Nathan Cleary FINALLY goes Instagram official with Mary Fowler as NRL superstar posts loved-up photo with Matildas striker

After months of speculation and many sightings of the couple together, Nathan Cleary has finally gone Instagram official with his girlfriend, Mary Fowler.

Cleary, 26, shared a photo on the beach with Matildas superstar Fowler, 20, on Tuesday, confirming the sport's worst-kept secret during the pair's well-documented summer of love.

The Panthers halfback captioned the post, which featured images of friends and one of him in training: “that's life.”

He also added an ice cream emoji, a reference to the first hint that the pair were an item in August.

Cleary's camp initially denied the pair were dating, saying it was “just ice cream” and nothing more.

His sister, Indi, revealed what prompted the unexpected revelation.

'Watches a rom-com, publishes a debut. I love it,” she captioned the post.

Cleary's Penrith teammate, Brian To'o, jokingly said: 'Mr and Mrs Cleary'.

Australia's new sporting power couple enjoyed their time together over Christmas, with Fowler getting a few weeks off before the winter break in the Women's Super League, where she plays for Manchester City.

The pair were reunited at Sydney Airport late last month after not seeing each other since November 2, and were almost inseparable until her return to England. Fowler spent a few days away from Cleary at Christmas, spending it with family in Cairns.

Their romance became public thanks to Daily Mail Austraia's exclusive photos of them in a Perth park before Australia's match against Chinese Taipei.

Cleary watched on as Fowler scored in a 3-0 win for the Matildas.

Both athletes are said to be very private when it comes to their relationships, but Cleary recently admitted that the intense spotlight on his personal life was something he didn't expect.

“It's definitely different from when I was young when I went into first grade and people would dissect my game. I'd never had that before,” Cleary told News Corp.

Cleary included Fowler in an Instagram carousel titled “that's life”

Cleary poses with friends in his latest post, which has set tongues wagging

'That was an obstacle at the time. You start to learn to deal with that.'

The three-time premiership-winning halfback has accepted that he cannot control media attention either.

'I haven't let that many people look into my personal life yet. But it's just what comes with it. It's something I have no control over,” he said.

Fowler recently spoke about her dream of starting a family of her own when she proved a big hit with the youngsters at Rise & Shine Kindergarten in the city's south, after which she and Cleary enjoyed a lunch date at Penrith in the far west of Sydney.

The loved-up couple then looked more in love than ever as they gave each other tips on how to play their respective footy codes during an hour-long training session at an oval near Cleary's home in Penrith.

Both stars looked to the moon to be together and got down to business lovingly as Fowler tested her NRL passing skills and Cleary showed surprising skills with a football.

The couple was recently named Nath-ilda, but the name didn't go down well with fans, with many claiming it was unacceptable because it didn't include Mary Fowler's name.

The pair were reunited at Sydney Airport last month and spent several weeks together

Fowler and Cleary have been spotted several times but have remained quiet on social media

“This is absolutely the worst possible nickname for couples that they could have come up with. Simply unacceptable IMO,” one Panthers fan wrote on X.

'I think Nathan & Mary should be called Clear Fowl. It also has to do with football,” replied another.

'Omg also makes her work her identity??? I hate it,” said a third.

Cleary and Fowler first attracted attention as a potential couple after being spotted together twice following the Women's World Cup.

Initial sightings included a leisurely stroll along the Nepean River in Penrith, where the 25-year-old NRL sensation and the Matildas forward spent quality time together.