Jett Cleary keen on joining brother Nathan and dad Ivan in NRL for Penrith Panthers
It’s scary to predict what father-son duo Ivan and Nathan Cleary could accomplish within a few years – but imagine if a third Cleary entered the fold.
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It’s scary to predict what Penrith’s father-son duo of Ivan and Nathan Cleary could accomplish a few years from now – but just imagine what would happen if a third entered the fold.
As the NRL world continued to come to grips with one of the greatest individual performances in grand final history, the Panthers celebrated the league’s first premiership threepeat in 40 years at a fan’s day at the foot of the mountains on Monday.
And few were more proud of Nathan’s heroics than his mum, Rebecca, who rode the emotions of their wild comeback on the sidelines alongside the rest of their children, Milaya, Indi and Jett.
“I was very stressed, but I knew the boys would come back because that’s what they do. They play for each other. I’m so proud of him, Rebecca said.
“It’s not just Nathan, it’s his whole team. He can’t take all the credit. They all got behind him and all did well.”
Cleary engineered the biggest comeback in grand final history in the space of 20 minutes against Brisbane with two try assists, a 40-20, and the match-winning try and conversion.
It was an outing for the ages, and cemented his status as one of the best halfbacks of the modern era alongside Andrew Johns, Johnathan Thurston and Allan Langer.
All at just 25 years of age.
“The sky’s the limit (for him), really,” Rebecca said.
“If he keeps on putting in what he does, he could be anything.”
However while Nathan may have an entire decade a head of him, the Cleary era may extend well beyond his career.
Seventeen-year-old Jett is quietly developing as a promising playmaker through the Panthers juniors system and is set for another year in SG Ball next season.
But he has already set his sights on partnering his brother in the top grade.
“One hundred per cent it’s a dream. I couldn’t think of anything better. It’d be sick,” Jett said.
“Obviously I just want to try be like him. He’s set the bar high so I’ve got to train real hard to get there. He helps my game out heaps. He gives me tips and that, so does dad.”
The pairing would draw comparisons to the Knights’ legendary brotherly halves duo of Andrew and Matthew Johns.
“Yeah but Joey never won three comps in a row,” he said.
How LeBron and a cheap boxing belt inspired Penrith
– Dean Ritchie
A cheap second-hand boxing belt bought online, coupled with the inspiration of NBA legend LeBron James, were the secret motivation behind Penrith’s bid to become rugby league’s “undisputed” champions.
Penrith created an internal finals theme – titled Hunting History – in which a title belt was bought with three gold badge vacancies with an empty notch filled after every victory.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, in his post-grand final speech to players, held the belt above his head after son Nathan placed the final badge onto the belt, complete with game score, to secure the club’s threepeat.
It sent the players into raptures.
Panthers assistant coach Peter Wallace was behind the idea with club football analyst Demas Wong buying the belt from Premier Awards trophy shop at Chipping Norton for around $250.
The idea originated from LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, who created a 16-piece puzzle in 2016, one for each win required to claim the NBA title.
The boxing belt was symbolic given Penrith wanted to be known as the “undisputed champions” of the NRL era.
There was even a massive sign in their Accor Stadium dressing room which read: “UNDISPUTED…Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”
A team photo was placed underneath the motivational quote, which comes from Michael Jordan.
Panthers co-skipper Isaah Yeo mentioned being “undisputed” in his post-grand final speech.
Ivan spoke briefly about the belt but was, as always, guarded.
“It was a fun thing that kept us going. It was a little bit of motivation,” said Cleary. “We always have a little theme in the finals series. We’ve done (something similar) for three years.
“It was just a title belt. They do it in the NBA so we thought we’d do it. I’d rather keep it to ourselves.”
Asked where the belt came, a guarded Cleary: “Ask someone else, I’m not going to tell you. It’s our thing.”
One Panthers source said: “We don’t want to be arrogant about it but it was about being the undisputed champions of the NRL era. No team in NRL history has ever won three in a row.”
This masthead was inside the Panthers winning dressing room when Ivan took the belt from Wong in front of his players.
Ivan said he wanted to “finish off” his speech with son and Clive Churchill Medal winner Nathan placing the final badge in the belt, emblazoned with the 26-24 score line over Brisbane.
Wong said: “I stole the idea off LeBron James and the Cavs. They used a puzzle for their trophy.”
