NSW Waratahs won first game after coaches let players run training
Three games, three defeats! The Super Rugby season couldn’t have got off to a worst start for the Waratahs. So, they changed decided to change things up at training - and it paid immediate dividends.
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New recruit Jack Maddocks has hailed the Waratahs’ coaching strategy of allowing the players to take charge at training last week, leading to their first win of the season.
NSW attack coach Chris Whitaker revealed the staff had taken a back seat after three defeats to open the Super Rugby season and it paid dividends as the Tahs notched a bonus-point win against the Lions.
“We’re a young side, the big thing is when coaches do that, it helps you develop as a player,” Maddocks said. “We’re all really enjoying that.
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“I’ve played in sides before where coaches take that freedom away from players, it might be the best thing for the next game coming up, and the next game coming up, but is it the best thing in terms of developing players? That’s another question.
“We’re always trying to win every game every week, but one thing the program is doing really well is developing players that in two, three, four years’ time, we can all take ownership and not rely on the coaches, we can step up, play what we see and take control.”
Whitaker, head coach Rob Penney, forwards coach Matt Cockbain, scrum coach Mark Bell and defence coach Phil Bailey allowed the players to lead training.
“The positive is that we were actually training quite well, we just couldn’t put it on the field – we showed glimpses of it in the first game and then the next two games we probably lost a lot of confidence each game,” Whitaker said.
“It came to a point where the boys just got sick of it, and they took control and said ‘Let’s go out and show what we can do’.
“Full credit to the players, they took a lot of the ownership of the week and handled it really well, they backed themselves.
“The coaches really took a back seat in the week and handed over the reins, and they pulled through and did well.”
The Tahs host danger Kiwi team the Chiefs in Wollongong on Friday night and winger Maddocks hopes last week’s result is the start of sustained success.
“Last week it was a bit more player-driven, I think we responded well to that,” Maddocks said.
“Chris Whitaker’s been doing an outstanding job with us as backs, we all responded to his messaging really positively.
“As players, we always have the belief we can do that stuff. On the back of three losses, we didn’t start to question whether we were a good team, we just started to question why we weren’t playing to our potential.
“We unlocked that a little bit, and hopefully we can build on it going forward.”
Tahs captain Rob Simmons (ankle), halfback Jake Gordon (groin) and Mark Nawaqanitawase (back) did not train with the team on Monday and are racing the clock to be cleared fit.