Ivan Cleary gave up one of his kidneys for a family member.
That's just how much he cares about his own blood. And it's why, to him, there's no difference when it comes to criticising the NRL form of his own son.
"I'm still Dad. I still offer the same advice when I wasn't coaching him," Ivan said.
Nathan has come under fire in some quarters for his slow start to Penrith's season, immediately casting doubt on his grip on the NSW Origin No.7 jumper.
Over three games, no members of the Panthers backline has scored a try.
It is the first time the 21-year-old's perceived shortcomings have come under the spotlight since uniting with his dad at the foot of the mountains.
But Ivan believes his halfback has laid enough of a foundation to regain his form.
"And the main parts of his game - his defence, his kicking game - is OK," Ivan said ahead of Friday's grudge match against Wests Tigers.
"I guess just like the rest of the team, we're not really firing and the brilliance isn't happening yet. But his foundations are strong.
"So I expect his game to keep building throughout the year, not unlike the team."
Aware of the build-up towards his first match against the Tigers, Ivan used his weekly pre-match press conference to spread the message about DonateLife.
The 48-year-old famously donated a kidney to his brother in late 2017.
"The fact is we're trying to bring awareness to it," he said.
"If there's one thing about having one thing good about being in a profile job, this is where you can drive a good message."
Under pressure following their 1-2 start to the season, the Panthers will be buoyed by the return of second row pairing Isaah Yeo and Viliame Kikau.
It will be Kikau's first showing of 2019 after suffering a pre-season knee injury.
"It'd be hard to expect that he's going to be at his best, but sometimes first game back from a spell you can go really well," he said.
For the 2-1 Tigers, Josh Reynolds will also make his season debut as the replacement for the injured Benji Marshall.
"They're doing pretty good. They've been pretty accurate, completing high and competing really well and certainly present a very tough challenge," Cleary said.
STATS THAT MATTER
* Penrith have won six of their past seven clashes with the Wests Tgiers by 14 points or more.
* Penrith have not scored a try in their past 115 minutes of football.
* Nathan Cleary is two points behind Rhys Wesser on 454 points for fifth all-time on the Panthers pointscorers list.
