Coaching plaudits tend to flow to those in charge of the top sides, but the strongest applause this season should probably go to the man mentoring one of the lower ranked sides.
While the results achieved by Wayne Bennett (Dragons) and Kevin Moore (Bulldogs) have rightly been celebrated, the wonders worked by Brian Smith at the Knights deserve closer attention.
While the Knights fans cherish his presence in the coaching box now, it’s worth reflecting on the anger Smith faced when he dealt the club its necessary hard medicine.
Smith was a controversial signing for Newcastle, and walked into a minefield when he arrived at the club for the start of the 2007 season. Within months he had to deal with the sudden retirement of champion halfback Andrew Johns. Later that season, it was revealed Johns had been using recreational drugs throughout his career.
It was likely the Knights brought in Smith knowing the Johns drug rumours would soon make headlines. Just months into the job, Smith was charged with the responsibility of cleaning up the place.
Part of Smith’s approach involved a clean out, ridding the Knights of many players who had become a part of the club’s fabric. As expected he ran into controversy, but was determined in doing what he felt was necessary. Smith culled one player, Kirk Reynoldson, just one game short of him being able to renew his contract for the following season.
In the midst of all this, Newcastle supporters wanted Smith gone, accusing him of being a club wrecker. But Smith stuck to his guns of cleaning up the Knights’ culture and building the place for the post-Johns era.
Newcastle had some encouraging results in 2008 and fell one victory short of making the top eight. Missing the finals wasn’t desired, but in a short space of time after Johns’ departure, Smith had got the Knights playing a competitive brand of football and winning matches. They rarely achieved this without Johns before the halfback retired.
In early 2008, captain Danny Buderus announced he would be join the exodus from Newcastle, and he didn’t hide his dislike for Smith. While Buderus was a great player for the Knights, his form for Leeds this year indicates he was on the decline. Smith knew this and that Newcastle had to go in a different direction.
With Smith’s signing of Isaac De Gois to replace Buderus – a masterstroke – the Knights are firmly entrenched in the top eight. De Gois has been close to the form hooker in the NRL this season, and is clearly the No.3 hooker in NSW after Michael Ennis and Robbie Farah, who both played Origin this season.
One of Smith’s greatest achievements has been his ability get the Knights to play as a unit, and not be overly dependant on one player. Despite the Knights having a poor run with injuries, Smith has ensured his side is flexible to cover all situations.
This could be seen last weekend, when Newcastle didn’t miss a beat after Jarrod Mullen was replaced early with injury, a serious blow on top the absence of skipper Kurt Gidley due to State of Origin duty.
Smith has been much maligned as a coach over the years, but his record is an impressive one with only one major blemish – the lack of premiership success. He’s performance in resurrecting the Knights has been a hallmark of his career, having turned around a number of other sides he has coached.
When Smith took control of Parramatta in 1997, they had missed the finals for ten successive seasons. Smith was charged with getting them back to the top.
In Smith’s nine full seasons with the Eels the side made the finals seven times. Parramatta were always up there, but found ways to crumble when it mattered, particularly in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2005 when they had the premiership at their mercy
The Eels have been in decline since Smith’s departure, proving that – despite suggestions at the time – he was not the main person for their failures since 1986.
Prior to the Eels, Smith made an unheralded St George side competitive on a weekly basis, and took them to successive Grand Final. They were out-gunned by a star-studded Broncos side in 1992 and 1993, which was no disgrace.
With the Knights now certainties for a top eight finish, almost unbeatable at home and with their football not overly reliant on one player, suddenly the critics are quiet. No one in the Hunter region even questions Smith’s position as coach.
Smith’s past coaching achievements and his recent efforts with the Knights mark him as a great coach. A premiership success would be the crowning glory for a career that has developed many successful players, always got the best out from the cattle offered, and that never backed away from the impossible challenge.
In Edition 14 of Discord this week, Rleague.com weekly feature columnist Steve Mascord re-lives the final frantic moments of Origin III, and talks about Jamie Soward’s future as an Origin player, the media’s role in rugby league and reveals which player referee Gavin Badger thinks will soon be the Mayor of Wollongong. You can read Discord by clicking here.
Matthew O’Neill is a Director and Columnist with www.rleague.com.
Coach Boots Girl!
Guest
I agree with Andrew, I wanted him out badly, as there is something about his personality I dislike, nevertheless I think he has done a solid job as the coach.
