Ivan Cleary take a bow

Its pretty simple really, Cleary has assembled a squad who are willing to do the hard stuff rather than try and take short cuts. In the past we had a team who thought they did not have to defend because they could out attack side, and of course that seldom worked. Except for the last 20 minutes against Parra our current team have played hard and direct both in attack and defence, cut out the low percentage stuff.

Still not sure if we have the class to get us into the 8, but it will not be effort that holds us back and thats all you can ask for.
 
Ivan seems to be the real deal. Every move he has made seems to be small part in a greater philosophy. He doesn’t take easy options and those playing for him don’t either.. Bad coaches (imo) are the ones that over react to a win or loss. A real sign of a good coach is the players that have played under him before left their club to join him at the Tigers.
Teams go up and down. Brad Arthur at the Eels was talked up last year as the coach the players wanted to play for. At the moment a lot of the Parra players aren’t putting in for him so things can change. However I get the feeling if players here stop putting we have the depth to cover them. The way he has built the squad allows us to keep the energy going for longer.
 
Excellent comments from Forum Members which I concur with.

WT required strong management and a coach that gave players belief.

We appear rid of the old "boys club" and players and playing for each other.

Still early in the season but so far good signs and moving in the right direction.

I have the impression that Cleary wants to be a career NRL coach and have the same legacy as Bellamy, Bennett, etc.

He is a very calm and level headed person and is quiet softly spoken which appears the players are responding too.

The change of culture will definitely attract big names to the club in the forth coming years.
 
Yep, Cleary fully deserves praise at this time. We don't have a team of superstars in the eyes of the media and other supporters but they are certainly superstars to all of us atm.

At the time of his appointment, deep down, given Cleary's record of turning struggling clubs into a competitive one, I had high hopes that he could do the same at the Tigers. Some Tigers supporters were very quick to start rubbishing his coaching abilities last year when he walked into what was The Wests Tornadoes at the time.

The only thing that eludes Cleary is a premiership…hopefully his fortunes will change.

The way Cleary has really brought the group together & fighting for each other is a testament to his style & ability to get the best out his players through good old fashioned respect & trust.

Lets hope the Tigers have another level in them though as we are certainly competitive at the moment but I'd like to think as the boys start seeing that light at the end of the tunnel that is finals football, we can really turn on a switch....then we could be in for a very exciting finish.

But yep, first things first...finals football...and that would be a pass mark for me.
 
What Ivan and Justin have brought is stability. The Wests Tigers are now making headlines for all the right reasons. I am impressed with Ivan & Co given that the Tigers are now a competitive team without any dramas surrounding the club regarding off field matters.
 
It actually feels that after his period unemployed he has bonded to our club more than previously to others and has imparted the club's history and the history of Balmain and Wests onto the squad so everyone feels a connection to the club and each other and without the big names and heads all on a level.
Amazing they played with such composure in their late win first up against Melbourne and Easts they must feel immense confidence in other to do that so quickly.
They speak of no long term expectations but seem to expect results in present time in matches.
Must admit even against Melbourne watching at Wests Ashfield I expected them to win late. Even a a spectator they seem to play as if they have time and this from players previously erratic.
It's more than just Clearys ability.
He must really feel he is part of the club in a big way.
 
@ said:
It actually feels that after his period unemployed he has bonded to our club more than previously to others and has imparted the club's history and the history of Balmain and Wests onto the squad so everyone feels a connection to the club and each other and without the big names and heads all on a level.
Click to expand...

Wasnt Ivan a Balmain supporter as a kid? I wonder if that has anything to do with a possible extra bonding w the club's history?
 
@ said:
@ said:
It actually feels that after his period unemployed he has bonded to our club more than previously to others and has imparted the club's history and the history of Balmain and Wests onto the squad so everyone feels a connection to the club and each other and without the big names and heads all on a level.

Wasnt Ivan a Balmain supporter as a kid? I wonder if that has anything to do with a possible extra bonding w the club's history?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

He was.
I was talking to a relo of the Cleary’s about two weeks ago over in Manly. He keep banging on about Ivan’s brother or cousin about being such a big hard nut. Apparently he was a league player back in the day. I keep saying Ivan was alway a Tiger at heart. He couldn’t deny that.
 
@ said:
It actually feels that after his period unemployed he has bonded to our club more than previously to others and has imparted the club's history and the history of Balmain and Wests onto the squad so everyone feels a connection to the club and each other and without the big names and heads all on a level.
Click to expand...

Tbf, neither club he previously coached was in need of what were in need of when he came in. He's a smart operator. He probably saw the mess we were in, and thought what was needed was some pride in the jersey and to develop a family atmosphere. And that is what it is atm.
 
I heard on on Q&A in the off season that he was a Balmain supporter going to games with his dad and made his debut against Wests. This is good i reckon.

Think he was rattled when he first took over. Remember watching him on Fox with those babes Megan and Louise most nights when not coaching reckon he was in his mind preparing to coach our club. Remember when questioned would he like to coach WT the answer was they have a coach but he thought it would be an honour to coach a club like this.
When he got the job reckon he was counting on the 3 departed players staying and was a bit shocked at their lack of commitment. Then things bottomed that cold night at Campbelltown against GC i think when Gus had trouble keeping his eyes open and he thought we were finished. The split rounds were the blessing as he took stock with the pressure off him and he must have come to the conclusion that the team players and aspects of the club were unloved had no belief in themselves and undervalued themselves. Those last 8 games were good and remember thinking watching the Warriors game at Charles dickens in Melbourne that weekend that both teams would have a good year this year.

Can just imagine Cleary in the off season after putting the players through those grueling runs sitting them down exhausted and discussing history and tactics. Can't believe how composed they are against quality for a group that has been battling for years. Their actually controlling the tempo of matches it's unbelievable really. That can only come from him showing belief in the players intellect to go deep into scenario discussion. How about when we fell behind against Brisbane they worked a short kick off and then Melbourne Cronk like Brooks plonks over the equalizer.
Must be a good bloke. Thinking that he unlike NZ where he was a rookie and Penrith where Gus is running the show once he recieved the go ahead from the board that they were all on the same page and as such they will let him run football he feels he can just completely focus on his coaching. This is very necessary for his type of personality because he is a democratic leader by consensus. Wonder how he done so well at Penrith one only has to look at Gus walking around the sheds pushing people around makes me think that freed from that he has further potential.
Gonna be fun.
 
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