Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has confessed that he thought about quitting his job at the Panthers after the 2019 season, believing that he had become a burden on his superstar son, Nathan.

The Panthers have staked a claim as one of the greatest rugby league teams of all time after taking a third straight premiership with their 26-24 victory over Brisbane, but Cleary has revealed he almost walked away from it all after just one season in charge.

‘I was thinking about the end in that first year. I was,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

‘I felt very burdened by the father-son thing. Nathan wasn’t playing well, and I felt guilty for that. I felt like a burden on him. Then I was wondering ‘maybe I’m not the right man for this job’.

‘I just could never have imagined what the next four years would be like. I’m glad we stuck it out.’

Cleary embraced former Panthers chairman Dave O’Neill after Sunday’s three-peat, as it was O’Neill who lured the coach back to the club and out of his contract with the Wests Tigers.

‘Honestly, when I went and had a coffee with Dave, I had no idea what he was going to ask me,’ Cleary said.

Honestly, I didn’t. When he asked me, my whole being was like “absolutely”. That’s just how I felt. My heart was still at Penrith.

‘I love the Tigers. I do. And I’m so grateful for them, but your heart can only be in one place. When Dave asked me to come back, my heart was back in Penrith. I felt like I belonged here and that’s how it worked out.’

Cleary copped a lot of criticism for walking away from Wests, and Nathan says it was tough for his father.

‘The way it went at the Tigers wasn’t the way he wanted it to go,’ Nathan said.

‘This was just too good of an opportunity to give up. We may have never been able to link together. The opportunity to do it at Penrith, which feels like home for us, was something he couldn’t pass up.

‘It hurt him a lot, but to stand here today with this feeling, it makes it all worth it. It’s pretty special.’

On Monday morning after the victory, Ivan was interviewed by Today’s Karl Stefanovic and was asked about his son’s amazing effort to turn the tide of the match by setting up one try, landing a crucial 40-20 kick and scoring himself in the dying minutes.

Cleary sent the hosts into hysterics with his reply.

‘I actually said to him yesterday that if I’d married someone else he would’ve been a pretty s**t player, so I’ve got to thank his mum for everything that he’s got because it’s certainly not from me.’

‘That’s brilliant!’ co-host Sarah Abo said.

Cleary continued: ‘I’m so proud of him. You know what? He owes me, I reckon. I’ve driven him to that many things and made lunches for him and done all this stuff, and he’s actually now making my life easy, so god love you, Nath.’