Ivan Cleary is reported to announce he will step down as Penrith coach at season’s end, with an NRL future now in doubt.
Ivan Cleary quitting Penrith is set to become one of the biggest coaching shocks of the NRL off-season, with reports now pointing to an end-of-next-season announcement.
Multiple reports say the 55-year-old will officially step down as head coach at a 2pm press conference on Wednesday. where he is expected to make the decision public.. The timing matters: Cleary is contracted with the Panthers until the end of the 2027 season. and his move—if confirmed—would reshape the club’s leadership planning well ahead of that final year.
Cleary’s departure would also carry extra weight inside Penrith’s recruitment landscape because his son. Nathan. is under contract with the club until the end of the 2027 season as well.. The report indicates both Clearys would be placed near the top of clubs’ recruitment priorities if the No.7 decides to test the open market. turning a coaching transition into a potential broader talent reshuffle.
The reason the news is hitting so hard is the level of success Penrith have sustained since the Covid era under Cleary’s guidance.. The report states the Panthers have won four straight grand finals, alongside premierships in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.. It also notes additional minor premiership wins in 2020, 2022 and 2023, highlighting a run that has largely defined the modern Panthers identity.
Beyond the trophies, the numbers cited underline how dominant Penrith have been under his watch. With Cleary in charge, the report says the Panthers have won 138 of 188 matches, emphasizing a consistency that has translated into repeated championship contention.
Before his Penrith dynasty, Cleary’s coaching career began with the New Zealand Warriors, where he was head coach from 2006 to 2011. During that first tenure, the report says he took the club to their second grand final appearance, a milestone that set the stage for his later move to Penrith.
His switch to Penrith in 2012 initially brought mixed results, the report adds, before a later turnaround. It also states he was “unceremoniously dumped” by then-general manager Phil Gould, illustrating that the path to the Panthers’ recent dominance was not linear.
Cleary’s time with the Wests Tigers is also described as brief. According to the report, he led the club for just 43 games, winning 18, before returning to Penrith for the 2018 season in a move that quickly became a turning point in the club’s long-term direction.
The report further notes that Cleary hinted at a potential job change last year. including the possibility—kept open but not promised—of coaching the NRL’s new Papua New Guinea Chiefs team.. While he said he would “never say never. ” he also suggested he was intrigued by the idea of taking charge of a representative side.
In the earlier comments referenced by the report. Cleary explained that the representative coaching model offers a different preparation rhythm. because you don’t have as much time to plan.. He also recalled enjoying working with players from other teams and building a side quickly. drawing on his World Cup experience as an assistant coach of the Kiwis.
That representative intrigue matters now because the reported Penrith decision comes after years of building systems at club level.. If Cleary is indeed stepping away. questions will quickly turn to whether his next opportunity—club or representative—matches the style of challenge he described: assembling quickly and working across team lines.
Penrith’s coaching change would also be viewed through the prism of Cleary’s own playing career. which the report details as laying the foundations for his football instincts.. Before coaching. he was one of the NRL’s top backs. with the report listing stints at Manly. North Sydney. the Roosters and Warriors between 1992 and 2002.
The report says he played 186 NRL matches overall, scoring 64 tries and slotting 553 goals. That record, as presented, reinforces why Cleary is widely regarded as more than a successful game manager—he was also a proven points-scorer during his playing days.
For the NRL, the immediate implication is that Penrith’s next chapter may extend beyond one coaching appointment.. With the reported timing placing both Ivan and Nathan Cleary at the end of the 2027 contract window. the offseason narrative could quickly shift from honoring a legendary run to mapping who will chase the next competitive edge at the very top of the market.
For Penrith supporters, the challenge will be continuity under pressure.. After a sustained period where the club dominated since the Covid pandemic—culminating in the four straight grand final victories referenced in the report—any transition will be judged against the standard Cleary has set. and against the possibility that the same leadership pair might ultimately step away together.
Ivan Cleary quitting Penrith coach Penrith Panthers Nathan Cleary contract NRL grand finals Papua New Guinea Chiefs rugby league coaching