Having just sent out the most inexperienced side in NRL history to face the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary was in a playful mood as he fronted the press.
“I thought the boys did really well, I threw them in the deep end really,” he admitted after one of the more extraordinary selection weeks ever seen in the NRL.
“Just standing in the sheds before the game, it was pretty quiet, you could just see they weren’t sure what they were going into.”
Despite the 28-4 loss, Cleary saw plenty of positives in the performance both for the players on the field and also the club as a whole.
MORE: Dogs seal top-four finish but it comes at a heavy price with star injured
“It was just a great experience and hopefully they can all look back on tonight in a positive light, and they should,” he said.
“I’m very proud, a good week for our club.”
‘We have a plan’ says Cleary
Asked if fans should expect another mass resting ahead of next week’s Round 27 clash with the Dragons in Wollongong, Cleary simply sat back in his chair and grinned.
“We have a plan, so we’ll just see how it goes.”