By STEVE MASCORD
THE question was predictable – how would St Helens fare in the NRL – but the answer definitely wasn’t.
“Maybe they win it,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said after their historic 13-12 triumph at BlueBet Stadium.
“They’re full of great players and they’re a winning club. They deserved to win tonight. It’s hard to say, but they’d probably go alright.”
His rival, Paul Wellens, further addressed the issue of the relative merits of the NRL and Super League, saying: “We haven’t won Super League over the past four years with ease.
“It’s been really tough and we’ve had to grind out victories against some really good opposition.
“So I’m hoping people realise the Super League competition … although we admit it’s not at the level of the NRL on a consistent basis…
“You know, just because the NRL is so strong doesn’t mean the Super League competition is doing a lot wrong as well.
“We’re a strong competition in our own right. We’re trying to get better, trying to improve. IMG have come into the competition now to try and develop things further.
“And I hope this performance can be a catalyst for change and a catalyst for an improvement in Rugby League on our side of the world.”
While fans on social media seemed convinced the Panthers were making excuses for the defeat, the fact is that there were none proffered.
“They definitely deserved to win,” said coach Cleary.
“They played the conditions better and took their chances as well.
“They control the ruck really well and they got off the line.
“The weather ended up being a bit different to what we anticipated.
“But I don’t think they took us by surprise. We totally respected what they were going to bring. They’re a winning footy team and that’s kinda how they play.”
His son, captain Nathan Cleary, added: “They scrambled and defended really well. They were always coming at us.
“In saying that, it comes back down to me evolving and adapting as the game goes on and I didn’t do it well enough tonight.
“Our preparation and our respect for them is definitely there. You don’t win four comps in a row if you’re not a great footy side. We knew what was coming.”
