Ivan Cleary Slams Panthers’ Poor Start in Tough Loss to Knights
A disappointed Ivan Cleary didn’t hold back after his Penrith Panthers slumped to a 25-6 defeat against the Newcastle Knights, a result that has left the reigning premiers sitting at the bottom of the NRL ladder.
The Panthers were overwhelmed early in Bathurst, allowing Newcastle to score three tries within the first 23 minutes. Although Penrith held the Knights scoreless for the rest of the match, the early damage was already done.
Knights fullback Fletcher Sharpe opened the scoring, before Dylan Lucas ran in a stunning 14-minute hat-trick, brushing aside defenders and racking up 12 points.
In his post-match press conference, Cleary voiced his frustration, pointing the finger at his side’s lacklustre opening.
“We’re extremely disappointed with how we started,” Cleary admitted. “We were completely outplayed early on, and when you’re already short on personnel, that kind of start just crushes your confidence. It made for a really tough night.”
Cleary noted the early tries followed a six-again call and a penalty, meaning his team was defending for extended periods. But he said that wasn’t an excuse.
“Even with those calls, we should have defended better. Suddenly, we’re down on players, points, possession — everything. It’s a mountain to climb from there.”
Penrith’s lineup was missing several key players, including Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards and Nathan Cleary due to State of Origin commitments. Injuries to Luke Garner, Mav Geyer, and Isaiah Papali’i also forced a younger, less experienced side to take the field.
“We had a lot of players out, but that’s part of the game. The lesson is to learn from it,” Cleary said. “Still, that doesn’t excuse the way we started. It just wasn’t good enough.”
Despite the result, Cleary praised his team’s fight in the second half.
“I was pleased with the effort to battle back. They showed some grit after halftime,” he said.
Stand-in captain Mitch Kenny echoed his coach’s disappointment, particularly in the team’s defensive effort during the first 40 minutes.
“There was a real lack of resilience in the first half,” Kenny said. “Once we lost momentum, we couldn’t stop it. Our defence just wasn’t up to standard, and we made life very hard for ourselves.”
As for the way forward, Cleary kept it simple.
“We need to win games,” he said. “It’s not just about our ladder position, it’s about how far off we are from our potential. We’ve shown glimpses of what we can do this year — but relying on potential only gets you so far.
“Regardless of who’s on the field, we’re capable of much better than that first half.”
