Ivan Cleary's tenure at the Wests Tigers has officially started after the new coach addressed the playing group at the team's recovery session on Monday morning.
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In his first task as the coach of the Tigers, Cleary met with the team at Cabarita swimming pool on Monday morning to mark the beginning of a new chapter at the club.
A first half hat-trick by St George Illawarra winger Jason Nightingale inspired the Dragons to a 28-6 defeat of the struggling Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium, giving them their fourth victory from five starts in 2017.
Cleary, who was announced as coach at a press conference at Wests Ashfield Leagues Club on Monday afternoon, will take control of the club until the end of 2020.
“I can’t wait to get to work here,” Cleary said.
“It’s no secret that I’ve missed it, this is a fresh start for me and I’m committed to seeing this club reach its potential and to be the success that I know it can be.
“This is a great opportunity to join a club with a lot of potential. I look forward to getting to work with the playing group and coaching staff.”
He joins the club after a nightmare month in which Jason Taylor was axed as coach, with the team floundering on a four-game losing streak and anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder.
Cleary couldn't have asked for a tougher baptism of fire, making the road trip to Townsville on Saturday for their round six clash against Johnathan Thurston's North Queensland Cowboys.
The Tigers had plenty of opportunities to inflict damage against the Dragons, however they lacked the class to capitalise on their chances.
