Ivan Cleary coached the New Zealand Warriors between 2006-2011, taking them to four finals series and one grand final. With a bang average squad in 2011 who only finished 6th on the ladder, winning just 16 of the 26 games, he managed to take them to the grand final nine years after their last appearance.
Though the Warriors had a heartbreaking loss, going down 24-10 to Manly Sea Eagles, they had a lot to be proud of, particularly their preliminary final win over minor premiers Melbourne Storm 20-12 at AAMI park.
New Zealand went into the grand final as major underdogs. Having to travel to Sydney, only three players having grand final experience compared to Manly’s nine, plus their coach who had won one only four years prior. With 19 errors compared to Manly’s 9 the Sea Eagles went on to take their eighth premiership.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
After the Warriors successful 2011 season Cleary decided it was time to come back to Sydney and became head coach of the Penrith Panthers for the 2012-2015 seasons, taking them to only one finals series during the four years. The Panthers’ 2012 season couldn’t have gone worse for the new coach, finishing second last after large array of injuries, only winning 8 of their 24 games.
Penrith’s seasons didn’t get better until 2014 when they finished 4th on the ladder and made it all the way to the preliminary finals, where they unfortunately lost by six to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
After missing out on the wooden spoon by a win over Newcastle Knights in 2015 Ivan Cleary was sacked effective immediately.
After a year on the sidelines Ivan was given a lifeline by West Tigers for the 2017-2020 seasons. Starting off strongly, the Tigers won their first game 34-18 against South Sydney Rabbitohs but from there it was all downhill, only winning six games for the rest of the season and finishing second last.
2018 was a better year for the club, finishing 9th on the ladder only just missing out on the top eight. After starting the season 5 wins from 6 games the Tigers looked to be on an upwards trajectory, though halfway through the season they lost their way, with only four wins between rounds 7 and round 20. A heart wrenching loss to South Sydney 51-10 to finish the season sealed Ivan’s time at the Tigers, with him asking to being released for the remaining two years of his contract.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Ivan returned to his role of head coach at Penrith in 2019, but his first year back at the club was questionable as Panthers finished 10th with 11 wins and 13 losses. Since then, Cleary’s side has played three grand finals in a row, currently sit top of the table and are seemingly on their way to another one. Under Cleary’s second spell, Penrith have won 79 games and only lost 10, with a single draw.
They’ve had some momentous games along the way, beating Canberra Raiders 53-12 earlier on in the year, beating Cronulla Sharks 48-0 a in round 9 last year, as well as beating South Sydney Rabbitohs 56-12 a few weeks later in round 11.
With Cleary’s two premiership victories there’s only a few coaches that have won more; two of those being Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett, both of whom are considered two of the best coaches in the modern era. Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has won three legitimate titles in 2012, 2017 and 2020. Wayne Bennett won four premierships over his years with the Brisbane Broncos in 1992, 1998, 2000 and 2006, and one with St George Illawarra Dragons in 2010.
With the majority of Cleary’s current squad under 30, the Panthers could stay on top of the competition for years to come, meaning that he could very well equal Craig Bellamy’s record and start making his way to Wayne Bennett’s.
So, should Ivan Cleary be considered alongside Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett as the big three of the NRL era?
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Are you convinced that Laurie is a 5/8 now? I was right about that one.
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
Sorry Andrew but need to pull you up on a couple of things here as well. When Cleary came back he walked into a rabble not the team of stars you see today they missed the eight his first year back .The club has made no big name signings since he has been back this team has been developed by Cleary and his coaching staff and in the process picked up a couple of unwanted reserve graders from the sharks in Capewell and Scott Sorenson we all know how they developed then you have blokes like Hosking, you get the picture no need to name them all and who has Ricky developed. He made the 2019 GF on the back of importing Pommy internationals and all, but Whitehead has ended in tears he has a huge junior nursery down there but prefers the quick fix by spending rather than developing. To say Cleary walked into this team is a complete untruth this is a team which he developed which is the mark of a good coach. What Ricky has at his disposal is his own doing
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
So, make your mind up are we comparing careers or cherry picking what suits your argument and just going on the first thirteen years? In your mind it shouldn't matter when Stuart won his title, but Cleary's shouldn't count because that would be recency bias. Your words not mine. Play with the stats all you want, and of course if you rate Stuart above Cleary as a coach that's fine, you are fully entitled to your opinion which I respect but as it stands Cleary has the superior record at the moment and that my friend is not my opinion that is a statistical fact!
