I am feeling bad – very bad – for Tony Iro after today’s appointment of Matt Elliott as coach of the New Zealand Warriors.
Iro was the perfect man for the job, in my opinion, and I cannot say with any confidence that the choice of Elliott will benefit the Warriors in the long haul.
Consider the following facts:
Iro came through the New Zealand ranks to become an international league star (25 Tests) and as a home grown product, he must know the workings and psyche of Kiwi league teams better than most.
He has been in the Warriors system as a coach since 2008 and was named the Warriors inaugural Toyota Cup coach in 2008.
He has also become assistant coach of the Kiwi Test team and was regarded highly enough to replace Brian McClennan over the last few rounds of this season.
Iro loves the club, he wanted the top job badly and he had already announced plans for much-needed changes to the way the Warriors prepare for and play their football.
Fitness was very high on his list of priorities and we all know how poorly the team fared in this department in 2012.
I will add here that Tony Iro is a friend of mine but that is not the reason why I am upset that he missed the coaching job.
I honestly believe he had the credentials to demand the position when it was learned that Craig Bellamy was not interested in leaving Melbourne Storm at this time.
The Warriors management handled the whole coaching scenario poorly. I believe they should have conducted their business in-house instead of letting it play out in the media.
I understand Iro was one of the first interviewed, so what sort of faith were they showing him by releasing the names of the procession of applicants who filed into the Boardroom?
Matt Elliott is a good bloke and a coach with a fair record and I sincerely wish him luck as he embarks on his two year term as coach.
There are some things that he will need to get into place from the outset.
Fitness must be paramount in his thoughts. The team cannot fade as alarmingly as it did late in games this season.
The Warriors badly need to find a five-eighth now that James Maloney has gone to the Roosters and as for halfback Shaun Johnson, well, he needs to give the team structure from game one and keep doing it if the team is going to be successful.
Every side that made the NRL finals this year did so on the back of a set structure. If Elliott and the Warriors don’t set up and stick to a rigid pattern, they will be wasting their time and again finish down in the competition cellar.
I feel the captaincy of the team for next year and beyond is going to be crucial.
If I were Elliott, I’d be appointing big front-rower Ben Matulino as skipper. This guy is quickly developing into the world’s best prop and he is leadership material for sure.
I hope the Warriors and their new coach can pick up an experienced player or two who may help blood the young members of the side into the rigours of NRL competition but really, who is left on the market? No-one readily springs to mind.
Matt Elliott has accepted an extremely high pressure position and he will feel it from day one.
If the Warriors don’t make the finals next season, I would not want to be in his shoes.
mushi
Roar Guru
If you amalgamated all league fans views there are really only something like 6 or so "decent" coaches the rest are apparently all rubbish.
Farmerj
Guest
Coaches that win dont get sacked. Elliot has been booted from the Panthers and as an assistant for the Roosters. Says it all really.
Droppa
Guest
Mick Potter might be worth a look.
jamesb
Guest
I actually enjoy listening to Matt Elliot whenever he appears on tv. He seems like a good communicator. Now for whatever reason, things haven't quite worked out prevoiusly. as for the warriors, if the players wanted Iro, they should have performed under him in the last two games. Instead they got flogged.
Johnno
Guest
And he was an assistant to Brian Smith this year at the roosters and we all know how that panned out this year. Roosters were awful Smith was barley welcome at mad monday celebrations. Kiwi coaches to many failures . I hare get a hard nosed ausys i would of gone for Grahame Murray who i think is an assistant at Newcastle. But kiwi duds: Steve Kearney Brian Mclennan Tony Kemp Mark Graham Frank Endacott To be honest Grahame Lowe is the only good NRL kiwi coach I can think off.
CJW72
Guest
Are you confusing Tony Iro and Tony Kemp perhaps? I thought Tony Kemp made perfect sense articulating with the whole Tamou Kasiano issue. What references do you have to back up your statement re Iro?
