How connection and courage teach us to win - an NRL leadership story, from the history-making coach who pulled off the impossible to inspire, mentor and lead a grassroots club to the pinnacle of performance and become the undisputed champions of the league


It's described as the greatest achievement the modern game has seen, and Ivan Cleary is the man behind it - the astonishing, historic benchmark of multiple back-to-back premiership wins by the Penrith Panthers in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

In his own words, Cleary tells all about what he's learned and how he leads, informed by his decades as a player and coach - a playmaker, team builder, mentor and leader who understands that not everything counts, but everything matters. Drawing on his years of experience - professional and personal - Cleary shares insights into his success, including the value of persistence, the power of culture, community and connection, facing your fears and tackling them head-on, the architecture of achievement - and the importance of risking it all.

He also delves deep into his work with one of the most diverse teams in the league, the challenges he faces as leader, and how to inspire a team of individuals to hall-of-fame team greatness, including working with his son, Nathan, the Panthers co-captain, regarded as the best player in the league, as well as the young, talented players who have come up through the local club and the superstar players who represent the exciting and changing face of the game.

With a foreword by former All Blacks coach John Hart, an afterword from Nathan Cleary, and insights from Isaah Yeo, Api Koroisau and former Panthers Head of Performance Hayden Knowles, this powerful book reveals how to create a champion team.