Ivan Cleary Snapped Making Obscene Gesture to Bulldogs Fan During Late Stages of Defeat

A recent clip has surfaced showing Penrith coach Ivan Cleary gesturing towards a Bulldogs supporter, following the Panthers’ unexpected 32-16 defeat to Canterbury on Thursday night.

Footage acquired by News Corp reveals a Bulldogs fan taunting Cleary in the waning moments of the game, yelling “let’s go” at the coaching box.

In response, while sipping from a bottle of water, Cleary made a hand gesture.

It is reported that both the Panthers and NRL officials are aware of the clip, yet it remains uncertain if any repercussions will follow for the four-time premiership-winning coach.

Cleary has previously confronted fans, famously blowing kisses to Wests Tigers supporters during his return to Leichhardt Oval in 2020.

The incident involving the Bulldogs supporter was not discussed in the post-match media conference.

Following the match, Cleary indicated that speculation regarding representative football might have distracted his much-touted outside backs.

Before the loss on Thursday, Penrith had made history by winning their first five matches by a margin of at least 20 points, stirring conversations about Mclean and Jenkins representing the Blues this year.

Cleary noted the heightened attention surrounding his players after the game, stating, “Yeah, maybe they’re preparing for Origin camp,” when discussing his left side.

“Some players took a step back, but as I’ve pointed out, they’re young and this is a valuable learning experience for them,” he remarked.

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“I’m confident they will bounce back.”

While the Panthers initially trailed 16-0, they managed to equalise, but the Bulldogs then surged ahead in the second half.

“We exhibited some promising signs in the latter half of the first half, but I felt we weren’t at our best,” Cleary added.

“To their credit, they were just tougher than us, and we didn’t respond adequately. They thoroughly earned their victory.

“We were reminded of what an intense game of rugby league looks like, and I’m sure we’ll come back stronger for it.”

Co-captain Isaah Yeo also commented on the recent “noise” surrounding the team and asserted that this defeat could benefit the younger players.

“Rugby league is the ultimate equaliser, and this might actually be beneficial for us in terms of silencing the chatter about remaining unbeaten throughout the season,” Yeo explained.

“That’s certainly not the case anymore, but I believe we can reflect on this and learn valuable lessons from it.

“We’ve been able to gain insights from the past few weeks as well, where we’ve often held substantial leads, whereas tonight we found ourselves on the back foot, leading to a different rhythm to the game.

“I believe we can learn from that, and ultimately, we will be better for it. This will help alleviate some of the distractions, which isn’t a bad thing.”