NRL bid to ban John Hopoate from coaching Manly juniors overruled by NSWRL

THE NRL has been left red-faced after banning Manly’s John Hopoate from coaching — only to be overruled by the NSWRL.

Former boxer and rugby league player John Hopoate will resurrect his boxing career with some fights on the Gold Coast this year. Picture: Brendan Radke.

THE NRL has been left red-faced after banning Manly’s John Hopoate from coaching — only to be overruled by the NSWRL.

Hopoate was told he couldn’t coach the Sea Eagles’ under 18’s SG Ball side this coming season — but the NRL doesn’t have jurisdiction over that junior rugby league competition.

The SG Ball is controlled by the NSWRL.

And The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the NSWRL has no issue with Hopoate coaching a Manly junior side in 2016. The development has embarrassed the NRL.

Hopoate has now been informed by Manly officials to continue coaching and preparing for next season.

It is understood Hopoate satisfies the NSWRL criteria for coaching, which includes completing a first aid course and having the relevant coaching certificates. He even completed an NRL high-performance examination.

The NRL decision to ban Hopoate — who is also the Tongan assistant coach, an appointment approved by the NRL — was ratified by Integrity Unit boss Nick Weeks.

“We were taken by surprise by the NRL announcement,” said NSWRL chief executive David Trodden. “An NRL accreditation is not a requirement for coaches in Harold Matthews Cup (under 16s) or SG Ball (under 18s) competitions.

“The requirements for coaches in those competitions are the appropriate level of coaching accreditation and a satisfactory ‘working with children’ check. So long as coaches satisfy both of those requirements, then appointing coaches is then a matter for the club.”

Asked did Hopoate pass the necessary requirements, Trodden said: “It is my understanding that he does. I don’t make personal judgments about anybody. It’s a question of applying our rules. If he satisfies the rules then he is OK.”

John Hopoate is free to coach Manly juniors after the NRL was overruled by NSWRL.

One source close to Hopoate said: “Someone must have told Nick Weeks to make this decision. I have a fair idea of who it was. Dave Smith is gone, Shane Richardson is in England and John Grant probably hasn’t heard of John Hopoate.

“It’s typical the way the NRL is being run. It’s a scattergun approach. ‘Hoppa’ has all the required certificates.”

Manly is standing by Hopoate, despite some angst among fans about his coaching appointment.

Hopoate was not commenting but privately feels as though he is still being punished for previous indiscretions and misbehaviour. He was suspended for 45 weeks during a controversial career.

Sea Eagles officials were always aware the SG Ball was controlled by the NSWRL, not the NRL. Manly officials were not commenting on Thursday.

Meanwhile, longstanding Sea Eagles official Peter Peters has resigned from Manly’s board to take up a consultancy role in the club’s media and sales. Andrew Michael in the new director.

“I’m happy to stand down,” Peters said. “There are no more battles to win in the boardroom. They have all been won and the football club (which only has two votes on the seven-member board) is totally irrelevant.”