Waratahs fighting Steve Hansen and Japanese club to keep forwards coach Simon Cron
The battle to keep one of the most highly rated coaches in Australian rugby is coming to a head, with the Waratahs hoping he will become a long-term coach for them despite huge interest from Japan.
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The battle to keep one of the most highly rated coaches in Australian rugby is coming to a head, with the Waratahs hoping he will become a long-term coach for them despite huge interest from Japan.
Cron, NSW’s forwards coach, has been overlooked for the head coaching role next year after the Tahs extended head coach Daryl Gibson’s contract to the end of 2020.
Cron is eager to hold a head coaching role and after that news emerged, Japan’s Top League club Toyota Verblitz has come knocking with a stunning offer to be head coach under All Blacks boss Steve Hansen, who is set to become director of rugby at the club after the World Cup.
But Waratahs boss Andrew Hore wants Cron in Sydney long-term and touted him as a future Wallabies coach if he improves in certain areas that he did not wish to publicise.
“We want Cronny to stay,” Hore told The Daily Telegraph.
“We see ourselves in the throes of player succession and coaching succession.
“We’re taking a step forward from where Daryl has started and put development processes around those guys that enable them to grow.
“We would like him to stay with Daryl next year, he’s got areas we would like to see improvements and hopefully put himself in a strong position to lead the Waratahs and then Australia.
“There’s no promises in and around being head coach, there are other names there as well.
“Simon has got to show us he is prepared to grow in some areas.
“Daryl has continued to grow – he got off to a rough start and he’s had to look at how he tailors his environment and we’ve started to see the improvements.”
However, if the Tahs were to lose Cron it would be viewed as a major blunder.
Hugely popular with the players, Cron has been instrumental in turning NSW’s wobbly set-piece into one of Super Rugby’s most reliable.
The fact Hansen – one of the finest minds in the game – wants Cron to be his head coach only underscores his reputation in the international arena.
After the Telegraph revealed the Toyota Verblitz plan to lure Hansen and Cron, it’s understood Cron told close associates he was still desperate to coach the players at NSW and would do everything possible to work out a deal to stay.
“We’ve had dialogue with him and an exchange of views, we would like to think we’ve put our best foot forward to what’s best for him, his family, and his development as a coach,” Hore said.
“The best position for the team and the organisation is to hopefully have continuity.
“He needs to think this through carefully, it’s his future, and he needs to figure out what development he want to get out of his coaching career.”
Originally published as Waratahs fighting Steve Hansen and Japanese club to keep forwards coach Simon Cron
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