Paul Kent: Ivan Cleary toying with NRL Gods after Ricky Stuart ‘karma’ comment
He’s helped build the NRL’s most dominant side, but Penrith’s Ivan Cleary is not immune to letting slip a silly comment. And he’s outdone himself this week, writes PAUL KENT.
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As far as dumb comments go Ivan Cleary might have taken the prize in what is usually a world class field.
If nothing else, Ivan the Not-So-Cerebral certainly has a healthy lead this early in the season.
Has anyone tempted fate as Cleary did on Friday night?
In the world of NRL, which usually goes hand in hand with scandal and at least one annual crisis, Cleary challenged the footy gods by suggesting karma had something to do with Jaeman Salmon’s return serve on Ricky Stuart when he scored late in the game.
“Weak gutted dog,” Salmon screamed at the crowd, the phrase Stuart levelled at Salmon last year.
Asked about Salmon’s try following the game, Cleary replied. “Good karma. That’s how I describe that.”
Did Cleary know of Salmon’s sledge to the Raiders crowd and, indirectly, Stuart?
He was asked about the actual try, and not the actual comment, but it has since been reported that Cleary’s answer was in response to the comment and Cleary has made no attempt to clarify his intent.
As a coach, it could be easily argued Cleary had a right to defend Salmon.
As a father, he had a right to stay silent out of respect for Stuart.
It was not his argument and it revives a common criticism of the Panthers around the game; namely, they lack class.
Salmon kicked stones last year with a sad face, playing the perfect victim such were his injuries at Stuart’s slur.
Yet back on top after a 53-12 win on Friday and that mask slipped to reveal the man within.
Where does karma take it next?
Cleary and his Panthers have been blessed with more success than any NRL club in recent seasons.
Three straight grand finals, two straight premierships, a roster that is shaping as the equal of many of the great sides inside the game and they roll forward.
At their best, the football is breathtaking.
But it hasn’t come without its share of scandals, with limited backlash.
Within months of returning to Penrith Cleary lost Tyrone May when he was charged with illegally filming a sex act with a young woman and was stood down by the NRL.
It’s a tawdry example, but the criticism here is not so much of the incident but how defiantly Penrith dealt with it.
After pleading guilty, Magistrate Roby Denes described May’s behaviour as “right on the cusp of a custodial sentence”, saying it was “not only morally reprehensible, it’s criminal”.
Yet somehow May thought it sensible to double down on his critics on social media by challenging them with a photo of him and Cleary leaving court, quoting the rapper Drake, after Penrith won the grand final in 2021: “And the dirt that they threw on my name turned to soil and I grew up out it. Time for y’all to figure out what y’all gon’ do about it.”
Apparently, winning premierships vindicated such behaviour.
The public response from Penrith bordered on mute.
It underlines a frequent theme that, ever since the Panthers began having success, they have acted often recklessly and often without consequence.
They saw their premiership wins as opportunity to attack their enemies, for example.
They hit the stage last year rubbing Parramatta’s nose in grand final defeat, belittling the Eels as they celebrated their win.
Jarome Luai described Salmon as “My N….” in a grand final dressing room photo he posted on social media.
James Fisher-Harris described the fallen Eels as “Our sons” in a “Who’s Your Daddy?” type comment.
“Right here, right now,” he said, “that’s just a fact.”
Api Koroisau laughed at the idea of repeating his grand final success at Wests Tigers where he now plays.
Like Cleary showed Friday night, it lacked connection with how the rest of the world saw it.
Then, completely removed from the echo chamber of the NRL, karma came back to bite the Panthers and undo some claims that their criticisms are born from professional jealousy.
If the Panthers had been taught to act with a little class, taught that such things as manners and respect still exist in this world, then maybe Jarome Luai might not have delivered a disastrous best man speech at Brian To’o’s wedding that left young Mrs To’o with a memory that has forever stained her biggest day.
It barely passed as a 21st speech, let alone a wedding speech.
But it’s not all on Luai.
When not excited he comes across as respectful and humble. A little adrenalin and it all comes undone.
Given the players spend so much time at the club, and within the club environment, clubs and those who lead them have no excuse for failing a player’s personal development.
Teach the man and get the player.
In each case, each instance alone can be defended. But as they continue to pile up the Panthers really are stacking a case as the NRL’s ugliest brand.
Only their football has saved them.
As for His Lordship Cleary himself, Wests Tigers quietly fist pumped his karma comment on Friday night after the state he left the Tigers in.
Oh, you bet they’re waiting for it.
After two moderate seasons at the club, which bent the salary cap all out of shape and burdened the club for seasons to come, Tigers fans had to sit through the wreckage of another rebuild while Cleary went back to Penrith.
His Tigers stint included losing James Tedesco, Mitch Moses and Aaron Woods after giving them a deadline to sign extensions and “get on the bus”, only to replace them with expensive long-term contracts to Russell Packer, Moses Mbye, Ben Matulino and Josh Reynolds.
It included taking great offence at suggestions he was about to walk out on the Tigers, and attacks on those who suggested it, just before he walked out on the Tigers.
Meanwhile, back at Penrith and walking into a five-star roster on the way up, Cleary took just a season to take out the Dally M Coach of the Year and begin the Panthers’ dominance.
The Tigers are still recovering from the hiding their salary cap crumpled under, on top of the players they lost, although admittedly not all the hardship is the fault of Cleary.
The fear is when it comes to angering the karma gods, everything usually turns out even.
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