Sport Confidential: NRL coaches boast a united voice
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett’s gently fading star took another hit this week when the coaches had their phone hook-up.
Rabbitohs
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rabbitohs. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There was a show of solidarity when the NRL coaches were part of a phone hook-up on Tuesday.
The majority of the 16 clubs had their head coaches on the line when the group discussed a range of issues in and around the game as part of the newly formed Rugby League Coaches Association.
Tigers coach Michael Maguire said the phone hook-up — which went for more than an hour — was extremely positive.
“The collective group spoke about not just ourselves but our assistant coaches and performance staff,” Maguire said.
“It was a collaborative conversation about where the competition is at and where it can go moving forward.”
Relive classic NRL matches from the 60s to today on KAYO SPORTS. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Some members of the group had their noses out of joint when they were not part of discussions when it came to recent wage cuts.
Maguire said he was not “frustrated” but acknowledged they should be given a voice down the track.
“It’s about being able to have a representative when the game comes together,” Maguire said. “It’s not about trying to control. It’s about trying to assist. We believe this group can help assist the game get to a better place.”
There have been questions about the future of the association given its funding by the NRL. But Maguire was confident it would remain and stressed the importance of ensuring its survival for “the betterment of the game”.
PUSH BUT NO HOOK-UP SHOVE FROM BENNETT
Wayne Bennett’s gently fading star took another hit this week when the coaches had their phone hook-up.
Coaches strongly opposed the proposal to restart the competition with every team going back to zero competition points — effectively negating the first two rounds played — as they looked at a two-conference system.
Some coaches were angry and questioned the supposed solidarity of the new coaches’ union, after it emerged that the day before their meeting, Bennett and Roosters coach Trent Robinson had privately pushed the idea to ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys.
V’Landys, who fought so strongly to have the first two rounds played, was not a fan of scrapping the points but was willing to let the coaches have their input into the season before Robinson presented it at Thursday’s innovation committee meeting.
What angered rival coaches was that Bennett, once one of the game’s most influential figures who commanded a strong presence at League Central, was up to his old tricks.
He presented to V’Landys the idea alongside Robinson on how the season should proceed but failed to call in to the coaches’ hook-up to defend the very same proposal he tried selling to the ARLC boss.
Originally published as Sport Confidential: NRL coaches boast a united voice