Chris Whitaker set to take up a coaching role with NSW; in the mix to succeed Daryl Gibson
NSW’s favourite son Chris Whitaker is set to return home from France and take up a coaching role with NSW — and potentially even succeed Daryl Gibson as head coach.
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WARATAHS’ favourite son Chris Whitaker is set to return home from France and take up a coaching role with NSW in Super Rugby — and potentially even succeed Daryl Gibson as head coach.
The news emerged as Brookvale Oval was given the all-clear for the Waratahs to take on the Blues on Saturday, following an urgent safety inspection on the surface.
Whitaker, the former NSW captain and Test halfback, has been coaching in France for the last eight years but recently resigned from second division club Montauban.
French media said Whitaker was heading home to coach at the Waratahs in Super Rugby next season but while NSW Rugby Andrew Hore confirmed he’d been talking to the 107-cap ex-Waratah, nothing was finalised.
Sources have told The Daily Telegraph Whitaker is set to take up an assistant coach role for 2019, with the view to promoting either he or NSW forwards coach Simon Cron into the head coach job in 2020.
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That scenario would see Gibson’s contract extended for one more season.
“Chris is someone no doubt we have spoken to,” Hore said.
“I wouldn’t say it is at that (signed deal) level yet.
“One thing we know we need to get better at is our succession planning and preparing people for that succession plan, and loading coaches into the system who have the potential to come through.
“That’s been an Australia-wide issue that hasn’t been tackled. So it is not only making a decision around Daryl, it is also making a decision around who else then gets plugged into the system. And what we do to prepare for them for life after Daryl.
“He would be in that basket of people.”
After debuting in 1997, Whitaker was the first Waratah to play 100 games and he also played 34 Tests.
His high standing in NSW Rugby is seen by the fact the emerging player of the year award at their annual dinner is named after Whitaker.
The 43-year-old played under Michael Cheika at Leinster and then began his coaching as an assistant to the now Wallabies coach at Stade Francais in 2010. Whitaker then coached with Justin Harrison at Narbonne from 2013 and has been co-head coach at Montauban since 2016.
Hore said NSW Rugby was open to Gibson’s request for a one-season extension but with team performance one of the criteria, a decision may not be until after Super Rugby finishes.
Meanwhile, fears about Brookvale Oval being potentially dangerous to play on were allayed for the Waratahs after the venue underwent a turf inspection on Wednesday.
The Waratahs requested the urgent review after Manly Sea Eagles boss Lyall Gorman suggested this week that the surface at Brookvale Oval may have caused three serious knee injuries to his players in the last month.
Hore received a report from the council on Wednesday night saying an independent sports turf agronomist had done the inspection and determined the surface was safe and in appropriate condition for professional sport.
“It was a pretty full assessment. I do think there may be a bit of politicking going on, with regards to the upgrade (of Brookvale Oval), if I am honest,” Hore said.
“I have worked in a number of environments where we have had, say four shoulder injuries or three knee injuries ... sometimes the statistics only tell part of the story.
“But we had to go through the process. Player welfare and safety is paramount, if not the most important, part of our business.”
Originally published as Chris Whitaker set to take up a coaching role with NSW; in the mix to succeed Daryl Gibson
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