Penrith Panthers can today confirm a long-term succession plan for the club’s NRL head coaching role.
Panthers Head Coach Ivan Cleary has advised the club he will not seek to renew his current contract beyond the end of the 2027 NRL season.
Cleary will continue as Panthers Head Coach for the remainder of the 2026 and 2027 NRL seasons. He will stay connected to the Panthers beyond 2027, with discussions ongoing around an advisory role in areas such as culture and leadership.
Cleary has also confirmed he does not intend to pursue another first grade coaching role beyond his current Panthers contract.
Current Panthers Assistant Coach Peter Wallace will succeed Cleary as Head Coach from the 2028 NRL season, after agreeing to a three-year deal.
The announcement provides the club with long-term certainty and ensures a smooth transition.
Following a 186-game first grade playing career, Cleary began his NRL coaching career with the Warriors in 2006 before joining the Panthers as Head Coach in 2012.
After two seasons with Wests Tigers in 2017 and 2018, Cleary returned to Penrith in 2019.
Since then, he has overseen the most successful period in the club’s history, guiding the Panthers to four consecutive NRL premierships from 2021 to 2024, as well as three minor premierships in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
He was also named Dally M Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2020.
Ivan Cleary's message to Panthers members
Wallace, a Panthers Life Member and former club captain, played 240 NRL games across his career, including 101 matches for Penrith across two stints from 2005 to 2008 and 2014 to 2018. He also played 139 games for the Brisbane Broncos between 2008 and 2013.
A respected representative player, Wallace featured for the NSW Blues in State of Origin on four occasions, represented City Origin twice and played four Tests for Scotland.
Following his retirement as a player, Wallace moved into coaching with the Panthers, leading the club’s reserve grade side from 2020 to 2022. In 2022, he guided the team to the NSW Cup premiership before going on to claim State Championship honours.
Wallace joined Cleary’s NRL coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2023 and has played a key role in the Panthers’ continued success, including premiership victories in 2023 and 2024.
As the club’s defensive coach, Wallace has helped maintain one of the strongest defensive systems in the NRL, with the Panthers consistently ranked among the competition’s best defensive teams during his time on the NRL coaching staff.
The succession plan reflects the Panthers’ commitment to stability, continuity and sustained success.
Cleary will remain fully focused on leading the NRL program through the next two seasons, while Wallace will continue in his role as Assistant Coach before formally taking the reins in 2028.
The club believes the transition provides the strongest possible foundation for the next chapter of Panthers football, ensuring the standards, culture and leadership that have defined the club’s recent success continue well into the future.
