NRL 2021: Coaches report card, who’s safe and who’s in firing line?
The coaching merry-go-round has only had one casualty this season, but with six rounds of the regular season remaining, PAUL CRAWLEY looks at the coaches who should be feeling nervous.
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Think about all the blowout scorelines we’ve had this year and what really is amazing is that until now, the coaching merry-go-round has hardly hit a bump.
Last season, five coaches didn’t finish the year, with Paul Green, Stephen Kearney, Paul McGregor, Dean Pay and Anthony Seibold all sacked.
So far this year John Morris is the only casualty. But for how much longer? With just six rounds of the regular season remaining, here’s who is safe and who should be feeling nervous.
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KEVIN WALTERS (Broncos)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 5/10
No matter which way anyone spins it, it’s been another horrible year for this once-mighty club, and I’m yet to be convinced Kevin Walters is going to be the coach who can turn it around. The one thing that buys Kevvie some time is the fact he’s a club legend – and the old boys would tear the joint down if they got rid of him now – while he arrived with one hell of a mess to clean up. Still, there’s been so much change and confusion again this year that if things don’t turn around next year I just can’t see how it won’t end badly for everyone involved.
RICKY STUART (Raiders)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 8/10
Have been one of this season’s big disappointments up until now and I can’t help but think a lot of it was self-inflicted due to internal conflicts that could have been handled differently if everyone had their time over. That said, the shock 12-10 win over the Eels last round gave hope the season is not done and dusted just yet. Regardless, the one certainty in Canberra is Ricky Stuart is safe – and so he should be: made the prelim final last year and the grand final the year before.
TRENT BARRETT (Bulldogs)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 6/10
I can’t say the Bulldogs look a better team being coached by Trent Barrett than they did playing under former coach Dean Pay. But some significant signings for next year have bought Barrett time and the appointment of Phil Gould should help him enormously. In fairness to Pay, he never had any salary cap space to work with. I’m sick of hearing Canterbury’s constant complaints about refereeing decisions this year when their lack of discipline has made a bad season even worse. Likely to finish with the wooden spoon, but the current roster would challenge every coach.
JOSH HANNAY (Sharks)
Contract: 2021. Safety rating: N/A
Has done a great job to have the Sharks in finals contention after taking over from John Morris. But the club has already made its call to bring in Craig Fitzgibbon and they are recruiting strongly having already landed Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane. While I’m not disputing Fitzy has all the makings of being a great head coach one day, they still won’t convince me the way they went about sacking Morris was handled well. If they didn’t want him, why didn’t they get rid of him in the off-season? It would have saved a lot of embarrassment.
JUSTIN HOLBROOK (Titans)
Contract: 2024. Safety rating: 6/10
Promised so much but delivered so little. When they want to play, the Titans can be worldbeaters, but you’d have to say they have been very disappointing. Still not too late to scrape into the finals, but if they don’t, Justin Holbrook will go into next season with plenty of questions hanging over his head.
DES HASLER (Sea Eagles)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 8.5/10
Old Dessy would be rubbing his hands together with glee knowing he has a team capable of matching it with the best if he can keep Turbo on the field. It seems a lifetime ago Hasler was apparently on borrowed time after losing the first four games of the season. The Sea Eagles are really starting to look dangerous heading into the final rounds, but the next few weeks will tell us exactly where they’re at. After the Sharks on Sunday, they take on Melbourne, Parramatta and Canberra. Could easily end up pinching Parra’s top-four spot.
CRAIG BELLAMY (Storm)
Contract: 2026. Safety rating: 10/10
Going into Saturday night’s grand final rematch, the Storm are the team to beat. And when you look at the injuries they have had to overcome this year, it is just an unbelievable coaching achievement once again. Apparently Craig Bellamy’s new contract is worth $1.2 million a season while he remains head coach. If that’s close to the mark, they got him cheap.
ADAM O’BRIEN (Knights)
Contract: 2024. Safety rating: 4.5/10
The only thing that saves Adam O’Brien for now is the Knights have had a shocking run of injuries, having used 13 different spine combinations already. But even so, some of the performances have just been so uninspiring that you are seriously entitled to wonder if the club is moving forward or just treading water like it has done for too many years now. Knights fans must be so sick of excuses.
