Panthers coach Ivan Cleary spoke openly about his difficulties in balancing his roles as coach and father to Nathan, especially at a time when his son is at his worst. Nathan Cleary will miss the rest of the regular NRL season after dislocating his shoulder in last weekend’s game against the Melbourne Storm.
Ivan Cleary was seen consoling a devastated Nathan in the locker room after the game and talking to his son about what happened. And on Tuesday, the Panthers coach spoke to reporters about what it’s like to coach his son.
“It’s not that simple,” Ivan said. “I guess over the weekend there was a mix of understanding how important this is for the team and where we are in the season, (but) also knowing how devastated he would be because his dad knew.”
“There was a moment where I had to get back to the here and now and focus on what I was doing. That’s tough. Injuries are definitely tough. Just playing and separating all that (being a father and a coach) is pretty easy, but I don’t think you can separate it in that sense.”
Ivan Cleary feels sorry for his injury-plagued son Nathan
Nathan has had a frustrating season with injuries after missing around Out of action for 10 weeks due to thigh problems Early 2024. Ivan announced on Thursday evening that Nathan had suffered from shoulder problems during the preseason and had been working on it all year.
“He’s fine. He’s obviously disappointed, but the scans could definitely have been worse. There’s still hope, so it’s much better than if there hadn’t been,” Ivan said.
“The injury in pre-season was pretty serious at the time. I remember thinking it wasn’t good to go into a very long season with that. That was in the run-up to the World Club Challenge, but he got through it and had more time to strengthen his thigh muscles during the injury break. Overall he didn’t have any problems with it.”
There were initial fears that Nathan’s recent injury would see him miss the rest of the season, but the club is confident he will be back for the finals. Dylan Edwards and James Fisher-Harris have also been sidelined for extended periods in 2024, but the Panthers are still in good shape to finish in the top two.
“It’s been a pretty turbulent year for us as a team,” Ivan said. “We’ve had guys coming and going throughout the year, whether it’s injuries, suspensions or Origin. I guess we’re used to it. We’re basically prepared for it no matter what happens the rest of the year.”
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The Panthers have named Brad Schneider as Cleary’s replacement at half-back, with Schneider selected as link-up and eighth and Jarome Luai moving to the half-back position. Luai played brilliantly at No. 7 while Cleary was out beginning of the year.
Ivan also left young half-back Jack Cole on the bench, saying he could step in for Schneider at the last minute in the game against Canberra. “We play on Saturday. There’s still a bit of work to do,” he said.
Meanwhile, Luke Sommerton will start at hooker against the Raiders in place of the suspended Mitch Kenny, who was suspended for one game for firing a high shot at Storm winger Grant Anderson. Mavrik Geyer has retained his place in the second row ahead of Scott Sorensen, who is expected back from a hamstring injury in time for the finals.
with agencies
