Penrith star Nathan Cleary will switch off his social media again as the build-up heats up towards the NRL grudge match against Wests Tigers.
In one of the most-anticipated early contests of the NRL season, Penrith meet the Tigers for the first time since luring Cleary’s father Ivan back from Wests Tigers to coach the Panthers.
Ivan, whose side have won just one of their opening three games, has already bristled at questions surrounding the showdown at Panthers Stadium on Friday.
And Nathan is also ready to block out the sideshow as he attempts to steer the team out of their early-season hole.
“I don’t try look into that stuff too much. I’ll stay off social media this week,” said Nathan after the Panthers were crushed 32-2 by Melbourne in Bathurst on Saturday.
“Everyone has an opinion and that external noise coming from the outside. We are happy from the inside – not with the performance (against the Storm).
“We have to work hard to get our way out of it.”
The 21-year-old admitted last year to being affected by social media comments over Ivan’s drawn-out return to Penrith.
He was particularly concerned about the impact on the rest of the Cleary family, but said the simple solution for him was to temporarily switch off his social accounts.
“You have to do it. Social media is where all the noise comes from. We have to focus on ourselves,” Nathan said.
“Dad doesn’t have any social media. He is away from all that. He is a pretty cool character. It affected mum a bit more because she was reading into it all.”
The Tigers were forced to look elsewhere for a coach after eventually granting Ivan a release from the final two years of his deal to unite with Nathan.
However the merger club has recovered under the tutelage of Michael Maguire, making a strong start to the season.
“It is what it is. It has ended up in these destinations,” Nathan said.
“Both parties are happy how it’s ended up. It’s got nothing to do with me or dad this week. It’s about the whole team turning it around.”
Nathan has more important issues to contend with, particularly given the Panthers failed to score at try against Melbourne.
He said Ivan has switched up his playmaking combination with James Maloney this year, with Nathan playing wider of the ruck.
“Jimmy has gone more first receiver so I can run a bit more and roam around. He is really good in that role,” Nathan said.
“We were playing the opposite way around last year.
“It’s only round three. It will take some time to get those combinations right.”