Roosters assistant Craig Fitzgibbon sure to figure as clubs hunt coaches

Sydney Roosters assistant Craig Fitzgibbon is considered the top pick when it comes to the newest wave of young footy coaches.

Sydney Roosters assistant coach Craig Fitzgibbon with Boyd Cordner during a training session at Moore Park on Monday. Picture: Brett Costello

Sydney Roosters assistant Craig Fitzgibbon is considered the top pick when it comes to the newest wave of young footy coaches.

The problem is, how does your club prise him away from Bondi Junction?

With pressure mounting on no less than six NRL head coaches, 43-year-old Fitzgibbon has quietly risen to become the man many now consider the best footy brain among those not currently employed in a top job.

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Despite there being a host of coaches with NRL experience available — among them Shane Flanagan, David Furner, Nathan Brown and Anthony Griffin — it is understood many club boards would prefer a move to the next generation of coaches.

Enter Fitzgibbon.

Already, the 2002 Roosters premiership hero holds a key role with the Tricolours, where the defensive specialist has helped head coach Trent Robinson secure back-to-back titles.

NSW Origin players also rate the retired backrower as a key component of the brains trust led by Blues head coach Brad Fittler.

Blues players say that apart from engaging well — and providing game plans that are easy to digest — Fitzgibbon teaches accountability, accepts “no bullshit” and demands discipline.

Fitzgibbon’s ongoing rise at both NRL and Origin level comes at a time when a number of head coaches are under increasing pressure to hold their jobs.

Already this week we have witnessed the shock axing of Warriors coach Stephen Kearney, after his side lost to South Sydney, their fourth defeat in six games.

Others in the spotlight include Paul McGregor (St George Illawarra), Dean Pay (Canterbury), John Morris (Cronulla) and Paul Green (North Queensland).

Elsewhere, rookie NRL coach Justin Holbrook sits last in his first season with Gold Coast, while Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold is in 14th with a side hyped early on as a top-four ­contender.

While Fitzgibbon has previously been sounded out on several occasions about taking senior roles, he has so far refused, preferring to stay on as Robinson’s right-hand man. It is believed there are only a small number of positions he would consider taking.

However, with many clubs now looking towards the next wave of young coaches, the Wollongong native is set to once again find himself the target of interested club CEOs.

It follows the success of Robinson at the Roosters, while another of his close mates, Adam O’Brien, is also enjoying success in his first year with a Newcastle side that currently sits in second spot.

When Nathan Brown was axed by the Knights at the end of 2019, Fitzgibbon’s name was immediately thrown up as a genuine contender. He quickly withdrew from the race however, leading to speculation he would prefer to wait for an opportunity at a bigger club — most notably, St George Illawarra.

Fitzgibbon debuted for the Illawarra Steelers in 1998, and then played a season with the merged St George Illawarra venture before heading off for what would be 10 years with the Roosters.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH