Ivan Cleary goes public with 'sad' revelation amid beautiful scenes with family after grand final

Ivan Cleary was pictured in beautiful scenes celebrating with his family after son and halfback Nathan helped lead the Panthers to a fourth-straight NRL premiership, but the Penrith coach admitted it was a bittersweet moment for him. Penrith showed once again why they are an unstoppable NRL juggernaut having battered the Storm for a 14-6 in Sydney to mark a fourth-straight premiership.

There was controversy in the grad final with a Bunker decision ruling a 'no try' to Jack Howarth causing uproar from viewers at home. Regardless, the Panthers were more determined than ever to create history, which was clear in the pre-match huddle as departing players Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris and Sunia Turuva all emotional ahead of their final game for the club.

Fisher-Harris and Luai have been at the club since 2016 and 2018 respectively and have been integral to the Panthers dynasty. Meanwhile, Turuva scored the first try for the Panthers and the players gathered around him in a crowning moment for the winger.

And amid the post-game celebrations, coach Cleary took a moment to acknowledge the departing players. Cleary couldn't help but feel 'sad' to see some of his players and friends leave after so long at the club.

Cleary has coached Fisher-Harris and Luai for the formative moments of their NRL careers and the 53-year-old stood back from the chaos to share a thought for the players in their final game wearing the Panthers jersey.

"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."

Luai was emotional after the victory as he joins the Wests Tigers next year having played what appears to be his last game alongside Cleary in Panthers colours. And commentator and NRL icon Andrew Johns declared Luai and Cleary as the greatest halves combination we have ever seen. "Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, the greatest halves combination the game has seen. Look at the record," he told the Nine Network.

Ivan and Nathan Cleary share special moment after premiership

Ivan was also emotional after the match as he embraced his son Nathan in the post-game celebrations. Ivan has watched Nathan grow into the game's best halfback and his fourth-straight premiership only strengthens his case as an all-time great.

And the Cleary's were captured sharing a moment with the NRL grand final trophy on the field. And despite Nathan's remarkable ability of the field, Ivan wanted to praise his son for his attitude off the field and how he has overcome his injury setbacks in 2024.

"[On Nathan] I just couldn't be more proud of him, and I'm not taking about him as a football player," Cleary said. "He just refuses to let injuries get in his way...He works so hard Gibbsy, he deserves everything he gets."

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Unfortunately, Nathan's partner, Matildas superstar Mary Fowler, was not in attendance due to her own Women's Super League game for Manchester City. Despite not being in Sydney, Fowler took a moment to applaud Cleary's achievement having posted on social media after the game.

While the Cleary family were thrilled with the victory, the Storm were left downtrodden after a gruelling game. Captain Harry Grant claimed Penrith's experience in the big moments shone through on grand final night.

"We've had an incredible season and I think we learned how hard it is to get here over the last few years," the skipper said. "We thoroughly enjoyed this week, but we probably learned what this week's all about and what it takes to take your game to the next level. Once you do get here, it's even harder to win and it just goes to show Penrith for the 'been here, done it'.

"You've got to give them a lot of credit and a lot of respect for what they've done over the past four or five years. For our guys, this was the biggest game of our careers, so that's a real lesson. We're keeping our squad together. We're adding to our squad and we'll be more experienced and better for the run next season."