Warriors coach Brian McClennan has paid tribute to the legacy his rival Penrith mentor Ivan Cleary has left at the New Zealand-based NRL club in the lead up to their round-14 clash.

Cleary comes up against his former club, who he took to the 2011 grand final and where he was given his first NRL coaching gig, for the first time on Monday and his successor Brian McClennan said Cleary’s inside knowledge of the Warriors would be an advantage and praised his contribution to the organisation.

“He leaves a great legacy at this club, both as a player and as a coach, so there’s a lot of respect there,” McClennan said.

“He’ll have his thoughts and his strategies on how to play against us for sure.”

“He would have some advantages with his knowledge for sure. We’ll find out who he will pick on, from their attack.

“He’ll have some advantages there but the players all know and they’ll respect what Ivan will do and what he’s done in the past.”

Warriors utility Lewis Brown, who will join the Panthers on a three-year deal at the start of the 2013 season, knows as well as anyone the impact that Cleary had on the Warriors. The hard-running Brown became a New Zealand international under the mentorship of Cleary and also acknowledged the platform he laid at the Warriors.

But Brown said the game would likely come down to a battle between two desperate sides keen to maintain touch with the top eight.

“It’s a lot like teams you play (every week). You know what they will do each week but it’s a matter of being able to stop that,” he said.

“I’m sure Ivan knows our tactics – we know his stuff. It’s a new season – you learn new things off the new coaches.

“I’m pretty confident if we can start like we did last week (against the Storm, when they led 12-0 before losing 22-12), then this week we won’t be letting the foot of the pedal and putting in an 80-minute performance.”