Everyone knows the legend of Jack Gibson. The imposing doorman from Thommo's had a fearsome reputation in his hey-day. A man who could command the room just by standing in it. But few know how he gave Bennett a chance to become the modern-day supercoach.
Both were quiet men in their coaching worlds; believing that there was always a simple way to get their message across. Both men spoke in what some would call riddles. Everyone knows of the famous words uttered to Peter Sterling in 1981 "Kick it to the seagulls."
However, it was a straight answer that Jack gave to 4 Brisbane Businessmen that started Bennett on a path to greatness. The 4 men were looking for a coach for their newly permitted Brisbane team when they went to the great man. They asked who could get the job done. Jack said simply "If you want your club to head in the direction that you hope it can, there is only one guy for the job: His name is Wayne Bennett."
21 years later and Bennett had delivered 6 Premierships. He did to Brisbane and St George what Gibson had done for Parramatta, Newtown and Easts. They built the clubs up and for Brisbane and Parramatta they killed the witch. The two men never talked much to each other but Bennett acknowledged that Gibson was the original supercoach and would remain so, even if Bennett himself had more Premierships to his name.
And what of their coaching styles? Both men not only commanded the dressing room they weren't just coaches, they treated their players as their own blood. Lockyer was quoted as saying that Bennett was like a second father to him and Cronin echoed those sentiments in relation to Gibson.
Rugby League has moved on a lot since the time of Gibson. But without him the game wouldn't have improved as quickly as it did.
The two men are the stand-out coaches of their generations. No one has had the same profound impact on the clubs they coached. When you talk to fans who saw Parramatta in the 80's they'll say that the team ruled in the house that Jack built.
Bennett built a team from the foundations up. No coach in the history of the game as stayed at the same club for over 20 years nor has one been as successful as Bennett. They had a similar philosophy on coaching. Premierships were built on defence. Attack came second.
Something that both these coaches identified was the need to have a gameplan that suited their squad. Many people thought Easts wouldn't win under Jack because of his defensive style of play. They said he was a square peg in a round hole. Jack was quick to point out that Viv Richards could belt you all over the park but he had a great defence, that Ali was the greatest but he could defend. He didn't constrict his attacking weapons and neither did Bennett.
The two greatest coaches of all time could make the toughest guys weak at the knees simply by a stare. And Gibson had a very particular attitude to training, you turn up early and you do the work. No excuses or you'd be introducing yourself to the reserve grade coach. It's a toughness lost on many coaches today but it works.
Gibson and Bennett have, in the words of the former "Played strong, done good."
Replies
Sterling, Kenny, Ella, Grothe all had potential but Gibson made them legends. He built clubs up from the ashes. Bennett did it tough as a foundation coach and won a Premiership with a side that hadn't tasted victory since the days of Gibson.
Not this century he isn't.
Top marks to both Super and Crow.
Well worth the reading time.
Excellent read Crow & SuperEel22 - I'd like to throw my hat in the ring by mentioning some "Other" Supercoaches as well -
Warren Ryan 7 first grade GF appearences with THREE different teams - Newtown , Bulldogs and was within a whisker of getting a GF win with Balmain. I think the only other coach in RL History that has guided 3 different sides is Brian Smith. Ryan won multiple titles at the Bulldogs and narrowly missed out with Newtown (after Tommy scored - I thought Parra were done - so he gets an hon mention from me here)....and who could forget Balmain's epic attempts
Ken Kearney - it is easy to water down the 11 Premierships by St George as "all stars" and I coulda coached em......but their first in the 11 yr sequence he was Captain, then the next 4 as Capt/Coach..then as coach in 61....but more amazingly as the Capt/Coach of the Kangaroos 3-0 series win over NZ - while Gibson is credited for bringing NFL tactics to the game, so too did Kearney - bring "English tactics" back from his stint in the UK - he was known for his outstanding football IQ and tactics
....and lets not forget taking the Eels from successive wooden spooners (60.61) to the semi's in his first year as Parra coach in '62, as well as 63 and were 1 win away from minor premiers in 64 (his last at Parra)
Phil Gould - the sign of ANY Great Supercoach is their ability to produce in different clubs or levels - and make no bones about it - if Gould had coached longer - he might be the best of the lot - Premiership wins at Penrith & Dogs and had a heavy hand in Stuarts Roosters - a whisker away from 3 GF's for 3 Clubs......and then there is his Representative Coaching Record - I believe Jack Gibson is probably more suited as a perfect club coach...a different personality is usually found with the successful Rep Coaches...examples like Furner, Stanton...even Graham Lowe - I am trying to illustrate that some coaches have better success at Rep Level than they do at club level and vice vera (Bennett, Gibson etc)...ti further illustrate this point take Mal Meninga as a great example...mediocre club success, then an iconic run as QLD coach
But Gould is the rare bird that not only succeeds but can over achieve at BOTH LEVELS
Jim Craig - taken from wiki - Jim Craig as a player of unparalleled versatility. It is known that he represented in Tests at fullback, centre, halfback and hooker with some of his club & tour football played at winger, five-eighth and lock forward. the great Dally Messenger regarded Craig as the greatest player Messenger ever saw.......
Jim Craig was also Capt/Coach Wests 1930 for their first ever Premiership and then in 1938 coached Canterbury to their first ever Premiership - had a 64% win percentage - as good as any great Supercoach - even though he only coached 5 seasons - it was his ability to WIN that is impressive - this was proven during his "on again off again" 10 year span,,,the man could coach alright and to deliver TWO INAUGURAL PREMIERSHIPS for different clubs will never be surpassed...pity it wasn't over a longer period - but impressive all the same....it's no wonder he's in the RL Hall Of Fame and Qld Team of the Century as well as RL 100 greatest players.....it's easy to lose sight of his BRILLIANT COACHING as well
Hon Mention...Harry Bath
Gibson acknowledged he probably couldn't coach NSW like he did Parramatta and Easts. Gibson had to indoctrinate his players with the Gibson philosophy. Big Jack will remain the greatest of all. Without him the game wouldn't be where it is today. I don't think Gould could ever pass Gibson in terms of ingenuity and re-inventing the game. They had different coaching styles. Gould was someone who liked to pump his players up and used speeches to inspire his players. Gibson was blunt, straight to the point and would make you shiver just by staring at you. According to Edge if Gibson didn't say anything you were doing a good job, which is what happened in the '82 Grand Final. In 1981 Gibson's half time talk consisted of this: "You have 40 minutes to go out there and win. Otherwise this season will be for nothing."
You "played fine and done good" Crow !
Yes great coaches should be measured as well from what they extracted out of their respective playing rosters. It could be said that Big Jack had a dream roster in Kenny, Ella, Grothe etc, having said that under a lesser coach they may not have reached their playing potential. Gibson told Sterling that he was a halfback "and that's where you will stay", end of story, and the rest is history. What I do know is from time to time Gibson used to use relatively "no name" replacements who virtually played out of their minds, the roster never really suffered even if Pricey or say Kenny were unfortunately out. For mine Jack is the man. Like him or loathe him Warren Ryan's effort with a spare parts Newtown side reaching the GF in 81 deserves some mention.
"Yes great coaches should be measured as well from what they extracted out of their respective playing rosters"
Given this criteria match then Phil Economides has to be given recognition.
Gold Coast Chargers PLUS the Fijian National side in the 2000 World Cup.
Achieved what was considered impossible with the most unlikely and unrated roster of players.
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