Each night before the grand final, Ivan Cleary sits down with his Penrith teammates and gives them with their jerseys for the greatest game of the year.
By Adam Pengilly.
March 8, 2024 — 5.45 a.m.
Each night before the grand final, Ivan Cleary sits down with his Penrith teammates and gives them with their jerseys for the greatest game of the year.
Last time, he tried a few jokes.
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Cleary moved his attention to Isaah Yeo as he gushed about hooker Mitch Kenny’s progress and how much his teammates adored him, how son Nathan was growing, and how he couldn’t wait to see what Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu could achieve in their final games for the club.
“Another of our unbelievable””Leaders,” Cleary informed the group. “Again, I believe the family connection is beneficial to you. Previously, you were really wild. And now you’ve calmed down.”
The entire squad burst out laughing.Yeo is the NRL’s human metronome in the best modern era: straight, holy, and the silent heartbeat of a squad set to embark on another title run.
While Nathan Cleary pulls the on-field strings, his co-captain Yeo, 29, has been everything good about the Panthers during their record-breaking run, and he is now attempting to match St George great Johnny Raper as the next lock to win four consecutive premierships.
“We’re certainly not Dad’s Army,” Yeo added. “That’s a nice thing, too. Every player says, ‘I want to be better’ when we chat to the coaches about what we want from a season. That is honest and truthful, thus it will serve us well.
