Greg Alexander lifts the lid on Ivan Cleary's sad move at Panthers presentation night
The Penrith coach attempted to avoid the moment after a 'sad' reveal right after the grand final.
Panthers legend Greg Alexander has revealed Ivan Cleary was reluctant to talk about the 2025 season and the departing players at the club awards night after talks the players could achieve five premierships in a row. Penrith made history having defeated the Storm in the NRL grand final to win their fourth straight premierships to put themselves in the conversation as arguably the greatest team of all time.
And in the midst of the celebrations at Accor Stadium, coach Cleary took a moment to praise the departing Penrith players that have helped carve a modern NRL dynasty. James Fisher-Harris, Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva have all played their final game for the Panthers having signed for rival clubs.
Fisher-Harris and Luai have been at the club since 2016 and 2018 respectively and Cleary has developed a special bond with the premiership winning players. After acknowledging the players who had worn the Panthers jersey for the last time moments after the grand final victory, Cleary opted to focus on the team's achievements at the awards night.
Speaking on Wednesday, Panthers legend Alexander said the team focused on the achievements reached in 2024 rather than dampening the night with friends and teammates attending the awards for possibly the last time. And while trying to focus on the moment, Cleary mentioned the team will be striving to extend their premiership run in the new season.
"Ivan said last night in his speech, I don't want to talk about next year, but I've got to. He said, we are losing key players again. He spoke very nicely of Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, and Sunia Turuva. But he said, the attitude of this group of players. They will have a rest. Some have a fair bit of footy to go," he said on SEN Radio.
"They will come back and they will get their mind on the job of winning another premiership. That is the mark of this group of players." Cleary's post-season comments stand as a warning to the rest of the competition with Penrith surely heading into the new season as favourites once again.
Despite losing the three superstars, Penrith have signed Eels youngster Blaze Talagi for the upcoming season. And speaking of the atmosphere inside the building at the awards night, Alexander questioned if the players really understood just how unbelievable their achievement sits in the history of the competition.
"The vibe...there was also a sense of accomplishment and achievement...I guess there is a little bit of disbelief, still," he added over what the feeling was inside the room. "They have realised what they have done, but I am not sure if they have."
Ivan Cleary's 'sad' moment straight after NRL grand final
Only moments after coaching Penrith to a fourth straight premiership, with son and halfback Nathan Cleary guiding the team around the field, Cleary was keen to spare special praise for the players and friends departing the club. And he admitted next year would be different without them.
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"I dunno, my immediate feeling now is that's as good a win as I can remember...Super proud, just a very lucky man to be a part of this group," he said to ABC Radio. "It's funny, the players leaving have almost become a strength for us, not just this year.
"These boys just love each other that much, it's sad when they leave," he added. "I've seen these boys grow up, and I've been so fortunate to be their coach; I'm gonna miss them."