Choppy
Guest
Andrew (1) I for one as a Parra supporter did not want him gone because the odds were he would not br replaced be anyone better, with Hagan turning up and leaving that was justified. Hagan has signed duds (Todd Lowrie) to long term deals and Anderson is paying the consequences of that this year. Next year is already shaping up as a better one. The Roosters will also be in better shape, maybe not next year because he won't have gotten rid of all the dead wood, but 2011 I expect to see the Roosters minus Mason, O'Meley, Minichello, Anasta and that will free up a bucketload of cash for them to play with.
Brett McKay
Guest
It will be interesting Matthew, and you could also have said the same about Politis and Bennett. Perhaps opposites still do attract.. Just out of interests sakes Matthew, had you heard any whispers about Smith leaving Newcastle when you wrote this article??
Matthew O'Neill
Guest
Interesting about the Smith situation now. He has turned the Knights around and if they make the right appointment (hint no Johns brothers or Kearney) they will reap what he has sowed for them. Smith and the Roosters will be an interesting mix. Smith likes to build for success and has no fear of failure whereas the Roosters want instant success and the latest fad. Politis and Smith are totally poles apart.
znotty
Guest
the Knights gain is the Roosters loss,in 2 years time it will be the Roosters fans breathing a sigh of relief as he bail`s on them,i saw Smith on Fox saying he felt he had nothing to prove anymore,this coming from a coach who has won absolutely nothing,must give a brillant job interview though..
Brett McKay
Expert
Matthew, I reckon the questions in the Hunter might just have resumed - the Knights today announced that they will be releasing Brian Smith from the final year of his contract, allowing him to take up a four year deal to coach the Sydney Roosters from 2010..
spiro
Guest
I've always been a fan of Brian Smith from earlier on his career when he was coaching at St George (I think) and son number 1 a keen supporter and a high school boys at the time sent him some suggestions about rugby players he should look at who were playing in New Zealand. Smith sent an informed letter back thanking the lad for his suggestions and assuring him that they had been noted and acted on. This gesture seemed to me to mark a coach who was keen to inter-act with supporters and prepared to take information from whatever source it came from, on its merits. Also there was a civility in the way the matter was handled which was impressive. It doesn't surprise me that he is turning around the culture of the Newcastle club, for the better. A premiership would, as Andrew suggests, cap off a fine career.
Andrew
Guest
Totally agree. Brian Smith deserves a premiership to cap off his awesome resume. As a Newcastle boy (though I go for the Bulldogs as the Knights weren't around when I was a youngin'), I hope it happens at the Knights.
Andrew
Guest
He was also very unpopular when he started at the eels, I know I wanted him out. But he is a great coach, his duels with Wayne Bennet were brilliant and his ability to get so much out of players no one rates mean he is invaluable in these days of the salary cap.
Mushi
Guest
The thing that always confuses me is how he is “unsuccessful” because he hasn’t won a grand final. As a fan my first measure of success is seeing my team compete and win more often than not. do 15 teams go away every year thinking they “failed”. I don’t think so maybe they think they didn’t achieve everything they could have but if you win 16 games and make the finals I think you can at least look around and say you know what we had a good year. Smith’s win percentage is at 55% since his stint with Hull now compare that to Tim Sheens who has won multiple premierships he sits at around 50%. Perhaps Smith is better suited though to a US sports style general manager role where he determines the player acquisition and development and someone else coaches?
Darcy
Guest
It's also worth mentioning that Bradford would not be the club it is today without Brian Smith's input. I think he was only there for one season but he did wonders in turning around that club....With some help from the late marketing guru Peter Deacon, Smith turned the dull and underperforming club around and laid the foundations for Matt Elliot's success there. On a related note, as an Irish man and Leinster supporter I've always had a lot of time for former Waratahs coach Matt Williams. Williams reminds me of Smith as he worked wonders at Leinster and definitely had a lot to do with paving the way for their success in this years Heineken Cup. Williams also did a similar root and branch job at Ulster with help from Peter Sharp but had to had back to Sydney for family reasons. Matt will never be stuck for a pint over here and it was in some ways fitting that in the week that he headed back to Sydney Leinster finally won the Heineken cup. Sydney being the gold fish bowl that it is it wouldn't surprise me if Smith and Williams are well acquainted.