Ivan Cleary’s calculated silence tarnishes Wests Tigers’ 22-20 win over Raiders
FOR some reason the Wests Tigers coach still doesn’t want to come clean on just how close he was to jumping off the bus and joining his son at Penrith.
NRL
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WESTS Tigers got the two points, but their fans have been sold a dummy.
They were put through the wringer all last week over talk surrounding Ivan Cleary’s future.
And even now that Cleary has stated he won’t be going, for now at least, for some reason the Tigers coach still doesn’t want to come clean on just how close he was to jumping off the bus and joining his son Nathan at Penrith.
In the aftermath of Sunday’s get-out-of-jail 22-20 win over Canberra that kept the Tigers’ slim finals hopes alive, Cleary continued to play a little schoolyard game of “I know something you don’t know” by not answering some simple questions.
Cleary accused the media of spreading “misinformation” about the situation, despite Penrith supremo Phil Gould having revealed he sacked Anthony Griffin because talks with Cleary and the Panthers had advanced to a point where it would place too much pressure on Griffin to continue.
Even Griffin confirmed he was told the day Gould sacked him that Cleary would be his replacement.
Tigers chair Marina Go and chief executive Justin Pascoe publicly addressed the issue, declaring they would not release Cleary.
But it seems the only person who can give complete clarity to the story is the man whose silence remains deafening.
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The Daily Telegraph attempted to contract Cleary last Monday night when rumours first emerged, offering him the opportunity to clarify the situation, but he did not return calls or text messages.
In fact, even as the story engulfed the game and ultimately cost Griffin his job, Cleary still refused to address the issue until Saturday when he read from a prepared speech at the Tigers’ captain’s run and still refused to take questions on the subject.
Cleary said after Sunday’s game in Canberra that he was “very proud” of the players and the way they started after jumping to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter following the sin-binning of Joey Leilua, when the Tigers raced in three quick tries.
“I thought we really came to play,” Cleary said.
Asked if that was a surprise given the week, Cleary said: “You’d have to ask the boys.
“All I can say is that I never once saw them anything other than completely focused on their preparation.”
Russell Packer tried to make out it was a big joke but, really, Cleary is the one who should be answering the questions given the heartache Tigers fans have been feeling.
But he maintained last night: “I’m not going to talk.”
Asked about the so-called “misinformation” he referred to on Saturday, he said: “I’m sure you can find the misinformation … I’m not going to talk about it.
“I get it has been a big story but I said my position yesterday and I am not going to talk about it.”
The problem for the Tigers is that despite his assurance that it is his “intention” to honour his contract, the rumours won’t go away.
Some people in very high places are convinced this story is only on hold until the end of the season.
After leading 16-0 midway through the first half, the Tigers went into the final quarter up 22-20 and it looked like the Raiders were coming to get them. But the Tigers held on for a valuable win that moved them to 24 competition points with remaining games against St George Illawarra this Saturday followed by Manly and South Sydney.
Brisbane are just ahead in eighth spot on 26 competition points with remaining games against South Sydney on Thursday and then the Sydney Roosters and Manly.
WESTS TIGERS 22 (M Chee Kam M Mbye D Nofoaluma M Watene-Zelezniak tries E Marsters 3 goals) bt CANBERRA 20 (J Tapine 2 J Leilua J Papalii tries S Williams 2 goals) at GIO Stadium. Referee: Ben Cummins, Chris Butler. Crowd: 14,583