The Panthers have confirmed that Anthony Griffin has signed a three-year deal to replace Ivan Cleary as head coach from next season.
The final year of Cleary’s contract was terminated on Monday following a review by Panthers Executive General Manager, Phil Gould.
It’s understood Gould has been negotiating with Griffin, the former Broncos coach, for some time.
“Anthony Griffin was our first choice to be head coach at the Panthers for the next three seasons,” Gould said.
“Understand that we did not advertise this position. We did not accept applications and we interviewed no other candidate. We are delighted he has accepted our invitation to be the new head coach at our club.”
Gould said he was confident that Griffin would fit in well at the Panthers.
“Anthony’s experience, in particular his background in developing elite junior talent through to NRL level, made him the perfect fit for this club. We are certain he is the man to take advantage of the tremendous foundations established by our previous head coach Ivan Cleary,” he said.
“Anthony’s previous club the Brisbane Broncos have long been considered the benchmark of professional rugby league worldwide. The references we received from the Broncos organisation regarding Anthony’s character, work ethic, knowledge and love for the game were nothing short of impeccable. This merely confirmed in our own minds that Anthony is a valuable acquisition for Panthers.”
Griffin worked as an assistant coach at Melbourne Storm in the early 2000s and was head coach at Brisbane Broncos from 2011 to 2014. In between his stints at NRL level, he coached in the Queensland Cup competition and led Redcliffe Dolphins to the premiership in 2006.
Garth Brennan will be Griffin’s assistant next season.