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
Give me an NRL coaching example Fonzie, not an origin one. Because it is hard to compare your average NRL coach bound by the salary cap, to someone coaching rugby league at it's pinnacle. Just look at Mal's QLD playing roster since 2006...Henry Winkler could coach that side and have those percentages. But I see the point you were making, because Bellamy and Stuart are superior coaches to Mal. Full respect to Mal of course. A great player and ambassador for the game.; but the example just doesn't really compute on a club level...those pesky boardrooms. The unfortunate reality is that at an administrative level, if a coach isn't punching the numbers over a season and a half, things are generally looking pretty grim(there are and have been exceptions). These days you can make a grand final one year, then have an average season, and you're off. I'll bet Matt Elliot had more coaching career choices in 2002 than he does now, back when he was fresh from England with a 72% win record under his belt. If you look at his numbers though, they have pretty much been on the slide over the last decade, apart from 2nd place in 2010 of course. But I see where you are coming from; of course there are more criteria than just numbers... but only if you are winning. At least that is how most club boards think.
Arthur Fonzarelli
Guest
The best example is - compare Mal Meninga's winning coaching percentage with QLD to Ricky Stuart, Craig Bellamy over the same period. Is Mal a better coach than them ?
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
Umm, not sure why that posted twice...
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
And it's gotten progressively worse for Elliot...his numbers have been sliding consistently for the last decade. Apart from taking Penrith to 2nd spot a couple of years ago, It's all been very ordinary.
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but I think it's a pretty good indication of the ability of a coach to develop an effective culture, structure and to get the most out of his roster...by winning. Pretty sure that when most coaches get sacked it's because they aren't performing(winning). That being said though, winning % rarely is the only criteria for a club to employ a coach
Damn Straight
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but I think it's a pretty good indication of the ability of a coach to develop an effective culture, structure and to get the most out of his roster...by winning. Pretty sure that when most coaches get sacked it's because they aren't performing(winning). That being said though, winning % rarely is the only criteria for a club to employ a coach
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I actually rate Matt Elliott as a coach. Don't ask me why, his record his extremely mediocre.
Sparks
Roar Rookie
Irrespective of who the Warriors eventually selected as coach, they will struggle next year. -Maloney gooone! -Johnson is still trying to play touch football -Leuluai is an unknown to the rigours of the NRL -Friend is about as creative with the ball as Ricky Ponting's field settings -Their most senior player in Luck.....gooooone! -Rapira and Packer were terrible in 2012 -Vatuvei has hands like feet and which will need offseason surgery to correct -Slimeankle showed promise...goooone! -Hurrell is lethal at both scoring tries and letting them in... Only bright spots in the 2012 season were Taylor, Matulino and the ability to fade quicker than curtains, in QLD under daylight savings....
Lost Earthling
Guest
Perhaps this is all a ploy by the Warriors to get a coach they can easily make a scapegoat of when they are losing and pay out his contract towards the end of the season when more coaches some on the market (Bellamy, Bennett, etc). It would have been harder for their fans to accept the sacking of a favourite son like Iro when Bellamy comes on the market and they start chasing him. Having said that, Matt Elliot is a no-nonsense sort of coach who hopefully will get some of the Warriors players to take their head out of their backside and realise they are paid to play good rugby league not touch footy.
steve b
Roar Guru
I don't think anyone of the lads that were considered an ordinary person or they wouldn't have even been on the shopping list !!
Pogo
Guest
"I thought Endacott should have got the start considering the awesome job he has done with the U/20′s squad." Surely you mean John Ackland? Frank Endacott had a go a while back. It's a fair point if that is who you mean, he's well respected for his eye for talent and has been around a hell of a long time in NZ rugby league but has never really gone further as a coach. Perhaps he doesn't want the job?
Dayer
Guest
Great choice ,,, I think ,,, no, make that I know he will be great for the Warriors without a doubt..! I am glad Bellamy will remain at the storm because he is the storm. can not wait for nxt yr.
Josh
Guest
Matt Elliott is one of my favourite coaches despite never having coached my team (or perhaps because). He is always interesting, a bit different , great with the media and is a man who has always had to try and do a lot without much money or the cattle in the NRL. In the Super League he was twice coach of the year and won championships with Bradford. In 5 years at the raiders he took them to the Finals 4 times (Oh how my Tigers would have loved that strike rate with a much better team). At the Panthers he had neither money nor cattle and after getting the spoon in his first yr had a couple of mid table results but then in 2010 he took a team that was fairly similar to this yrs panthers to 2nd on the table by making the most of what he had including Luke Walsh and Travis Burns in the halves. I think he will do a fantastic job with the Warriors and it could be a club that really suits his talents and his ability to get every ounce of talent out of players because now he will have players with lots of potential unlike his previous stints
Pot Stirrer
Guest
ok well who are the good coaches in your opinion that were mentioned as possible candidates. And he may do fine but im pretty sure the fans want better than "fine".