The Penrith Panthers have seen a stream of assistant coaches move on to NRL head coaching roles over the years – most recently Andrew Webster’s move to the New Zealand Warriors.
Though Webster’s upcoming departure leaves a notable vacancy in Ivan Cleary’s staff, the Daily Telegraph reports the Panthers are unlikely to fill the role with former assistant coach Trent Barrett, who had worked with Cleary and the Panthers as an assistant between spells as an NRL head coach.
Barrett most recently left the Panthers in 2021 to take the lead role at the Canterbury Bulldogs, but was ultimately left with no option but to quit in May following a constant run of poor form.
The Bulldogs were in a bad position when Barrett took the reins, but things didn’t improve and a return of just five wins in 34 NRL games was a decisive factor in his departure.
Prior to his time at Belmore, he also spent two years in charge of the Manly Sea Eagles. Despite a bright start on the Northern Beaches, a gradual decrease in form and clashes with club administration ultimately resulted in another ‘resignation’.
As for Penrith, Ivan Cleary is likely to promote from within his existing ranks, with former club captain and NSW Cup coach Peter Wallace and pathways coach Ben Harden the lead candidates to step up.
