Panthers bankrolling Wests Tigers' historic first
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Wounded_magpie
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# Wests Tigers on top of NRL ladder for first time in club history
March 25, 2019 9:06pm
Paul CrawleyThe Daily Telegraph
Wests Tigers are top of the league for the first time in the joint-venture club’s history, and it’s partly funded by western Sydney rivals Penrith.
It is understood as part of the agreement to release Ivan Cleary to return to the foot of the mountains, Penrith also handed over a settlement payment, believed to be around $400,000, which has gone straight towards Michael Maguire’s salary in 2019.
Fox Sports Lab says that since Wests Tigers kicked off in 2000 they have gone 494 rounds of football without being in first place.
In that time, 223 players have pulled on a Tigers jersey, and there have been eight coaches, including Wayne Pearce, Terry Lamb, Tim Sheens, Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Andrew Webster, Cleary and now Maguire.
Told of the milestone, foundation coach Pearce couldn’t believe it.
“That is great. It is great to see them start so well,” he said.
Benji Marshall and Wests Tigers are flying high.
But while acknowledging the wonderful work of the players, led by Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall, who are turning back the clock, Pearce said much of the praise needed to go to Maguire for the personal values he brought with him.
In many ways, Pearce said, what we are seeing is a throwback to the old days of Balmain and Western Suburbs.
“You go back to Wests and you go back to Balmain, they were both very much blue-collar-type clubs,” he said.
“They were always built around spirit. And having a little bit of an understanding about how Madge works, he is very much anchored in tradition and spirit and pride in the jersey.
“So that accounts for a lot when you are talking about rugby league. Nowadays, the NRL is super professional and a super slick sport.
“But you can’t put a value on what spirit and camaraderie will do for a team.”
Which is exactly what Maguire has done. The biggest knock on Maguire when he came to the club was that he worked his players too hard and that he was relentless in his pursuit of winning.
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire is off to a flying start at his new club. Picture: Getty Images
But it helped him win an English Super League title with Wigan and a premiership with South Sydney.
On paper, the Tigers hardly have the flashiest squad but what they have shown is that they don’t lack self-belief.
Marshall has made no secret of the fact this pre-season was the hardest he had trained in his career.
Farah just seems to be loving his football and the chance to finish his career back at the club where it all started.
This Sunday the Tigers have a great chance to maintain their position on the ladder when they head to Campbelltown to take on the winless Bulldogs.
It’s also worth remembering it was this week two years ago that former Canterbury Leagues Club chairman George Peponis took a pot shot at his rivals.
When there was talk in 2017 that Des Hasler’s future could destabilise the Bulldogs, Peponis said: “We’re not the Wests Tigers.”
The comment was in reference to the Tigers’ coaching merry-go-round.
March 25, 2019 9:06pm
Paul CrawleyThe Daily Telegraph
Wests Tigers are top of the league for the first time in the joint-venture club’s history, and it’s partly funded by western Sydney rivals Penrith.
It is understood as part of the agreement to release Ivan Cleary to return to the foot of the mountains, Penrith also handed over a settlement payment, believed to be around $400,000, which has gone straight towards Michael Maguire’s salary in 2019.
Fox Sports Lab says that since Wests Tigers kicked off in 2000 they have gone 494 rounds of football without being in first place.
In that time, 223 players have pulled on a Tigers jersey, and there have been eight coaches, including Wayne Pearce, Terry Lamb, Tim Sheens, Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Andrew Webster, Cleary and now Maguire.
Told of the milestone, foundation coach Pearce couldn’t believe it.
“That is great. It is great to see them start so well,” he said.
Benji Marshall and Wests Tigers are flying high.
But while acknowledging the wonderful work of the players, led by Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall, who are turning back the clock, Pearce said much of the praise needed to go to Maguire for the personal values he brought with him.
In many ways, Pearce said, what we are seeing is a throwback to the old days of Balmain and Western Suburbs.
“You go back to Wests and you go back to Balmain, they were both very much blue-collar-type clubs,” he said.
“They were always built around spirit. And having a little bit of an understanding about how Madge works, he is very much anchored in tradition and spirit and pride in the jersey.
“So that accounts for a lot when you are talking about rugby league. Nowadays, the NRL is super professional and a super slick sport.
“But you can’t put a value on what spirit and camaraderie will do for a team.”
Which is exactly what Maguire has done. The biggest knock on Maguire when he came to the club was that he worked his players too hard and that he was relentless in his pursuit of winning.
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire is off to a flying start at his new club. Picture: Getty Images
But it helped him win an English Super League title with Wigan and a premiership with South Sydney.
On paper, the Tigers hardly have the flashiest squad but what they have shown is that they don’t lack self-belief.
Marshall has made no secret of the fact this pre-season was the hardest he had trained in his career.
Farah just seems to be loving his football and the chance to finish his career back at the club where it all started.
This Sunday the Tigers have a great chance to maintain their position on the ladder when they head to Campbelltown to take on the winless Bulldogs.
It’s also worth remembering it was this week two years ago that former Canterbury Leagues Club chairman George Peponis took a pot shot at his rivals.
When there was talk in 2017 that Des Hasler’s future could destabilise the Bulldogs, Peponis said: “We’re not the Wests Tigers.”
The comment was in reference to the Tigers’ coaching merry-go-round.
Juro
Well-known member
Thanks Penrith!
851
Well-known member
@1eyedmel said:
Off field dramas we have had plenty, Musgrove, MCK, Pascoe being banned, salary cap fines and penalties, it is a miracle we are on top of the heap after round 2.
Lets hope we give it the dogs this week for Peponis, and give it to the pennies the week after for Ivan and Gus, lets get the karma bus going.
