Rugby league reporter Paul Kent has issued a bombshell revelation on why footy coach Ivan Cleary decided to return to Penrith.
The four-time premiership-winning coach has previously opened up on the turn of events that led him to leave the Panthers back in 2015 after he was sacked by NRL legend Phil ‘Gus’ Gould.
He and Gould have maintained a strained relationship since then, with the then-Panthers General Manager opting to wield the axe against the Premiership-winning coach because Cleary ‘looked tired’ and needed a break.
But in a shocking revelation, Kent has claimed that Cleary returned to Penrith because he had ‘unfinished business’ before explaining that he went on to ‘neck’ Gould.
During a Q&A session on Fanatics TV, Kent was asked: ‘Can you tell us about the time Gus punted Ivan and his return?’
‘I tell you what,’ Kent said, appearing at first to choose his words carefully.
Paul Kent has claimed that Ivan Cleary (right) returned to coach Penrith Panthers because he had unfinished business
Kent (pictured) appeared to claim that Cleary went back to the club and ‘necked Phil Gould’
Gould (right) sacked Cleary (left) during his first spell in charge of the club, after claiming he had been ‘tired’
‘Gus got rid of him [because] he said he was tired. Now my understanding of it was that Ivan had figured out that he probably didn’t need Gus anymore.
‘Gus recognised that. Gus moved him on. That’s up for debate, you can look at that any way you like.
‘Ivan went back and surprised a lot of people. I know he had a conversation with someone.
‘They said: “Mate, why would you go back there after everything that had happened before?”
‘And he said: “Because I’ve got unfinished business there.”
‘On the way through he’s gone and necked Gus… so there’s your mic drop.’
In his book, Not Everything Counts But Everything Matters, which was released last year, Cleary paid tribute to Gould for his work at Penrith, but claimed their relationship had soured so much that it had ultimately culminated in his sacking in 2015.
‘He did so much good for me, but he hurt me too,’ the 54-year-old wrote, reflecting on his first spell in charge at the club.
Cleary (pictured) has previously spoken about their relationship, stating that Gus had done a lot for him but had also ‘hurt him’
But after leaving the club in 2019, Gould admitted he and Cleary were on good terms
That fractious relationship has meant that Cleary has not spoken to Gus since he confronted Gould about his sacking when he rejoined the club in 2019.
The 54-year-old ended his first spell at the Panthers with the club sitting rock bottom of the NRL.
But after a two-year hiatus at the Wests Tigers, his return to the Panthers after Anthony Griffin’s sacking surprised many, following his bitter exit.
On his own motivations for rejoining Penrith, Cleary said that he gave the club an ultimatum that he would not take the reigns again unless Gould had zero no authority over him.
‘I still feel so grateful that (former Penrith chairman) Dave O’Neill asked me for coffee that day and really put his own reputation on the line because it was controversial,’ he wrote.
‘When I came back initially, things weren’t working out.
‘Nathan wasn’t playing well, I felt guilty about that.
‘There was so much scrutiny and it certainly wasn’t positive.’
Cleary would go on to win four premiership titles with the panthers between 2021 and 2024
He added: ‘I honestly didn’t feel like I was the right man for the job, which was a lot to deal with because of how much I wanted to come back and how much it felt right.’
Gould, meanwhile, left the club mid-way through 2019, and it was here that he denied that there had been a rift between the duo.
‘Ivan’s the right coach for the job going forward,’ he said.
Cleary would go on to win four premiership titles with the panthers between 2021 and 2024.
