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‘He’s an awesome dude’: How star Panther and Bronco struck up an unlikely friendship

Amsterdam, Rome, London, Barcelona, Prague. Now Sydney Olympic Park.

Nathan Cleary and Pat Carrigan forged an unlikely friendship while backpacking through Europe together after Australia’s World Cup success 10 months ago.

“But come Sunday, I guarantee you once that whistle is blown, it will be on,” said Carrigan, who will put his mateship with Cleary, and several other Panthers, on hold for 80 minutes at Accor Stadium.

Penrith halfback Cleary and Broncos lock Carrigan barely knew each other before playing at their first World Cup.

They were two of the few single players in the Kangaroos squad, and agreed to take in the sights of Europe after the final against Samoa. Souths’ Campbell Graham and Rugby Australia target Angus Crichton were also part of the touring party.

There were photos posted of their adventure, including one on a bridge with retired Warriors and Samoa playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita in Prague, the Czech capital, where they lost their luggage for a couple of days, and had to raid a local Zara clothing store.

Nathan Cleary and Pat Carrigan struck up a friendship at last year’s World Cup.

Nathan Cleary and Pat Carrigan struck up a friendship at last year’s World Cup.Credit: Instagram

“He’s just an awesome dude, everyone knows what he can do as a footy player, but he’s just a good person as well,” Carrigan said of Cleary.

“We hit it off. Penrith and Nathan are a really good success story at the moment, but we’re on our own journey [at the Broncos], and I guarantee you on Sunday when that whistle is blown, it will be on.”

Cleary was surprised by how quickly he and Carrigan bonded.

“There were a lot of great memories, but we’ll be looking to create memories of our own on Sunday,” he said. “A lot of guys had families in camp and were going home or on their own trips, so we decided to go travelling together.

Broncos lock forward Pat Carrigan has been phenomenal this year.

Broncos lock forward Pat Carrigan has been phenomenal this year. Credit: Tertius Pickard/SMH

“We were barely recognised wherever he went. Even when we were in Manchester [for the Cup], not many people recognised us. This time last year we didn’t really know each other. He’s one of my mates now. Last year was a last-minute thing, so who knows, we’ll see what happens again this year.”

Not long after returning to Australia last year, Carrigan said his mateship with the Panthers’ NSW players in the Kangaroos side would count for little when they met again in State of Origin this year.

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“I give it about 10 seconds into the first Origin and I’m sure someone like ‘Marto’ [Liam Martin] will try to take my head off,” Carrigan quipped at the time.

You can only imagine that sentiment will be the same in a grand final.

Cleary is arguably one of the best players in the game, and Carrigan one of the premier forwards. He is a popular pick for the Clive Churchill Medal if the Broncos triumph.

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