Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has opened up on the prospect of having to coach against youngest son Jett, admitting he’d much rather be on the same team as him. And he revealed wife Bec “hated it” when Ivan coached against Nathan when he was at the Wests Tigers, while admitting he’s open to becoming a rep coach in a move that would likely see him have to leave the Panthers.
Jett Cleary showed in 2025 that he has a bright future ahead of him, stepping up to NSW Cup level for the Warriors after starting the year in Jersey Flegg (Under-21s). The 20-year-old led the Warriors into the NSW Cup finals when Tanah Boyd stepped up to NRL level, and ultimately helped them win the reserve-grade premiership.
Ivan Cleary admitted wife Bec (L) ‘hated it’ when he coached against Nathan, but it could eventuate with Jett as well. Image: Getty/Penrith Panthers
Jett’s seamless transition into reserve-grade means an NRL debut could be on the cards in 2026, but that would mean coming up against brother Nathan and father Ivan of the Panthers. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald on Thursday, Ivan admitted he wouldn’t be too keen on having to devise plans to take down his youngest son if the Panthers clashed with the Warriors.
“I did it twice against Nat (Nathan). I didn’t really like it,” he admitted. “My wife hated it more. And he beat us twice, too. If that’s how it works out, that’s how it works out. The most important thing is that it works out for Jett.”
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Ivan came up against Nathan twice while coaching the Wests Tigers between 2017 and 2018. As Nathan started to find his feet, the Panthers moved quickly to bring Ivan back as Panthers coach in 2019.
Penrith fans are hoping Jett makes a similar move and returns to the Panthers once his three-year deal expires at the end of 2027. The 20-year-old was a Penrith junior but signed with the Warriors last year to try and make a name for himself away from the spotlight of his famous family members.
Ivan and Nathan Cleary might have to face Jett in the near future. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Ivan Cleary ‘intrigued’ by prospect of rep coaching
if Jett remains in New Zealand long-term and becomes a regular first-grader, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ivan step away from his role as Penrith coach. On Thursday he admitted being “intrigued” by the prospect of coaching at rep level, but he wouldn’t be able to hold both roles simultaneously.
The NRL usually dictates that State of Origin and Kangaroos coaches can’t he head-coaches at club level. The league didn’t even want NRL assistant coaches working as assistants under Kevin Walters for the Kangaroos in the Ashes series.
“I have thought about it a bit more lately (coaching at rep level), I don’t know why,” he told the SMH. “I’m not sure whether I really want to or not, but it’s starting to intrigue me a little bit more.
“I was assistant coach of the Kiwis in a World Cup, I really enjoyed that as well. One of the things I really liked about it was working with guys from other teams and just trying to get a team together quickly. I don’t know, I definitely think about it more than I used to.”
Ultimately, Ivan said it would be “brilliant” if Nathan and Jett could play together on the same team with him as coach. Crucially, Ivan and Nathan are only under contract with Penrith until the end of 2027 as well, meaning they’ll soon have to decide where their futures lie.