Nathan Cleary and the warning signs
The Wests Tigers started the 2018 season winning five of their first six games – and not just any games, beating the Storm twice and the Roosters once in an impressive opening to Cleary's first full season in charge.
It looked as though the club's seven-year finals drought was about to end, largely thanks to the steel and discipline instilled by Cleary.
So the board, having already secured the coach until the end of 2020, asked Pascoe to approach Cleary about the prospect of an extension.
At first Cleary seemed keen, but that's when his incredible bond with his son began to affect his thought process.
Halfway through the year, with pressure mounting on Nathan to make a decision, he told his dad "I really don't want to leave without delivering something I could be proud of to Penrith".
Ivan and Nathan Cleary after Origin I.
Gregg Porteous/NRL Photos
A couple of months after the Tigers put forward their desire to extend Ivan's tenure, the club moved to proceed with negotiations with his manager.
But Ivan parked the bus.
He informed the club of his desire to wait so he could focus on the season. Very little was thought of it at the time, but people at the club look back at that moment as the first real sign of what would soon unfold.
Cleary never shied away from his desire to coach his son. To the point where Tigers officials were confident of securing Nathan's services for 2020 and beyond.
But there was concern for how open Cleary was about linking with Nathan at the Tigers, which prompted the club to request he stopped publicly talking about it in fear of the impact it was having on halfback Luke Brooks.
"Ivan started talking publicly about wanting to coach his son," Go said.
"I was concerned, not because I thought he would leave, but I was worried for Luke Brooks. He had the same number on his back as his son, wouldn't you be worried? I went out of my way, I was constantly telling him how valued he was."
In fairness to Cleary, who was the first coach to get the best out of Brooks, Nathan was never viewed as a replacement for him, but as a halves partner.
Yet the speculation of son linking with father at the Tigers was rife.
"I never thought that [Nathan was coming]," Benji Marshall said.
"I've got no doubt from talking to Ivan that he took the decision out of Nathan's hands to have to leave Penrith to be coached by his dad. Ivan made that decision, and wore all the criticism that came with it, so Nathan could just play footy and be where he wanted to be with his mates where he started his footy. I get it.
"I could see Ivan's hunger and desire to want to coach his son – so he took that decision out of Nathan's hands. Footy is a business, man. At the end of the day, whoever is in that position – and I'll say it to players and coaches – whatever is the best opportunity for you, you have to do. It might feel like people are going to be angry with your decision but it's your life man. So for Ivan, that's up to him. That's his life, that's his decision."
Perhaps the Tigers were justified in their confidence Nathan would adopt Tiger Town as his new home.
After all, things at Penrith under Griffin weren't as good as their top-four position suggested. Players were disgruntled, staff were unhappy. Reviews were being undertaken.
And when he was spotted inside the dressing room before full-time of the club's humiliating 50-18 loss to the Broncos in round 19, they knew he'd given up.
That was the moment Penrith changed their minds about waiting until the end of the season to pull the trigger. The fact he didn't return with the team the next day in favour of a day at the races with his friends only justified their concerns.
Nathan denies he only re-signed because he'd been given assurances his father was going to be coach.
"I had no idea what Nathan was doing when I met with Ivan," O'Neill said.
"That was with Gus and I was comfortable that the contract negotiations were in his capable hands. At that stage I could see cracks surfacing throughout the football organisation. I was fearful that it would escalate into an untenable situation, so I reacted."
But perhaps of more comfort to the young halfback was not so much who would be the new coach, but that the old one was no longer there.
"I was probably getting a little bit worried at the stages when there was confusion and people were starting to butt heads," Nathan Cleary told NRL.com after extending his deal at Penrith.
"But the back end of the year I have nothing but praise for the way things were. I really loved it and enjoyed it. The coaching staff was on the same page. They were making training fun.
"And the boys, we were always tight even when everything was going on, but we were all happy being around each other. It's got nothing to do with my old man. I was happy to make the decision by myself. What happens in the future with dad is out of my control."
