73 Ivan Cleary - NRL Penrith Panthers head coach
Cleary won the Dally M Coach of the Year for 2014.
Heres his analysis of the 2014 season and his expectations for the coming year...
NRL season 2015: Ivan Cleary reviews Panthers’ 2014 and outlines expectations for the new year
PAUL CRAWLEY
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
JANUARY 05, 2015 6:46AM
Ivan Cleary is looking forward to the 2015 season after a breakout campaign last year for the Panthers.
THERE was a time not so long ago Penrith fans wanted to run Ivan Cleary out of town.
Today Cleary can’t imagine ever leaving the club, saying he feels at home at the foot of the mountains.
Ahead of their return to training today, the Dally M coach of the year took time out to review the season just gone, and outline his expectations for the new year.
Cleary spoke about why he believes Matt Moylan will come back even better in 2015 — and nominated two young guns who could emerge as the NRL’s next big things.
As for his own future, Cleary still has two years to run on his contract but said: “To answer your question, I am not seeing an end point.”
COMMUNITY SPIRIT
In his first couple of years at Penrith, Cleary admitted the club was somewhat disconnected from the community because of massive changes he implemented.
Many fans were struggling to understand why he would let go of home grown heroes like Luke Lewis and Michael Jennings.
But this year Cleary felt the community’s spirit return in their football team.
“You could definitely feel that our connection was getting stronger,” he said. “That is one of the highlights of the year for me, that you could feel that connection again.
“And I hope they are looking forward to a new season with a bit of optimism.
Ivan Cleary: “You could definitely feel that our connection was getting stronger.”
“They have got a football team that they can be proud of once more and it is our job to make sure that it is something they can always be proud of.
“It is not just about next year or the year after. We are looking long term and making sure that we are something that the community cannot only be part of but be proud of.”
And Cleary wants to be a part of that success, long term.
“It is a long way from where I grew up (on Sydney’s northern beaches) and I never really envisaged that I’d live out here,” he said.
“But I am out here now and sitting at the foot of the mountains, it is pretty easy to be honest.
“I lived in Auckland for 10 years, so I can handle the different weather. And I enjoy the people. The people are easy going.
“One thing that stuck with me early on when I was considering coming here was what Freddy Fittler said to me.
“Freddy said it had been a long time since he lived out here but the best friends he’s ever had are the ones that he made out here. Freddy is a pretty cosmopolitan guy and for him to say that, I thought that was a fair statement.”
ONCE IN A MOYLAN
From nowhere Moylan emerge like a thunderbolt in 2014 — and the good news for Penrith fans is that their excitement machine can’t wait for 2015 to kick off.
After his breakout year which ended with a spot in Australia’s Four Nations squad, Moylan didn’t end up playing for the Kangaroos.
But Cleary says the experience has inspired the young fullback.
“He isn’t back training yet but he is hanging around,” Cleary said.
“I am actually trying to keep him away because he played every game last year, so it is important that he gives himself a bit of a break
Matt Moylan scores a try against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
“He has got that look about him because he is bored which is good. But I have said go and do something but go and do something else.
“He is a great kid. The only change in him is that he has just developed. It certainly hasn’t changed him as a person.
“I am sure he is getting a lot more attention but he seems to take that in his stride.
“I think that is one of the things you see on the field, pressure doesn’t concern or it certainly doesn’t affect him negatively, positively if anything.
“He just seems to take things in his stride.
“He has come off that Four Nations where he didn’t get a game but I think that has lit the fire a bit.
“I am sure he will take that with him and hopefully he will get better again next year.”
WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS
After bowing out in the grand final qualifier to the Bulldogs, Cleary said at the time “it’s just not quite our time yet”.
So will 2015 be the Panthers’ time?
“I’m not sure it is our time yet but we are getting closer,” Cleary laughed.
“I think we should start this year feeling like we are further ahead. Having said that, everyone starts on level ground.
“It is not always a matter of looking back and saying, ‘oh well, we finished fourth last year’. It is important for us to build on what we achieved last year.”
But he agreed the big thing they take with them is self-belief.
“You are spot on about the belief,” he said. That is the biggest thing we can take in benchmarking if you like in terms of our goals.
“Belief is one of those things that is either there or it is not. I think it has opened our eyes up a bit to what we can achieve so that is definitely a positive.”
MASSIVE DEPTH CHARGE
For all the injuries this past season, Cleary believes the club will now benefit.
Souths’ rookie hooker Api Koroisau is the only new signing. But coming back from surgery is the cavalry.
Api Koroisau is the sole new recruit for Penrith ahead of the 2015 season.
“Wallace, Taylor, Cartwright, Peachey all had surgery,” Cleary said.
“Post season Will Smith, McKendry, Isaah Yeo, Nigel Plum, James Segeyaro, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. Josh Mansour now as well. Jamie Soward had an ankle op. There is probably a few more I missed.
“Our pre season is definitely a challenge but as a coaching staff we have to make that work for us and that we are prepared once the season kicks off.
“And I think the injuries we got last year, the benefit out of that is that our depth is now probably better than it has ever been, certainly in the last three years.
“And it is real depth. There is going to be a lot of competition for spots and in such a long season I think we are in a pleasing position to be able to cover most positions throughout the year.
“We were not a side filling the rep teams up throughout the year. We got some guys in the post season rep squads and they were thoroughly deserved.
“But the reality is those teams were affected significantly by injuries as well, so I still wouldn’t call us a star-studded side.
“Which means, it’s a reality, there are not a lot of guaranteed positions in our team. Competition is healthy and I think it is vital in the NRL these days.”
And Cleary nominated young Bryce Cartwright and Isaah Yeo as two players fans should be looking out for.
“I think the sky is the limit for Isaah. I think he is going to be a stalwart out here at the Panthers for a long time to come. He is a good one,” Cleary said.
“And you could put Bryce in the same category.”
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-season-2015-ivan-cleary-reviews-panthers-2014-and-outlines-expectations-for-the-new-year/story-fnp0lyn3-1227174168846
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