NRL 2024: Inside the one-sided coaching records dominating Rd 5

Kevin Walters has faced Craig Bellamy seven times as a first grade coach, and lost six of them. But the Broncos boss isn’t the only NRL coach battling history. See the stats inside.

Kevin Walters, Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy.

Kevin Walters isn’t just battling the absence of some of his biggest names on Thursday night. He is also batting the odds.

Walters has faced Craig Bellamy seven times as a first grade coach. He has lost six of them, the lone win mind you in one of the biggest games of his coaching career last year in the finals.

Still, the weight of history suggests Walters and the Broncos are up against it on Thursday night as they travel to Melbourne to take on a Storm side which looks to set welcome back some of their biggest names, chief among them Cameron Munster.

After revealing last week that Penrith coach Ivan Cleary had won nine straight games against Sydney Roosters boss Trent Robinson, this masthead decided to do a deep dive into the coaching records of every existing NRL coach against their current counterparts.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is 6-1 against Broncos counterpart Kevin Walters. Picture: Getty Images

Bellamy has had a host of whipping boys over his two decades at the helm of the Storm.

He has put the cleaners through Wayne Bennett. Touched up Anthony Seibold.

Even dominated his good mate Ricky Stuart, Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson, another of his former proteges in Adam O’Brien and beaten Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon on two of the three occasions they have met.

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Remarkably, the only coach to have dominated Bellamy is Canterbury’s Cameron Ciraldo, who has won both of their clashes.

Walters once sat beside Bellamy in the coaches box but more recently, he has come off second best against his former boss, his record against one of his former mentors reflective of a club that has struggled prior to last season, when they made it all the way to the grand final.

The tide seemingly turned in the finals last year as the Broncos ran rampant against Melbourne. In Melbourne on Thursday night, we will find out whether it was a one-off or a genuine changing of the guard between the two of the game’s biggest rivals and their respective coaches.

Kevin Walters (right) was once an assistant coach for Craig Bellamy at the Storm.

“They’re obviously missing a couple of players at the moment but you wouldn’t have thought so with their performance last week,” Bellamy said.

“They have a lot of very good athletes in their team - they are big and strong and they run quick. When you have a guy like [Adam] Reynolds directing them around the field, he is a really good player.

“He has Billy Walters there to help him out too. You have guys with pace like [Ezra] Mam and their outside backs are big, strong athletes.

“It was pretty impressive last week how they played. We think they are going to come down here and perform like that again. We will need to be on our game.”

OTHER COACHING HOODOOS

Brad Arthur v Adam O’Brien (5-0)

Arthur and O’Brien are good mates. They have known each other since their days back at Bateman’s Bay.

They are so close, O’Brien is godfather to one of Arthur’s children. That hasn’t stopped Arthur dominating O’Brien during their time as NRL head coaches.

Arthur has won all five of the games between the pair - only Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has a better record against O’Brien.

Eels coach Brad Arthur has dominated Knights coach and former Bateman’s Bay and Cairns Brothesr teammate Adam O’Brien, going 5-0 in the NRL. His record against Shane Flanagan isn’t so crash hot. Picture: NRL Photos

Shane Flanagan v Arthur (5-0)

Arthur has dominated O’Brien but he hasn’t had the same sort of luck when it comes to Shane Flanagan.

In fact, Arthur is yet to win a game against Flanagan, adding more intrigue to their clash in the penultimate round of the premiership.

Trent Robinson v Des Hasler (12-5)

Des Hasler has had a difficult start to life on the Gold Coast and while he has enjoyed success over the years against some of the game’s heavyweight coaches - think Ivan Cleary and Craig Bellamy - one man he has been unable to get the better of is Sydney Roosters mentor Trent Robinson.

Hasler-coaches sides have won just five of the 17 games between the pair.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has faced Des Hasler 17 times, winning 12 games. Picture: David Becker

Kevin Walters v Jason Demetriou (4-1)

Walters and Demetriou were competitors for the Brisbane Broncos job when it became available following the departure of Anthony Seibold. Walters won the day and he has kept on winning against Demetriou ever since.

In the five games between sides coached by the pair, Walters holds a distinct advantage including a victory earlier this year.

Des Hasler v Ricky Stuart (19-6)

Hasler desperately needs a win at the Titans and he may not have to wait too one if history is any judge.

Hasler sides have fared very well against Stuart’s squads over the years and the pair are due to meet again in round six. It can’t come soon enough for Hasler and the battling Titans.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has squared off with current Titans boss Des Hasler 25 times in the NRL, but only beaten him six times. Picture: Getty Images

Wayne Bennett v Shane Flanagan (10-3)

When you coach for as long as Wayne Bennett, you tend to build up an enviable records against some clubs and coaches. In Bennett’s case, it is Shane Flanagan.

Over the years their sides have met 13 times and Bennett’s sides have won 10 of those games.

Craig Bellamy v Wayne Bennett (30-10)

Bellamy emerged from the school of Bennett but he has seemingly taken great delight out of facing his former mentor over the years. Bellamy has won the vast majority of games between the sides.

In fact, no coach with more than one game against Bennett on their resume as a record like Bennett against the seven-time premiership winner.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Inside the one-sided coaching records dominating Rd 5