I have come to the conclusion, the role of head coach in the NRL is severely overrated when it comes to team performance and competition results. I've had so many questions I could not answer until now like...
How did Ricky Stuart win a Premiership and then go on to win multiple spoons?
How does Manly still play the same quality footy under Geoff Toovey, when coaching maestro Des Hasler is coaching the dogs?
Why has Wayne Bennett failed at the knights?
Is Craig Bellamy as good as he seems?
Why has Brian Smith never won a premiership?
How does a first time coach walk in a and win a premiership like Trent Robinson?
The answer was made clearer to me last week with the drama at Manly over the moving on of Glenn Stewart and Robbie Farrah's comments in regards to Mick Potters lack of coaching ability.
The senior players truly lead the these clubs to success, Ricky Stuart's Roosters had extremely strong leadership group in Brad Fittler, Luke Ricketson, Craig Fitzgibbon and Adrian Morley. Manly, the Storm and the Roosters have strong leadership groups that are driven by the want to succeed.
I now get why Brad Arthur and Daniel Anderson are looking at purchasing Anthony Watmough, I thought he is past his best, but combine Anthony Watmough, Nathan Peats, Tim Mannah, Jarryd Hayne and William Hopaote and you are starting to form a strong leadership group.
A leadership group that holds the team accountable from with-in the group itself, they see and hear everything and can enforce the team culture on other players. It is important for a coach to be part of that leadership group for everyone to be on the same page.
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Coaches play a huge role in the attitude and confidence of a team, it cant be played down.
Also great coaches attract great players and have the ability to make players really want to play for them.
Once the playing group is lost its basically over for that team.
A coaches role is a huge one, anybody who has played the game and been coached by good and bad coaches will realise that.
I think Brian Smith inability to gel with his senior playing group cost him premierships.
That would be stupid, but no one said that.
Ricky had Gould behind the scenes at the Roosters
Trent Robinson had coached over in the English Super League for a number of years before joining the Roosters
Bennett failed at only 1 club.Even the great Jack Gibson couldn't win everywhere he went
You mention Bellamy and Hasler/Toovey both of these clubs have been blessed over the last 5-7 yrs the same core playing group of senior players.This makes any coaches job a lot easier.
Coaches of today have to deal with a lot more then just turning up motivating and coaching.The best coaches know how to manager their players 1 on 1 and in a team situation.Todays player is a lot more demanding.
In the great mans own words "waiting for Cronulla to win a premiership is like leaving the back porch light on for Harold Holt."
To succeed as a football team you need a bonded group, where every member of that group is playing close to the best of their ability and all working towards the same goal.
A poor coach will struggle with this and if you don't have a happy, motivated group of players who all are excited about playing together and believe in each other, you'll struggle no matter what the player talent you have available. I can think of one coach immediately who appears to struggle in this regard. However, it of course goes to say that the responsibility to achieve this falls on the entire club and that the senior players are very important in achieving this and keeping harmony and belief within the playing squad.
By rights, professional sports teams should all be at this level. At that point, your playing talent becomes more important because the best coach in the world won't get consistent wins out of a roster than isn't as good as other sides.
However, when you have two evenly matched teams I think you again come back to your coach, and factors like discipline and tactics come to the fore.
I kind of see it like this:
Your coach ensures you are a contender for the finals. The players get you to the big games. A coach wins you the grand final.
The players tend to be generally well equipped skill wise, they just need someone to develop game plans, identify weaknesses in opposition and to select sides.
I reckon that the trainer would be more of a valuable commodity to the players as he/she/they can help with fitness, recovery and improving speed and endurance.
If anything, a coach is most effective in the players junior years, when they need coaching to learn the games basic skills and help them play as a team.
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