Wallace added: “Every year has a theme and that was our theme this year – trying to be undisputed, no one has ever done it in the NRL era. That’s what we were hoping to do.
“‘Undisputed champion’ is a boxing term. There were three finals games and three places on the belt – two finals and the grand final.”
‘Who’s got work tomorrow?’: How Panthers partied all night
- Fatima Kdouh, Michael Carayannis, Brent Read
It was the emotional dressing room speech that bookmarked a dynasty unlike any in NRL history.
As celebrations kicked off in the Penrith dressing sheds on Sunday night, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary – with a championship belt in his hands – addressed his players and their families in the bowels of Accor Stadium.
“Firstly, I want to thank everybody in this room and anyone who has ever supported us,” Cleary said.
“It’s been a long journey. I know this year’s team has been an incredible team, that’s one thing, but this is also part of three in a row.
“There are people here who have done so much for this team and club – players, coaches, staff members, they’re all a part of this three-peat.
“This group, man, I love you guys so much. That tonight was unbelievable. We played a way that would have beaten most other teams. But the Broncos didn’t go away.
Ivan Cleary composed himself that entire grand final, even when Nathan scored what was guaranteed to be the winner. He epitomised cool, calm and collected. So this video of him celebrating to the sounds of an “Ivan†chant at Panthers has absolutely sent me. He earned this 😂 pic.twitter.com/SGqzmssElv
— V (@TicsVitsJacThic) October 1, 2023
“When we were down 24-8 and in all sorts, I thought we accelerated. We need to finish off our belt.”
With that, Nathan Cleary – the undoubted star of the match – wandered over and added a third insignia to the belt, to represent their third victory in the finals series.
From there the celebrations went into overdrive. This is how they played out.
BELTS AND ‘WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS’
Before making the 45 kilometre trek back to their home base, players streamed onto Accor Stadium just after midnight to continue celebrations.
Superstar Nathan Cleary was spotted posing for photos with surf champion Mick Fanning, sporting his Clive Churchill Medal and his 2023 premiership.
“WE ARE THE CHAMPIONSâ€
— Fatima Kdouh (@FatimaKdouh_) October 1, 2023
The @PenrithPanthers is full voice in the sheds after making history with three-straight title wins @telegraph_sport@dailytelegraph@codesportsaupic.twitter.com/dpeikzCL5I
SCENES ðŸ†ðŸ†ðŸ†#pantherpride 🾠pic.twitter.com/JbxS76u7np
— Penrith Panthers ðŸ†ðŸ† (@PenrithPanthers) October 1, 2023
Departing star centre Stephen Crichton one-upped Cleary in the bling states. Crichton showed off all three premiership rings, the Provan Summons trophy and a UFC style championship belt that had the word ‘undisputed’ on the front.
Earlier in the sheds, players decked in Polynesia candy leis and sporting ski goggles belted out the team song, a rendition of Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’.
“WHO’S GOT WORK TOMORROW?”
Penrith superstar Jarome Luai doubled down on the controversial Origin social media post that drew the ire of league fans back in June.
High on the victory of three-straight title wins, Luai took to Instagram in the early hours on Monday morning with a photo of himself and Sunia Turuva pointing in the direction of a camera.
Luai captioned the photo: “Who’s got work tomorrow?”
The five-eighth copped a huge wave of back lash in the wake of the NSW Blues Origin II loss following a post taking at aim trolls.
“Chill, All you idiots have work tomorrow morning,” Luai wrote at the time.
It was later revealed that Luai had received death threats after the Blues lost the series at the hands of the Maroons in game two.
Luai has embraced the tag at the NRL’s resident villain recently.
His most recent post will no doubt cause a stir, and again rile up his detractors.
‘YOU WANT A QUOTE? I’LL GIVE YOU A QUOTE’
Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary was best on ground on the field but another Australian sporting champion in surfer Mick Fanning was unmatched in Penrith’s title celebrations on Sunday night.
Fanning joined the premiers on a lap of honour around Accor Stadium before celebrating just as hard with Cleary and his teammates in the Panthers dressing room.
The Penrith raised surf star was spotted doing the rounds in the dressing rooms embracing players and posing with the Provan-Summons trophy.
Fanning stole the show in the post-match broadcast, telling Channel 9: “This is the best thing ever... This is so amazing. Look at them.”
He continued the love fest in the dressing room, jovially interrupting a number of media interviews telling reporters: “You want a quote? I’ll give you a quote... You are looking at a team of champions.”
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