Ben Matulino's departure from the Warriors is official. Photo / Photosport
For departing Warriors prop Ben Matulino, the Ivan Cleary factor was the single biggest reason in his decision to sign for the West Tigers.
It was confirmed close to midnight on Tuesday night that Matulino had agreed terms with the Sydney club, after a weeks of speculation about his future.
The Warriors statement emphasized that Matulino wanted to experience "living in Sydney with his family" but the 28-year-old confirmed that his close relationship with Cleary sealed the deal.
"I've always had a close bond with [Cleary] and he was the main drawcard for me," Matulino told Radio Sport last night. "I know how he operates - seeing what he has done with other teams - and I was pretty keen to get on board with that."
Matulino also revealed that he came extremely close to signing for Penrith to rejoin Cleary a few years ago, and obviously wasn't going to pass up another opportunity.
