Former Panthers mentor Ivan Cleary closing in on Wests Tigers coaching job

IVAN Cleary is closing in on the vacant Wests Tigers coaching job and could be announced as soon as next week.

IVAN Cleary will be handed ultimate authority to make the tough decisions necessary if he agrees to take over from sacked Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe has already made contact with Cleary’s agent George Mimis to register the club’s intentions to make Cleary their number one target.

While there has been speculation former Tiger Todd Payten is the coach the players want, it is understood Payten is not in the running.

The board views Cleary as the “statesmanlike” figure who will command instant respect from players, staff and the wider rugby league public.

The club is adamant they will go through the formal process thoroughly, but there is a chance Cleary’s appointment could be announced as soon as next week.

Cleary will be given full control over the Tigers roster.

The club does not want to disrupt preparations ahead of Sunday’s home game at Leichhardt Oval against the Melbourne Storm, with the Tigers desperate to bounce back after consecutive floggings by Penrith and Canberra.

If negotiations with Cleary can be fast tracked, he will take charge from interim coach Andrew Webster for the round five game against St George Illawarra on Sunday week.

The Tigers have put together a working committee that includes Pascoe, general manager of football Kelly Egan along with board members Mick Liubinskas and Danny Stapleton to work on a short list of candidates.

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But Cleary has been the preferred option from the moment Taylor was axed, and unless he knocks back the offer he will get the job.

Cleary has publicly expressed his interest in the position but also admitted he had reservations about the lack of stability at the club after Taylor became the third coach to be moved on in five years following Tim Sheens and Mick Potter.

In a bid to convince Cleary, the board is prepared to allow him to oversee all football and recruitment operations.

Cleary last coached in the NRL with Penrith in 2015.

No doubt one of Cleary’s first jobs will be to look over the strategy already in place in relation to the retention of off contract stars Aaron Woods, James Tedesco, Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks.

A big part of the reason Taylor was sacked was because the four have for months bulked at recommitting their futures to the club.

But Cleary might have his own views on whether the club should keep all four players.

As well as having a proven history in developing younger players, Cleary has showed in the past he is not scared to make the tough calls needed to get a salary cap in line.

At Penrith, he along with Phil Gould basically turned over the entire roster including letting go of local heroes Luke Lewis, Lachlan Coote and Michael Jennings.

While at the Warriors Cleary sacked Steve Price to make Simon Mannering captain.