Wounded_magpie
Well-known member
Pleasure P Man
@tiger_one said:
Coastie_Tiger
Well-known member
I could have sworn we were on top of the table when we had Lamb as our coach, i can still vividly remember a full back page spread photo of him with his feet up on the desk with his hands behind his head.
cochise
Well-known member
@The_Doc said:
we started 2001 with 2 wins in a row and then that article was written. A couple of weeks later stink finger hit!
TheDaBoss
Well-known member
Thanks Penrith, the award u will get is the wooden spoon
Coastie_Tiger
Well-known member
ahh yes your right we obviously were not on top due to F/A, the good old days eh…
Masterton
Well-known member
@cochise said:
Being pedantic, but that was 2002.
cochise
Well-known member
@Masterton said:
I was sure I typed 2002, stupid fat thumbs and typing on phone.
Chipofftheoldblock
Well-known member
Terrible article and headline. Slow news day. Should got alot more than $400K from Penrith
Harvey
Well-known member
Should have asked for more. Penrith would have caved, they love paying for multiple coaches
Wounded_magpie
Well-known member
Quick update on amount we received following Ivan’s departure as per Danny Weidlers column this morning;
“Ivan Cleary paid $250,000 to buy his freedom from Tigers
By Danny Weidler
March 30, 2019 — 9.31pm
There has been so much written about Ivan Cleary’s move to Penrith – some fact, some fiction – but Cleary has certainly paid for his freedom.
The Tigers and Panthers meet on Friday night at Penrith Stadium and the build-up will be big, even if the clubs don’t want it to be.
Done deal: Ivan Cleary has paid for the privilege of choosing his destiny.
Done deal: Ivan Cleary has paid for the privilege of choosing his destiny.
Photo: ninevms
There was a story doing the rounds in recent times that said the Panthers were paying $400,000 towards Michael Maguire’s deal at the Tigers by way of compensation because Cleary was still under contract at Leichhardt. I’ve been told that’s not close to the mark.
In fact, it is Cleary who paid for his own freedom. He coughed up $250,000 so he could coach the team he wanted to coach. And be in charge of the destiny of his superstar son Nathan.
It’s not likely that Ivan wrote a cheque to the Tigers as an escape fee. He is said to have had the amount absorbed in his Penrith contract to compensate the Tigers for his early departure. It cost him a lot to make the switch to chase his dream of coaching his son.
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Croft keen to test wits against Cleary in Panthers clash
The move west has taken a considerable toll on Ivan and his family. Nathan is the most unflappable of young men, but he was affected. He got off social media at the time and he has decided against renewing a deal with Fox Sports that tied him to making comments for the network.
When I spoke with Nathan at the start of the season he said there was one particular line of criticism that had particularly irked him.
‘‘It was pretty tough watching what was being said … it would be hard for anyone,’’ Nathan said.
‘‘Itwas probably hardest on my little siblings and my mum because they were not used to that scrutiny. Me and Dad are used to it. It’s the game that we play and we have to take it on the chin.
‘‘There was one article which said that he was un-Australian for what he was doing. Obviously, I don’t agree with that, but you just have to move forward.’’
Nathan is delighted his dad is onboard. ‘‘The trust between player and the coach is hard to find, but we have that,’’ he said. ‘‘In saying that, it’s almost made it harder for me because everything I do I want to impress Dad. There is probably more pressure on me now, but ... I am learning about that as I go and I have to just keep working hard on my game.’’
“Ivan Cleary paid $250,000 to buy his freedom from Tigers
By Danny Weidler
March 30, 2019 — 9.31pm
There has been so much written about Ivan Cleary’s move to Penrith – some fact, some fiction – but Cleary has certainly paid for his freedom.
The Tigers and Panthers meet on Friday night at Penrith Stadium and the build-up will be big, even if the clubs don’t want it to be.
Done deal: Ivan Cleary has paid for the privilege of choosing his destiny.
Done deal: Ivan Cleary has paid for the privilege of choosing his destiny.
Photo: ninevms
There was a story doing the rounds in recent times that said the Panthers were paying $400,000 towards Michael Maguire’s deal at the Tigers by way of compensation because Cleary was still under contract at Leichhardt. I’ve been told that’s not close to the mark.
In fact, it is Cleary who paid for his own freedom. He coughed up $250,000 so he could coach the team he wanted to coach. And be in charge of the destiny of his superstar son Nathan.
It’s not likely that Ivan wrote a cheque to the Tigers as an escape fee. He is said to have had the amount absorbed in his Penrith contract to compensate the Tigers for his early departure. It cost him a lot to make the switch to chase his dream of coaching his son.
RELATED ARTICLE
Half-back Brodie Croft is a more comfortable member of the Storm line-up this season.
STORM
Croft keen to test wits against Cleary in Panthers clash
The move west has taken a considerable toll on Ivan and his family. Nathan is the most unflappable of young men, but he was affected. He got off social media at the time and he has decided against renewing a deal with Fox Sports that tied him to making comments for the network.
When I spoke with Nathan at the start of the season he said there was one particular line of criticism that had particularly irked him.
‘‘It was pretty tough watching what was being said … it would be hard for anyone,’’ Nathan said.
‘‘Itwas probably hardest on my little siblings and my mum because they were not used to that scrutiny. Me and Dad are used to it. It’s the game that we play and we have to take it on the chin.
‘‘There was one article which said that he was un-Australian for what he was doing. Obviously, I don’t agree with that, but you just have to move forward.’’
Nathan is delighted his dad is onboard. ‘‘The trust between player and the coach is hard to find, but we have that,’’ he said. ‘‘In saying that, it’s almost made it harder for me because everything I do I want to impress Dad. There is probably more pressure on me now, but ... I am learning about that as I go and I have to just keep working hard on my game.’’
