As the Penrith Panthers flew through 2022 and were inspired by Top Gun, head coach Ivan Cleary fought his own private battle.
But after taking the Panthers to their second straight NRL title, the former fullback turned coach opened up on the “serious” health struggles that had him couch-ridden and rushed into ICU with blood clots midway through the season.
Players and staff played down the severity of Cleary’s health crisis, but the full extent of his ordeal is only coming to life now as the master coach developed a serious knee infection that saw him miss a number of games.
“It’s a strange experience watching your team play live on the couch. It’s totally different to normal,” Cleary told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“What it did give me was a lot of confidence that the leaders had grown.
“When I got the blood clots it was a bit of a scare, but I was in good hands. I had the best nurse in Australia [Bec] looking after me, so I was OK.”
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Cleary’s wife Bec however did not play it down like her husband, saying she had never seen him in such bad shape.
“He was struggling [this year],” she told the Herald. “He could hardly walk. He was very sick. Then he got the blood clots. That was pretty scary. If they hadn’t got that when they did, who knows what would have happened. They got it at a good time, and they looked after him.
“He’s never ever missed a day of coaching, whether he’s sick or not. This year I knew how sick he was because he couldn’t go to work.
“He was just on the lounge all day, asleep on the lounge. He’d come to bed occasionally but [then] go back on the lounge because he couldn’t sleep properly. He was really sick. Sick as I’d ever seen.”
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While star five-eighth Jarome Luai said the side “drew strength” from their coach’s “resilience”.
“He was in a bit of a dark patch, but he’s a strong dude,” Luai told the Herald.
“He kept trying to come to games and show that he was alright. We sort of knew he was going to get through it. We kept him in our prayers.”
With Cleary sidelined at various points throughout the season, assistants Cameron Ciraldo and Andrew Webster filled the void.
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Neither men will be at Penrith next year, with Ciraldo (Bulldogs) and Webster (Warriors) accepting head coach roles.
Cleary paid tribute to their contributions throughout their time together at the Panthers, saying they’re “totally ready” to continue their careers.
“So proud,” Cleary said.
“I love them as people first. They’re incredibly good at their jobs and they will make those clubs better immediately. And they’re living their dream. That’s just how it goes.”
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