Nathan Cleary's Inspiring Recovery Ahead of Round 1 in Las Vegas

Nathan Cleary's "diligence" and his unwillingness to take any shortcuts have the Panthers premiership star firming for a round 1 return in Las Vegas despite fears he could miss the start of the season due to a shoulder injury that plagued him during the finals.

The champion playmaker had major shoulder surgery in the off-season after he was limited to just 13 appearances last year due to a couple of serious hamstring injuries as well as the shoulder issue he had to deal with throughout the finals.

Cleary missed the Pacific Championships and was in doubt for the start of the new season, but his relentless drive to return earlier than scheduled has him primed to be there when the premiers face the Sharks on March 2.

"He's looking really good," teammate Liam Martin said.

"He's back doing full training with us and is coming along well. He's doing everything in his power to be right (for round 1) and hopefully he'll be there.

"It's a credit to him (how quickly he's able to recover). His diligence is second to none and he does everything in his power. He doesn't take any shortcuts in his diet or his recovery or sleep.

"You can see why he's able to come back a lot quicker and better than most people. It's incredible to see."

Cleary turned to a diet of steak, sea moss, bone broth and scrambled eggs last year as a bit of a cleanse to aid his recovery, but it's not just his diet that's been flipped upside down, with the rep star to have a new halves partner in 2025.

The loss of great mate Jarome Luai is another challenge Cleary will have to contend with, but new recruit Blaize Talagi has impressed his teammates at training and is firming to beat out Brad Schneider and Jack Cole for the No.6 jersey.

"We're not too sure who's going to take that spot, but he's (Talagi) been training really well," Martin said.

"It's been incredible training alongside him. You can see how talented he is, so I'm really excited to play that first game with him.

"He and Nathan are gelling well and you can always see them after training talking about things. Nathan shows him the ropes, so I think he'll be incredible."

The arrival of guys like Talagi and Isaiah Papali'i have helped keep the four-time premiers on their toes, with Martin revealing they are as driven as ever to keep their magical streak going.

"You can tell how hungry the whole group is," he said.

"That winning feeling is addictive, so we want to be there again. Having the guys like Blaize and Ice (Papali'i) come in, you can see how hungry they are to experience their first (premiership), so that lifts you again.

"We're as hungry as ever and keen to start the year."

The shiny new toys and the players they've lost dominate the headlines, but it's easy to forget the stars they still have, including Martin, who won the Clive Churchill Medal after starring in last year's grand final.

"It took a while for it to sink in," he said.

"I reckon for the first two weeks after that game, I was saying to my missus 'what the hell, did this really happen?'

"I still pinch myself and I don't think it'll fully settle in until I look back at my career and get to reflect on what the achievement actually is."