It was widely known that Nathan Cleary needed post-season shoulder surgery, having managed a condition through the latter stages of the NRL season and the playoffs.

The 27-year-old did it with aplomb, leading Penrith to a stunning fourth consecutive title, before he was expected to go under the knife.

The surgery was delayed for four weeks, however, with the repeated reasoning coming from the NRL side it was due to the preferred surgeon being overseas on leave.

Dad Ivan was sticking to that story this week, but he added a little extra information that has been bubbling away among conspiracy theorists.

That being Nathan actually wanted to delay the surgery himself so he could spend some time with Fowler, who is based in England with her football club, Manchester City.

“I had to have a bit of a heart-to-heart with him,” Ivan said on Triple M radio.

“The surgeon couldn’t do it straight away anyway and to be honest, I’ve never seen him so happy, and that’s important as well.”

Those conspiracy theorists will be having a field day with that extra little titbit.

Two weeks ago, Clearly posted photos of his successful surgery finally being completed and he is now in a race to return to full fitness ahead of Penrith’s season-opening clash with Cronulla in Las Vegas in March.

The expected recovery time from the surgery is around three-to-four months, cutting it extremely fine to line up in round one.

Either way, Cleary and Fowler certainly took advantage of some extended time together, something which is difficult during the year due to their respective club commitments.

The adored couple have returned to their regular lives after a romantic getaway that had fans feeling all warm and fuzzy as they frolicked across Europe.

Intimate photos shared by the Man City ace told fans all they need to know about their fairytale romance — more than 12 months after the couple began seeing each other.

The sporting power couple’s latest photo drop showed them in the UK together where they attended the Super League Grand Final in Manchester — where the Matildas superstar plays her club football in the Women’s Super League.

Their dream run ended earlier this month when Cleary returned home to have the surgery.

He has since been settling into the routine of doing recovery and rehabilitation sessions to strengthen the shoulder joint.

Fowler has also been back at the grindstone with City, with the club enjoying an impressive 2-0 Champions League win over Hammarby at Manchester City Stadium before suffering a 2-0 defeat to Sam Kerr’s Chelsea on Sunday.

The couple went public with their relationship in April this year, but have since admitted they began seeing each other in November, 2023.