sport news Penrith coach Ivan Cleary hits back at Storm boss as war of words between clubs ... trends now
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has has lit the fuse for Thursday night's highly anticipated clash with Penrith by hitting back at Melbourne Storm boss Matt Tripp after he labelled the NRL premiers 'arrogant.'
It comes just days after Panthers club great Greg Alexander accused Craig Bellamy's team on SEN Radio of being responsible for a number of dangerous tackles the NRL needs to remove from the game.
'For the deputy chair (Alexander) of one of our biggest competitors, to make unfounded and stupid comments as he has done, just goes to the arrogance of that club and their perceived status in the game at the moment,' Tripp told Fairfax Media.
'You can say a lot of things about the Melbourne Storm, but the one thing they can't be accused of is being arrogant.
Melbourne Storm boss Matt Tripp has lit the fuse for Thursday's clash versus Penrith at BlueBet Stadium after labelling the NRL premiers 'arrogant'
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary felt Alexander was entitled to his opinion that the Storm pioneered the dirty tactics plaguing the NRL
'We go about our business and don't make outlandish comments – we respond to comments, but you won't see us on the front foot making stupid comments, particularly about other clubs and their tactics.'
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary felt Tripp's scathing 'arrogant' assessment was wrong, and was quick to add Alexander's opinion on the Storm was personal rather than one collectively shared by his club.
'I think if anyone's able to have an opinion, it's Brandy (Alexander), and I think most of his opinions are spot on but that was his opinion in a completely different role (from his duties with the Panthers),' Cleary said on Wednesday.
'I don't think it's fair for everyone else at our club to be labelled what we were but these things happen.'
Last week NRL great Greg Alexander sensationally accused Melbourne of introducing a number of questionable tackling techniques into the NRL stretching back to 2002
He denied there was any arrogance within the ranks of the Panthers.
'I don't know why people say it, all I can say is that I don't believe it's true,' Cleary added.
'The consistency we've shown over the last three years, I don't think there's any way you can do
