He’s the quietest coach in the NRL. Penrith, however, was flying through walls after this Cleary speech.

Ivan Cleary, an NRL coach whose chiseled jaw makes him a wonderful Grecian statue, is a quoteable figure.

Though a string of three consecutive premierships and a number of champion players attest to an extraordinarily successful coach, talk is gradually shifting to his status as one of the all-time greats.

The World Club Challenge trophy is the one piece of hardware the Panthers are currently without, and they will be vying for it this Saturday in Wigan. Nine’s Undisputed documentary provides a unique look inside Penrith’s inner circle.

At the center of it all is Cleary, who is frequently referred to as the Panthers’ underappreciated mastermind. The coach speaks only what is absolutely essential and keeps a composed, unruffled manner.

But, Cleary has his back-to-back champions prepared to sprint through brick walls several days before kickoff, without raising his voice beyond the level of a normal conversation, with cameras rolling ahead of last year’s preliminary final against Melbourne.

Nathan Cleary, a star halfback and his son, says that seeing him talk calmly and with ease calms him down.

“It helps everyone focused on what we should be focusing on, not so much the result, and gets your mind off the game.”

“He’s got a knack of delivering a nice speech and that was one of the greats,” says Hooker Mitch Kenny. That helped me focus on the game and put an end to all of my worries.

Cleary’s speech, in the bowels of Penrith’s team hotel, features no ranting or raving, no chest-beating, tear-jerking or rugby league epiphanies.

Instead, he speaks of the club’s storied rivalry with Melbourne, forged in a 2020 grand final ambush; his respect for Craig Bellamy and how the Panthers push past them to a fourth straight decider.

Cleary tells his team, “The wheel has turned.” “Now that they’re the underdog, are they more dangerous? To take these guys on, you still need to find the fire. since they are going to possess it. It is crucial that we have faith in our actions. What brought us to this point. How we get ready. The way we engage in play.

If we don’t confront and overcome your concerns, it is the only way we can fail. and quickening during those moments when you’re self-doubting, watching the scoreboard, fretting about a weariness or injury, or anything else. You can’t fail if you take it on head-on.