For weeks, rugby league circles have buzzed with speculation linking four-time premiership-winning coach Ivan Cleary to the vacant New South Wales Blues State of Origin head coaching role, with many tipping him to take over the position once his current contract with the Penrith Panthers expires at the end of 2027. That widespread speculation has officially been put to rest this week, after the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) announced Matt King would succeed outgoing coach Laurie Daley on a two-year deal, with a performance-based extension option for 2029 that locks King into the role for the immediate future and clears any talk of an early handover to Cleary.
Speaking to local media ahead of Penrith’s top-of-the-table clash with the New Zealand Warriors at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium this Friday, Cleary publicly thrown his full support behind King’s appointment, dismissing rumors that he was gunning for the Origin job in the near term. “Not really because I’ve still got a job,” Cleary said when asked if the Blues role appealed to him right now. “All I did was get asked a question ‘would I be interested?’ and I said I probably would be if it came up down the line. I think the Blues have made a really good decision. I think Matt King is a great bloke and a great coach-in-waiting, and I think he is definitely the right man for the job.”
Beyond the Origin coaching drama, Cleary is preparing for one of the most unique days of his decades-long coaching career: on Friday, both of his sons will take the field at Go Media Stadium, playing for opposite sides. Jett Cleary, Ivan’s younger son, will start at halfback for the Warriors in the NSW Cup curtain-raiser, just hours before older brother Nathan Cleary – the star playmaker for Penrith – leads the Panthers out against the Warriors in the main NRL fixture.
The match carries extra personal meaning for Cleary, who previously held the head coaching job for the Warriors early in his career. Adding to the family dynamic, Cleary’s wife will also be in attendance, making the trip across the Tasman Sea to watch both of her sons compete for different teams in the same venue. “It’s an interesting day tomorrow. It’s good that their game is before ours so I get to have a bit of a look,” Cleary said. “My wife is coming over, so she’s going to have an interesting day watching her two sons play for different teams, so it’s unique.”
Jett is still in the early stages of his professional rugby league career, and Cleary noted that the young halfback has impressed in his recent opportunities with the Warriors. On the topic of older son Nathan, who has been the subject of recent transfer speculation linking him to a 2028 move to the Warriors, Ivan shared that he is proud of Nathan’s decision to rule out an immediate move to Auckland, a choice Nathan made to avoid blocking Jett’s path to a starting NRL position.
“I wasn’t born in Auckland, but I grew up a fair bit there and I will admit I was a Warriors fan growing up,” Nathan said last month when addressing the transfer rumors. “But at the end of the day, even if that was an option, I’d be blocking my little brother’s pathway. I’m not too sure about that. I want to put a bit more thought into it. The last few weeks there has been a bit of a comedown from Origin, and I’ve been trying to get back into routine with the boys, and get back into consistent training.”
For the Panthers, Friday’s clash is a critical one in the 2024 NRL season ladder race. Penrith currently sits atop the premiership standings, while the Warriors trail just two wins behind in third place, making the match a key test of both sides’ premiership credentials ahead of the upcoming finals series.