The Cleary bombshell we all should have seen coming

It was inside a new car showroom in Kingswood, just after he returned from watching son Nathan steer the Kangaroos to an Ashes whitewash in England, that Ivan Cleary dropped the first hint about a move that on Wednesday rocked the rugby league world.

Cleary rarely gives one-on-one interviews, but sat down with this masthead in November. For more than half an hour, the four-time premiership-winning coach spoke of his hope of one day seeing his sons play together, his thoughts about PNG entering the competition and even the prospect of the codes coming together for a hybrid game.

But the comments that resonated were those regarding his representative coaching ambitions.

For a man who has achieved so much as a player and coach – including four straight premierships with the clipboard – there was one box left to tick.

“It’s starting to intrigue me a little bit more, yeah,” Cleary said at the time of coaching in the representative era.

“Today I’ve just come back after being around the Australian camp. There’s something pretty cool about coaching the best players, good players with guys from other teams that I’ve coached against … I definitely think about it more than I used to.”

Those thoughts have crystallised to the point where, on Wednesday, he decided to put an end date on his record-breaking Penrith tenure. In doing so, he can pursue other interests; spend more time with his family, retain a yet-to-be determined advisory role with the Panthers and then scratch that representative itch.

“It’s definitely something I’ve started thinking about probably the last 12 months, which I’ve never had before,” Cleary said on Wednesday.

“Obviously when you’re not an NRL coach, that opens up those sorts of doors. It’s something that I would consider if someone thought me worthy of that.”

When the Panthers called a press conference at their centre of excellence at 2pm, it was widely predicted a contract extension for Cleary would be trumpeted. Instead, a remarkable club coaching career will finish at the end of next year.

The hole he will leave at the Panthers is enormous. To win four consecutive premierships during the salary cap era is a feat that may never be repeated. That he has won the Dally M coach of the year gong only twice (in 2014 and 2020, but not once during the four-peat he oversaw) is a travesty.

If he achieves nothing else with the clipboard, he will be remembered alongside coaching greats Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy. But unlike the veteran duo, Cleary is not a rugby league lifer. The 55-year-old has interests outside the game and is now free to explore them.

“What am I gonna do? I’ve been a player and a coach for 35 years. It’s more like a lifestyle than a job, so I’m definitely looking to branch out and use my skills, my knowledge and experience in other areas,” Cleary said.

“Also sort of try and free up a bit more flexibility in terms of lifestyle, for particularly my wife and myself.”

Success is all about timing. During his playing career as a fullback at the Sea Eagles, Bears, Roosters and Warriors, a premiership eluded him. But everything came together in his second stint as Panthers coach.

An elite crop of juniors thrived under his tutelage and some became generational stars. None more so than son and halfback Nathan. Whether Cleary junior decides to finish up at the club at the same time as the old man will be the biggest story until it’s not.

“I don’t think so because, as I said, he’s known for a while,” Cleary said if his situation had an impact on Nathan’s.

“He’s been pretty clear about where he stands on his future right now, which I think is pretty uncertain.

“He’s just concentrating on playing, which he’s doing a pretty good job of at the moment. This hasn’t made any difference, I don’t think.”

In many respects, coaches are like boxers. Most go on too long, oblivious to the toll their vocation takes. In finishing up at the end of next year, Cleary will become one of the few to depart on his terms.

“I haven’t got there yet,” he quipped. “It’s definitely better than getting sacked.”

When Alex Ferguson left Manchester United, or Phil Jackson left the Chicago Bulls, those franchises never recovered. Dynasties don’t last forever. But in making the decision early, and providing a clear succession plan via Peter Wallace, it remains if Penrith’s has come to an end.