Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has shot back at a journalist following his side’s thumping 32-8 win over the Broncos on Sunday.
The four-time reigning premiers were on the bottom of the ladder heading into the clash having won just two of their opening eight games.
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Cleary was asked his thoughts on the win to open his post-match press conference and the veteran coach said it was a “performance that we can be proud of”, but he took exception to the second question.
“Are you back? Are the Panthers back?” Cleary was asked before he returned serve with “back to what” while clearly unimpressed with the question.
“Back to I suppose what we’ve become accustomed to over the last four or five years. Was that a turning point?” the journalist said.
“Well to answer your first question, we’re a new team. We’re still trying to find our way so that (win) will help.
“Is it a turning point? I don’t know.
“We’ve actually been training quite well, the last three or four weeks we had a really good block of training.
“There are reasons for being where we are (on the ladder) and part of that was a lack of training early in the season and when you’re training with a new team and there’s different combinations with guys coming in and out, that actually hurts you. Especially in the NRL, it’s so even.
“So if you’re a bit clunky or not quite connecting in attack and defence then you can lose games.
“I don’t really think we’re that far off anyway. There are some green shoots in our team.”
“Shades of 2023” – Cleary burns Broncos! | 00:38
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Cleary’s son Nathan was man-of-the-match after a masterclass that replicated his heroics in the 2023 grand final against the same team.
During Penrith’s 2-6 start to the season, Nathan Cleary at times looked like he was trying to do the job of five men.
But against the Broncos everything finally fell into place as everything the halfback touched turned to gold.
“It was good to see him play well, I feel like he’s been playing well anyway but as a team we just weren’t clicking together and functioning as well as we could but we’re still trying to find our way too,” Cleary said about his son.
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