Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has confirmed he will step down at the end of his contract in 2027.
Cleary made the announcement on Wednesday, ending a tenure that delivered four NRL premierships in the past five years.
He said he had been considering the decision for two years and would remain at the club in an advisory position focused on leadership and culture, while ruling out coaching a rival NRL club.
However, Cleary left the door open to a future representative coaching role.
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Assistant coach Peter Wallace will take over from 2028 in his first senior coaching role.
He joins Cameron Ciraldo, Andrew Webster and Ben Gardiner among the coaches developed under Cleary.
The 40‑year‑old played 240 NRL games, including 101 for Penrith, before retiring in 2018 after stints with the Panthers and Broncos.
Cleary said: "I feel like it's definitely the right thing for me, my family and also the club. Part of being a coach and a leader, you kind of gain an intuition over many years, and I feel really strongly that this is the right time for me to step aside.”
