https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/iv...-man-behind-title-treble-20240212-p5f48q.html
Ivan the great: Panthers full of praise for man behind title treble
By Christian Nicolussi
February 13, 2024 — 5.00am
Jarome Luai is officially out of the World Club Challenge as he and his fellow Panthers heaped praise on the man overlooked when it comes to their success: coach Ivan Cleary.
Cleary fronted a group of Penrith fans on Monday night to watch the first episode of
Undisputed, the three-part documentary that follows their finals charge to last year’s title.
The coach confirmed to this masthead Luai would fly to England on Friday for the pre-season clash with Super League champions Wigan, but would not play. He remained hopeful Luai would be fit for round one against Melbourne early next month.
“But he won’t play in the World Club Challenge because he’s not just ready,” Cleary said.
“He can continue his rehab, and he deserves to be there as a reward for everything he’s done for our team and our club. He’s super close, I just want him staying with the team and training.”
As for Cleary, it became clear during the club’s fly-on-the-wall documentary how respected and calm the coach remained in the countdown to
their come-from-behind victory over Brisbane.
Three years ago, Cleary was trying to avoid being tagged the next Brian Smith, a long-serving coach who never won a title.
Now Cleary has three, and should Penrith win against this season, the coach will move ahead of Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy and the Sydney Roosters Trent Robinson and trail only seven-time winner Wayne Bennett.
“Sometimes with all our success he can be overlooked,” Nathan Cleary said of his father.
“But Dad also likes it that way. He’s done a lot for our club, he’s proud of the culture we have, and the boys love playing under him, including myself.
“He’s not one for accolades. He’s never been one for that. He does it to help young men go through their lives and achieve success.
“It’s pretty crazy when you think about coaches like Wayne Bennett, and the influence he has had on the game – and continues to have on the game.
“But I’ve said it a few times with Dad, at the end of our careers we can look back and share the fond memories of what we’ve done. But until then, we want to create more.”
The Panthers lost both World Club Challenges in England after their title success in 1991 and 2003.
Last year’s
shock loss to St Helens, and the emotion shown by the players after full-time, gave Cleary a new appreciation for the game.
Jarome Luai was full of praise for his coach.
“I think losing last year, and seeing what it meant to St Helens, it made us all realise how big a deal it is,” Cleary said.
Luai, who will depart the club at the end of the year, said of coach Cleary’s standing in the game: “In terms of Ivan, I don’t think he [gets the credit] in terms of what this team has done. You hear a lot about Wayne, Wayne has coached a lot more games than ‘Iv’, which is why he gets more raps, but Iv is up there in the conversation with Bellamy. He’s done an amazing job here.”
wwos.nine.com.au
