Coach Ivan Cleary

[Port Panther]

His love for May has cost us Burton and still doesn't use a bench effectively.
He does have us in a good place atm and if we play the storm in the grand final and win he will have god like status .

 

[Smug Panther]

He got us to the GF and then he was the biggest factor in us losing it imo. The decision to bench Naden in a semi final was insane after winning so many games in a row

 

[Fangs]

So team performance doesn’t matter?

He’s the coach of arguably the best Club Rugby League team in the world, which he’s played a major role in creating, I think he deserves more credit as a coach.

Grand final win or not.

He may deserve more credit but I think the reasons mentioned are why he isn't getting it.

Didn't take me long to change my opinion, just had to get the side playing competitive football. Neutral fans will take a lot more.

 

[Girds89]

Ivan deserves plenty of credit.

No doubt he has done an absolutely terrific job in his 2nd stint.

To win as many games in a row as we have is incredible and something that will be spoken about in the club still in 50 years time.

This team, if they can win a comp will be the greatest panthers side of all time imo.

Ivan deserves plenty of credit for that. I guess he probably didn't really play a role in bringing the young blokes through but he recognised that baz and ciraldo did and they were kept around etc which made him stronger.

He's done an incredible job keeping them "up" for so long and our physical conditioning over the last 2 years is the best I can remember ever. All our blokes could play 80 bar leota and Spencer.

I do think he's sitting on a gold mine of talent tho.. with the side he has we should be firing.

But to keep all the young blokes grounded takes good man management skills.

Regardless to his fall out with Gus, IC and upper management will never lose sight of what Gus put in place and that was developing the kids. Whether it was from Mount druitt to Bathurst etc, we found them and spent years and years investing in them. That has what's got us where we are today. Ic hasn't tried to change that model nor should he.

We will continue to promote from within and develop our own.

IC deserves a lot of credit. I do think a lot of the structures were put in place though for him and were firing second time round here. He just got here at a great time and has taken full advantage of that with good coaching.

He still has plenty to work on. Bench rotations, turning leota into an elite forward, continuing Charlie's development etc.

I was very critical of him in his first stint but the structures Gus implemented hasn't come to fruition than. He's done Fantastic 2nd time.

Keep it up IC

 

[franklin2323]

I’m not convinced wining a Comp will change that much.

Hook has won 4 games and listen to the way he gets spoken about.

I was personally never Ivan’s biggest fan, mostly because of the way he was during his 1st stint.

but credit where credit is due. He’s been tremendous for us since he’s come back. I really rate him.

Compare the Dragons expectations to ours. Them not being bottom 4 is a good year

Our 3 worst perfornances in the last 2 seasons were in the 3 biggest. He also hasn't had to deal with several players in SOO before.

Also still under 50% win rate.

So still a few things to cross off to become a great coach

 

[Luke Bowden]

He got us to the GF and then he was the biggest factor in us losing it imo. The decision to bench Naden in a semi final was insane after winning so many games in a row

By the sounds of it Nado made that decision for him.

 

[MugaB]

I don't care what anyone says, I'd have the blokes babies if it were physically possible.

Stop it, we cant be sure your nathan 2.0 will play for the panthers by the time he is of age....

 

[Smug Panther]

By the sounds of it Nado made that decision for him.

Nope. Pick him or don't it's simple

 

[Crashtest]

His love for May has cost us Burton and still doesn't use a bench effectively.
He does have us in a good place atm and if we play the storm in the grand final and win he will have god like status .

How did Ivan playing May at 14 cost us Burton? Burton wants to play in the halves, not be a bench utility, so he signed elsewhere because he was never going to be a starting half at Penrith.

But Ivan was spot on keeping faith in the Nathan/Luai halves combo, and even Andrew Johns admitted he got it wrong saying Ivan should be picking Burton ahead of Luai.

 

[Jane Murray]

How did Ivan playing May at 14 cost us Burton? Burton wants to play in the halves, not be a bench utility, so he signed elsewhere because he was never going to be a starting half at Penrith.

But Ivan was spot on keeping faith in the Nathan/Luai halves combo, and even Andrew Johns admitted he got it wrong saying Ivan should be picking Burton ahead of Luai.

I think Matt left because he was ill advised, he was offered insane money and he didn't think he had a chance in cementing a first grade position.

 

[Whino]

Needs a Premiership with the talent in the roster. Anything less is under achieving.
Threw one away last year.

 

[WestyLife]

I think Matt left because he was ill advised, he was offered insane money and he didn't think he had a chance in cementing a first grade position.

He wasn't ill advised. He's getting at least double or triple money to play his preferred position. He won that pretty significantly.

 

[Jane Murray]

He wasn't ill advised. He's getting at least double or triple money to play his preferred position. He won that pretty significantly.

In my opinion he was, and in your opinion he wasn't.

 

[WestyLife]

In my opinion he was, and in your opinion he wasn't.

Yes because you're thinking as a Panthers fan Vs other clubs. Classic nrl tribalism. From Burton's perspective though it's so much better to go to the dogs.

 

[Jane Murray]

Yes because you're thinking as a Panthers fan Vs other clubs. Classic nrl tribalism. From Burton's perspective though it's so much better to go to the dogs.

In a way I am, however, Ivan defecates on Trent Barrett from a great distance. I do not see Barrett lasting there for long.

 

[Pomoz]

He wasn't ill advised. He's getting at least double or triple money to play his preferred position. He won that pretty significantly.

Money isn't everything. Every time in my career I took jobs for the money it didn't end well. He would have been better staying at least one more year and would still have got a significant pay rise.

Yes' I know his career could end with an injury tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you should go for the most money you can get. Career longevity is influenced by how you develop both physically and mentally. The quality of team you play with will have a major influence on both of those. He is going to a team that has not been able to compete for the last four years - 11, 12, 12, 15 and now currently last. The trend is not good.

Worst still, he is going to a club with expectations placed on him that even JT or Andrew Johns couldn't possibly deliver on unless the Dogs recruit some more quality players this year.

Ill advised? Oh yes, you better believe it.

 

[age.s]

If Ivan wins one and only one comp here he goes in with all the other coaches who have one or two to their name. McGuire, Hasler, Green etc. Good but flawed coaches who had a good run when things went their way.

We look like a dynasty team atm. Despite there being other factors, Ivan deserves the lion's share of credit for that. But the expectations are higher now. One comp in the current environment would be underperforming, or par at absolute best. He should be aiming for decade long dominance that puts him in the pantheon with Bellamy, Bennett and Robinson.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Yes because you're thinking as a Panthers fan Vs other clubs. Classic nrl tribalism. From Burton's perspective though it's so much better to go to the dogs.

I also think he as poorly advised, especially given the current halves market, he could have ended up at much better club, on potential more money.

 

[WestyLife]

I also think he as poorly advised, especially given the current halves market, he could have ended up at much better club, on potential more money.

Hindsight is 20/20. Easy enough to say now that things are changing but at the time it was a very positive decision.

 

[roofromoz]

Compare the Dragons expectations to ours. Them not being bottom 4 is a good year

Our 3 worst perfornances in the last 2 seasons were in the 3 biggest. He also hasn't had to deal with several players in SOO before.

Also still under 50% win rate.

So still a few things to cross off to become a great coach

Career maybe, but sitting on just under 54% now after 151 matches at Penrith (as a comparison Lang was 52% from 125 matches - disclaimer, apples and oranges, etc.). But I think it was low 40s before the 2020 season started.

But I agree with many on here, winning a competition will increase his standing.