TODD PAYTEN (Cowboys)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 6/10
Have lost their past six and are 13th on the ladder. It’s been an underwhelming season to say the least and for mine the 38-0 thumping to Newcastle a few weeks back was probably the low point. I think a lot of people had great hope for the Cowboys under Todd Payten, but they’ve been anything but impressive. Not that you’d expect them to make another coaching change any time soon.
BRAD ARTHUR (Eels)
Contract: 2022. Safety rating: 7/10
Coming into this season, there was an expectation on Parramatta that they needed to stand up in the big end-of-season games for the coach to be safe. Yet again Brad Arthur has done a commendable job to have the Eels in the top four, but the real work starts now. They have the toughest draw over the closing six rounds and if they don’t beat the Roosters on Thursday night, the pressure is really going to rise on Parramatta. But to their credit, the Eels have put themselves in a position to be in charge of their own destiny.
IVAN CLEARY (Panthers)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 10/10
Were unbeatable up until Origin, but a climbing injury toll is going to test the young Panthers in the coming weeks. Still, if coach Ivan Cleary gets them back for the finals, I’d still expect them to be the Storm’s biggest threat. In respect to job security, Ivan’s as safe as a bank while Nathan remains at the Panthers.
WAYNE BENNETT (Rabbitohs)
Contract: 2021. Safety rating: N/A
His critics won’t give him credit for it but it really is phenomenal what Wayne Bennett continues to do at the age of 71. Bennett has already made the call that he’s heading back to live in Brisbane next year, so he is not open to coaching another NRL team unless expansion gets the green light. But just imagine if, as expected, the NRL grand final is played at Suncorp this year and Bennett’s Bunnies get to run out that first weekend of October. Wouldn’t that be a final “up yours” to the mob who sacked him at the end of 2018.
ANTHONY GRIFFIN (Dragons)
Contract: 2022. Safety rating: 7/10
I think anyone who is being honest would not have imagined the Dragons would be sitting eighth this far into the season. So despite what anyone wants to say, Griffin has done a good job and there should be no pressure on him regardless of how this season pans out from here. The reality is “Barbecue-gate” will probably ruin the Dragons’ finals hopes but the coach is not to blame for that. What it should do is confirm to everyone it’s this roster that needs a dramatic overhaul.
TRENT ROBINSON (Roosters)
Contract: 2022. Safety rating: 10/10
Has the job for as long as he wants it at the Roosters. But I nearly fell off my chair when I noticed Robbo actually comes off contract at the end of next season and yet it hasn’t really even come up as a topic of discussion. I guess no one could see him coaching anywhere else. The fact he has the Roosters running fifth with the injuries they have had this year is further proof of what a great coach he is.
NATHAN BROWN (Warriors)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 6/10
I’ve heard a few people say privately Brown should be under some pressure given the Warriors’ recent results. But let’s be fair about this. This squad has been on the road for two years now so until they get a season playing out of New Zealand, it is hard to judge the players or the coach too harshly.
MICHAEL MAGUIRE (Wests Tigers)
Contract: 2023. Safety rating: 4/10
Have an easy run home with four games against the bottom four teams. So realistically the Tigers could still make the finals – and if they do, well done Madge. But if they don’t, I just can’t see him surviving. And it’s got nothing to do with whether or not he trains his players too hard, it’s all about results. Can anyone honestly say the Tigers have improved in the three years he’s been coach when they have finished 9th, 11th and this year are sitting 12th. And they still can’t land a significant signing.
RTS EXITS WITH HEAD HELD HIGH
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck should be judged on the memories he leaves behind, not how he exited the NRL.
And any criticism of him walking out on the Warriors with six rounds to play so he could get home before the New Zealand borders closed is extremely unfair.
But good on the Warriors for allowing RTS to get on with preparing for the next stage of his career with the All Blacks because it would have been hypocritical if they did block his immediate move.
It’s worth remembering the Warriors made an almost identical decision last year as a club when they punted coach Stephen Kearney because they did not see him as a part of the future.
At the time, Kearney was only a few months into a new three-year deal.
I’m with a lot of fans in that I hate how a contract these days isn’t worth the paper it is printed on. But don’t start feeling sorry for the clubs because all of them would cut a player in a heartbeat when it benefits them.
As for judging Tuivasa-Sheck on the memories he leaves behind, he was not only among the greatest talents of his generation – winning the 2018 Dally M Medal – but I can’t remember ever watching him and thinking he gave anything less than his best.
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