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As Bradman Best went over for his second try on debut, footage captured the emotive reaction from coach Brad Fittler in the box, with Panthers coach Ivan Cleary notably smiling in the background.
The two-time NRL premiership winner was a special guest of Fittler, having walked up to the box at the start of the game, dressed in a Blues tracksuit.
One of the best coaches in the game, Cleary’s advice to Fittler could well have provided the catalyst for the 24-10 victory, with the Blues coach explaining the simple reason behind why he was there.
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“I just asked him if he’d come and sit in the box,” Fittler said in the post-match press conference.
“I’m impressed with him, the way he handles games and I thought he might be able to help tonight.”
While Fittler wasn’t willing to divulge the specifics of his conversations with Cleary, he explained there was plenty of dialogue.
“I asked him a lot of questions … he came up with some pretty good answers,” he said.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported a NSWRL official said Cleary “has no official role”.
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NSW’s game three victory would have gone a long way to helping Fittler earn a contract extension with the NSWRL, despite losing his second straight series in a row.
The coach admitted it would’ve helped when asked about his future.
“At the end of the day, it may have had a bearing on what the board may think because they’ll decide who is going to be the coach going forward,” he said.
Teddy puts Best away for second try
“I’m gathering they’ll speak to me about how I feel and if I’ve got the energy and if I want to do it so them playing well today and winning most probably (bodes well). The consequences of being beat by 30 would be different.”
While positive about the result, Fittler wasn’t definitive on whether he wants to continue on with the role.
“We’ll wait and see. I’m still here for a couple of months so we’ll wait and see,” he said.
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