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Don't disagree with much of that. His run at Parra was diabolical. But at the Raiders, if we are looking at his line up and what he has at his disposal, compared to what Cleary walked into at the Panthers second time around (and lets be honest, if Nathan isn't a generational talent they want to lock up long term, Ivan isn't being brought back), you can't expect both to be winning 75% of games. I would argue, with what he has in Canberra, Ricky has been pretty successful.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Bennet left the Knights, Dragons and Broncos with screwed up playing rosters. AKA Hasler. Cleary wiped his but on the Tigers jersey Bellamy by a mile.
KenW
Roar Rookie
It's not so much that it was a long time ago, but that it's pretty much his sole claim to fame in coaching. He won in his first season with a dynamite team that he inherited and, fairly or unfairly, the narrative was that he was something less than a full head coach under Gould. And that's about it. He let that Roosters roster wilt and they sunk like a stone to the bottom of the table a few years later. He spent a lot of time in the bottom 4 at the Sharks, and then followed that up with a spoon at the Eels. His Raiders win rate over 9 years is 52%, scraping in as a pass because of that 2019 GF season. It's been enough to keep him in a job but that's about it.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Not probably the most successful Panthers period, absolutely it is. 90,91 GF and the abyss until 2003, 12 years later. 2003 GF and a 16 year hiatus until the next GF. Incidentally, it hasn't been really been talked about much, but he has lost three assistant coaches, Barrett, Ciraldo, Webster and a list of quality players Capewell, Momoroski, Burton, Kikau, Korisau and next year Crichton. He has also dealt with losing six players to SOO for the last two years. The other thing he has done differently from Bennett is, that he has built the side. No Lazurus, Mundine or Tallis like players to top up the Panthers roster. That said, if Cleary can keep the Panthers competitive for the next five years then he can be talked about in the same paragraph. Add in another two GF wins and then he can be talked about in the same sentence.
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
What difference does how long ago Stuart won a premiership matter if we are talking about top coaches of the NRL era? Through the first 13 years of Cleary's coaching career he had a win % of below 50% (47% to be exact). The last 4 have been great for him and really fixed his average, but you can't forget the first 13 years when it makes up 75% of his coaching career. To be clear, neither Stuart or Cleary are on the Bellamy/Bennett level, but to put one significantly over the other would just be recency bias in my opinion.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Naaahhh. Dolphins have overachieved.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Who’d you get that from? Not me.
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
stickys gf win came 20 years ago when under goulds wing apart from 2019 has had little success in clubland clearys win rate 55% stuart 50% plus four grand finals and two premierships compared to four grand finals one premiership thats how cleary sits above stuart
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Did you get that from the Roosters Premiership Wins? Dolphins started well & good on Bennett. Once the season has dragged on longer, any Wayne effect has worn off. Proves that Not having the players available makes the difference to everyone eventually.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Ask any Newcastle supporter how Wayne left the club when he went. Short term gain with a big spend , for years of pain after it. Brown was the first to pay. I know where Newcastle was at once Wayne left , from Newcastle supporter friend’s & family. He’s not popular in Newcastle at all.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Hmmm, stuffed up completely? Almost into the 2013 GF after only one year... The crash happened when Brown took over. 3 Spoons
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Robbo has had huge help. I don't rate him when pressure is on or things go a little sideways - see 2023... I don't believe that the Roosters would have fallen out of the tree so far if Bennett or Bellamy had that roster...
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
A couple of years ago I would have said no, but he is on the right track. Can't fault his results over the past couple of years, but he has a way to go to be in the B&B level.
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
As I recall, Cronulla were terrible under Ricky, and so were Parramatta after he left the Sharks to go to the Eels. Leaving the Eels for the Raiders looked like his last chance as an NRL coach. To give him his due, he has stayed there a long time and won many matches over the years, but I would not put him on the same page as Wayne and Craig, and I don't believe he can be rated above Ivan.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Cleary has got another 10 years and a few more premierships needed to join Bennett and Bellamy - but he’s certainly going well. Although I thought the same about Robbo two years ago.
jimmy jones
Roar Rookie
He's up there already with back2back and with extended success will surpass all but wayno unless he wins with other clubs too
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hmmmmmm. Apparently some people think the clubs Bennett been at and storm never asked the coach their thoughts, who’d they’d like, didn’t like, wasn’t working out. Ok. And I thought that’s why Bennett was such a big catch for dolphins. Lol