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Two of Australia’s most successful sporting coaches, Mal Meninga and Mick Malthouse, find themselves in the unenviable position of being extremely successful, yet still struggling to gain the full respect that each deserves.
Coaches are judged quickly and ruthlessly when they lose, and yet, in Meninga and Malthouse, we have two examples of coaches that are extremely adept at winning, but it doesn’t seem to be enough for certain people.
Whilst the individual scenarios are vastly different, including the way in which both are disrespected, the two coaches are nonetheless linked by the extraordinary situation that each finds themselves in.
State of Origin football is the highest quality of rugby league. Until recently, it was also the most even. Yet the series, the pinnacle of any football code in Australia, has been somewhat one-sided in recent times.
The Queensland Maroons have won the last six series in a row, and Mal Meniniga has presided over each and every one of them.
But for varying reasons, there are many critics, primarily in NSW, who are quick to dismiss Meninga’s record, and instead credit Queensland’s success to the incredible collection of talent the Maroons have in their ranks.
The general sentiment of the anti-Meninga brigade is that Big Mal isn’t a great tactical coach, but instead, merely a very good manger of great players.
Such nonsense begs the question, what exactly is a great coach?
Surely it’s one that wins? Coaches should be judged on victories and nothing else. They’re certainly judged on their losses, as any sacked coach can attest to.
One of the criticisms often laid out at Meninga is that he simply let’s his great players be great. It’s totally naive to believe that’s all Meninga does, but even if it was true, isn’t that a form of coaching in itself? How many times have we seen talent-laden teams not been successful?
Sometimes a coach can over-complicate things and simply get in the way of greatness.
Whilst it’s true that Mal has been fortunate to have world-class players at his disposal, there have been many coaches around the globe, in every sport, that have failed to win despite having the best players in their team. Mal has gotten the very best out of his Queensland sides, and he deserves a lot of credit for winning consistently at the highest standard of rugby league.
Great coaches have many qualities and abilities, of which tactical nous is just one. Do you think Queensland would prefer a coach who is brilliant strategically, but either doesn’t have the respect of the players, or has no discipline, or has terrible people skills, and therefore can’t get the best out of their players?
Meninga played 32 games for Queensland, so he certainly knows what is required in State of Origin football, and his lack of ego means that he more than happy to bring in attack and defence experts to help him out, along with inviting past Origin players into camp to motivate his troops.
Some so-called experts mistakenly assume that this means Meninga can’t actually coach, but sometimes asking for help is the best form of coaching there is.
Not giving Meninga credit for winning 6 series in a row because he’s been in charge of a great team also conveniently overlooks the fact that numerous players in the Queensland team in 2006 were not superstars at that point in time.
Many of those Maroons players were yet to be the household names they are now, and Queensland were not favoured to win the series. The 2006 series victory was a great coaching effort. As has every subsequent series victory.
In many ways, Meninga can be credited with making this Queensland team great, and then keeping them great.
Any way you look at it, Meninga deserves respect.
Mick Malthouse’s circumstances at Collingwood are completely different, yet he is facing elements of disrespect himself.
In one of the strangest situations I can ever recall, Malthouse and the Magpies won the premiership last year, and are favourites to win it again this year, yet Malthouse will not be the head coach at Collingwood next season, despite the fact he wants to be.
To fully understand the situation at Collingwood, we need to rewind three years, to when the North Melbourne Kangaroos were chasing the services of Collingwood assistant coach, and all-time club great, Nathan Buckley.
Collingwood boss Eddie McGuire faced a perplexing issue in having the services of what he felt were two great head coaches. Albeit, one that already was great, and one that was deemed to be potentially great.
McGuire’s problem was simple in its description, complex in its solving: two coaches, but only one job.
Somehow, Eddie Everywhere managed to keep both, with everyone agreeing to a ‘succession plan’ that would see Malthouse coach for a further three years, whilst mentoring Buckley, and then hand over the reins after the 2011 season.
At that point, Malthouse would then take up a Director of Coaching position at the club. What exactly that role would entail wasn’t quite clear, but everyone seemed happy with that outcome.
As so often happens with plans, they seem fine at their inception, but now that the time of handover is nearly upon us, Malthouse has asked for clarification on what his role will be for next year.
McGuire steadfastly stuck to the line that he and the club knew what they were doing, but it seems that wasn’t exactly accurate. Malthouse has reportedly met with McGuire twice to discuss next year, but they are yet to reach an agreement.
For a coach of Malthouse’s stature and ability to still not know what his responsibilities will be next season is disgraceful.
Malthouse knew the details of the ‘succession plan’, so no one is suggesting that he is holding out to remain the head coach. But the fact remains that it would be a waste of his talents to have him doing anything but being a senior coach.
Meanwhile, Buckley, quite rightfully, believes he signed a contract three years ago in good faith, under the proviso that he would get the top job.
So it appears that Collingwood are swapping a great and successful coach, who is keen to keep coaching, with a coach that ‘might’ be great. And they’ve kept the established great coach under contract, without actually knowing what his role will be.
It would be a complete shock if the Pies didn’t win the flag again this year, which will only make the bizarre situation worse. It all seems extremely disrespectful to Malthouse.
Meninga has won 6 State of Origin series in a row, and Malthouse will probably win two flags in a row. Yet they’re still battling for respect.
Why would anyone be a coach?