![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773631569_395_r1627734_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPersistent recruitment chatter has led the coach to call on the NRL to overhaul its “ordinary” transfer system after Tago became the latest Panther in the headlines.<\/p>\n
A personal matter left him benched to begin the season and replacement Tom Jenkins’ starring performances in the opening two rounds have clouded his path back to the starting side.<\/p>\n
Penrith’s Izack Togo [L] and Brian To’o.\u00a0Mark Metcalfe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Three-time premiership winner Tago holds the equal-longest contract of any active Panther, tied to the heavyweight side through 2029.<\/p>\n
But reports emerged at the weekend Penrith could engage in a swap deal for disgruntled Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri given Tago is struggling for game time.<\/p>\n
“Someone’s lying. We love him,” Cleary said of Tago.<\/p>\n
“I know it’s good for you guys (the media) because you get to run with it but someone there is telling porky pies.<\/p>\n
“It’s part of the reason our transfer system, if you want to call it, I think is an ordinary one, where it’s just 365 days a year.”<\/p>\n
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Cleary would prefer a system where trade was confined to an allotted window in the off-season.<\/p>\n
Such a system runs successfully in the AFL, though would unlikely to be supported by the Rugby League Players Association given players would have less time to organise future plans.<\/p>\n
“We’ve certainly seen in other sports it (a transfer window) adds to that period where there’s build-up to it and fans can get involved in it,” Cleary said.<\/p>\n
“The way we run now, on a daily basis, we’re almost having recruitment meetings. It’s crazy.”<\/p>\n
Tago was among a handful of players hitting the training paddock at Penrith’s centre of excellence early on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
He was joined by star second-rower Liam Martin, who could return from a calf injury for Friday’s round-three clash with the Sydney Roosters.<\/p>\n
“He’s over the injury, we’re just looking to get a few more k’s in the legs. He’s definitely a good chance,” Cleary said.<\/p>\n
Tago has played one game of NSW Cup this year and featured on Penrith’s newly-extended bench for their start to 2026, though went unused in wins over Brisbane and Cronulla.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got all the faith in the world in ‘Tags’. He’s kept his head up and trained really hard and each week, he’s always a chance to get on the field anyway,” Cleary said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a long, hard year and we’re going to need him. You don’t know when that’s going to be.”<\/p>\n
Perth-bound prop Liam Henry is unlikely to recover from his knee issue in time to face the Roosters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ivan Cleary insists there is still a place for Izack Tago at Penrith, slamming “porky pies” that linked…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":543239,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-543238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=543238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/543239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}