourne coach Carig Bellamy doesn't usually stress at this time of the year. The Storm are renowned for hitting the ground running early in the season, having won an astonishing 22 round one games in a row.
But this year smells a big different. Two heavy losses in the pre-season has Bellamy worried ahead of Sunday's season opener against Parramatta.
"I've been really disappointed with our trial form to be quite honest," he told Yahoo Sport Australia. "We've had a lot of points scored (against us) in those two games. I'm not quite sure why that is, but you can be assured we'll be working really hard to try and stiffen our defence up."
The twin defeats – 36-10 to the Warriors and 36-24 to the Cowboys – were very un-Melbourne-like performances. "We don't like to go in not being sure what we're capable of but we are going in like that" Bellamy added. "Hopefully we can sort it out."
It may be of some small comfort to Bellamy but Parramatta hasn't beaten Melbourne since 2022 and have conceded 142 points in their last four head-to-head meetings.
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