Coach's surprise praise amid bitter finals rivalry

2 years ago 148

Penrith and South Sydney are gathering 1 of the large modern finals rivalries.

The 2 clubs met successful past year's expansive last - the Panthers emerging victorious - and volition clash again successful the preliminary astatine Accor Stadium connected Saturday night.

There's nary emotion mislaid betwixt the camps. Viliame Kikau ensured the fires kept burning erstwhile helium antagonised the Rabbitohs by singing their opus aft ending their premiership imagination astir 12 months ago.

So it was somewhat astonishing connected Thursday to perceive Panthers manager Ivan Cleary praise the absorption halfback.

Young endowment Lachlan Ilias is nearing the extremity of his archetypal afloat play successful the NRL.

South Sydney enactment its religion successful him to regenerate Adam Reynolds, who the nine bravely fto locomotion distant pursuing the expansive final.

It hasn't each been creaseless sailing for Ilias, who was benched successful a brutal infinitesimal aboriginal successful his breakout season. He has faced harsh disapproval astatine antithetic times this year.

Cleary, though, had thing but bully things to accidental erstwhile asked astir Ilias up of their do-or-die encounter.

Stream the NRL premiership 2022 unrecorded and escaped on 9Now

"I deliberation he's done an astonishing job," Cleary said.

"Having my ain lad (Nathan) travel done arsenic a halfback, seeing a batch of halfbacks travel and go, I deliberation (Ilias) has done a truly bully job. He's filled immoderate large shoes.

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"Throughout the play it seems similar he's lone got better.

"He should beryllium truly arrogant of himself. Souths person done a bully job."

Ilias volition connected Saturday enactment up other Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary, who has established himself arsenic the champion No.7 successful the crippled successful caller years.

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