Why bad blood between Wests Tigers and Ivan Cleary runs deep

Don’t be fooled by the denials, the bad blood between Wests Tigers and Ivan Cleary still runs deep. While it’s not clear who got the better deal, some friendships have been left in tatters following the new Penrith coach’s sensational exit last year.

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No one wants to talk about the feud that is simmering ahead of Friday night’s grudge match between Penrith and Wests Tigers, but there is plenty of bad blood between Panthers coach Ivan Cleary and the club he walked out on.

Tigers enforcer Russell Packer and Cleary’s former chief executive and close mate Justin Pascoe were the two most hurt by the exit of their former coach.

The Daily Telegraph has been told that Packer “did blow up” at a meeting Cleary had with his leadership group before he departed.

Cleary relationship with former Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe hasn’t recovered. Image: Gregg Porteous

Cleary’s friendship with Pascoe is also in tatters. The two have apparently not spoken since Cleary left, aside from a few text messages.

It is understood Pascoe was confused that Cleary wanted to return to Penrith considering his previous relationship with the Panthers’ general manager of football, Phil Gould.

Some at the Tigers apparently even went as far as to warn Cleary about the unnecessary pressure his return to Penrith would put on his son, Nathan.

But Cleary had made up his mind that it was something he and Nathan wanted to do.

No one can truly understand the extent of Cleary’s desire to coach his son, but the way he left the Tigers deeply upset many, especially considering the Tigers gave Cleary a job after he was sacked by Penrith.

Russell Packer didn’t take it well. Image: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

New Tigers skipper Moses Mbye, who Cleary played a significant hand in recruiting from Canterbury, said this week the players weren’t as “disappointed as you think” and were “happy” to have Michael Maguire as their new coach.

It’s true that not all the players saw it as such a big event, especially the younger ones.

But when Cleary first fronted the Tigers’ leadership group last year, the mood in the room was anything but happy.

While only those at the meeting know exactly what was said, Packer’s confrontation with Cleary was the talk of the club in the days that followed.

Pascoe was just as filthy, especially considering Gould had sacked Cleary as Penrith coach before.

LISTEN! Pressure on the Clearys, Ponga’s missing spark and rich pickings for the Blues. Plus Matty’s confrontation with “The Animal”. Don’t miss this week’s episode of The Matty Johns podcast with Paul Kent and James Hooper.

It has since been revealed that Gould didn’t want Cleary to return as coach in the first place.

Gould had targeted Wayne Bennett to take over from Anthony Griffin but his offer to Bennett was knocked on the head because Penrith chairman Dave O’Neill had already done his own deal to bring Cleary back, with the support of the Penrith board.

The Tigers said they would not let Cleary go unless they found a suitable replacement before pre-season training began.

Cleary‘s desire to coach his son was too much. Image: Phil Hillyard

Bennett and Maguire were initially courted but after Bennett knocked back the offer, Maguire was signed.

However, the Tigers still wanted to make Penrith squirm for courting Cleary while he was under contract.

They used Cleary’s existing contract to negotiate a $300,000 settlement, which is paying a large portion of Maguire’s first-year salary.

As part of the payout, it’s claimed Cleary coughed up his final month’s salary, worth about $40,000.

And the Tigers received a $250,000 reconciliation that supposedly came clearly marked in a statement from the Penrith Panthers.

Not that Cleary walked away empty-handed, given it is believed his contract at Penrith is worth $1 million a season.

If that is the case, it is a 45 per cent upgrade on what Cleary was paid at the Tigers.

Everyone will have an opinion on who got the better of the deal.

But one thing is for certain, some friendships will never be the same.