Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary has revealed for the first time how he wants to reconnect with his family's roots in Ukraine following months of conflict in the country.
Cleary's maternal grandmother Marie, who the Panthers playmaker credits as being one of his closest confidants, fled to Australia as a toddler.
But the recent invasion by Russia has led to Cleary expressing a desire to find out more about his family's past.
"My nan was actually born in a concentration camp and she would have only been three when she left to move to Australia," Cleary told AAP.
"We're really close but I've not really spoken to her too much about it.
"We don't really have much of a connection back to Ukraine.
"But obviously when you see everything that's going on there on the news, it's pretty crazy.
"I would love to get over there at some stage and reconnect with it."
Cleary, who has made reference to his roots by placing the Ukrainian flag on his social media pages, said Penrith teammate Jaeman Salmon as well as Canberra back-rower Hudson Young had ancestral ties to Ukraine.
"If we find another 14 players (for the Ukranian national team), then we'll be set," Cleary joked.
Cleary's form, however, is no laughing matter and there's a good chance it'll earn him a maiden Kangaroos cap for this year's Rugby League World Cup in England.
The 24-year-old has only played two games over the last two months but has returned from a five-game suspension for an illegal hit on Parramatta playmaker Dylan Brown at the peak of his powers.
His kicking game gave Eels winger Waqa Blake and South Sydney's Taane Milne nightmares in the Panthers' two finals wins to get to Sunday's grand final where they will be aiming to secured back-to-back titles.
"I feel good and refreshed (after the suspension) and I'm ready to go," he said.
"It's a pleasure to be a part of this week.
"Big-game experience is a valuable thing and it's something we (at Penrith) are lucky to have.
"At the end of the day, you get there on Sunday and it's 80 minutes.
"What's happened in the past or what is to come in the future doesn't mean anything.
"It's about staying in the present moment and those past lessons will come out through habit."
