6 matches [2018]
3 wins, 3 losses
Stats: http://themightypanthers.com/coaches_ciraldo-cameron.htm
Former forward who played 32 matches for the Panthers in 2012 and 2013 after previous NRL stints at Newcastle and Cronulla.
He retired as a player at the end of the 2013 season, after representing Italy at the World Cup.
Post retirement, he entered into the coaching ranks, first of all as an assistant in the Penrith Under 20s team in 2014. He would then be elevated to the head coach role in 2015 and 2016, guiding the young Panther cubs to two grand final appearances, which included a premiership victory in 2015.
In 2017, he was appointed as an assistant to NRL head coach Anthony Griffin, and later in the season was the head coach for the Italy team in the World Cup. When Griffin was sacked with only four rounds remaining in the 2018 season, Ciraldo was appointed as the caretaker coach.
He was able to perform an admirable job, winning 2 of the 4 remaining matches and guiding the club into their third consecutive finals series. His fifth match in charge resulted in a finals victory over the New Zealand Warriors, but just like the previous two seasons, the Panthers would be eliminated in the second week. He finished his six match stint with a 50% record.
With the return of Ivan Cleary, he was retained on the coaching stuff, being his assistant from 2019 to 2022. Considered to be one of the best prospective head coaches in the NRL, he was targeted by a number of clubs in 2022, and he signed a five year contract to be the new head coach at Canterbury starting in 2023.
Last updated 9 December 2022
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