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It’s almost crunch time in Aussie Super Rugby after the pain of removing the Force. Three out of four franchises will have rookie coaches at the helm in 2018, and the Tahs having a relatively experienced coach in Daryl Gibson who will probably hear the ice start cracking under his feet if his team starts the first five rounds poorly.
In that case, look out for another rookie coach mid-year, Simon Cron.
In an attempt to provide some background on the new coaches I have used sources online, media reports and club press releases as I don’t know any of them personally. The closest I come to knowing a Super Rugby coach is attending the same school in the same year as Tony “Dumper” McGahan, a very talented inside centre who defended and attacked well above his size, he didn’t get the nickname Dumper for nothing.
By all means if any fellow Roarers have insights into these guys from personal contact then please share. So who are these rookies and what do we know about them?
Dan McKellar (Brumbies)
Aged 42 and originally from North Queensland, McKellar played first-grade rugby in Townsville and Brisbane, where he accrued 150 club games for Souths in the Brisbane Premier comp. In 2001 he did a stint playing in Ireland including acting as a player/coach for the club Wicklow outside Dublin until 2005.
McKellar returned to Queensland where he joined the Reds squad from 2005-2006 as an LHP before taking on an assistant coaching role with his old club Souths in 2007. He was promoted to head coach of that club from 2008-2010.
Tuggeranong Vikings in Canberra then recruited McKellar as their head coach from 2011-2012 and he took them to back to back premierships, as well as being instrumental in establishing a professional Vikings rugby academy.
Jake White had taken the reins at the Brumbies in 2012 and brought in a young bloke called David Wessels as a defence consultant, so in 2013 McKellar took an opportunity in Japan to be the forwards coach for the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in the Top League.
After White’s sudden departure McKellar returned to Canberra in 2014 to work with Stephen Larkham as Brumbies defence coach before once again returning to a head coaching role with the NRC Canberra Vikings 2015-2017, where he produced a consistently competitive Vikings team.
McKellar was announced last year as Brumbies head coach and will be ably assisted by one Lord Laurie Fisher as forwards coach, Peter Ryan running the defence and Peter Hewat as attack coach for the Ponies this season.
(AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
Dave Wessels (Rebels)
The youngest of our rookie Super coaches at just 34 years old, which makes him only slightly older than Matt Hodgson, his skipper at the Force last season. A South African by birth, Wessels attended St Stithians in Jo’burg and graduated from the University of Capetown with a Bachelor of Business Science and a Masters in IT.
After university Wessels pursued a digital publishing career and made it to head of the South African new media company Touchline Media, before commencing his rugby coaching career back with his old university in Capetown.
He took over the team in 2009 and in 2011 took the University of Capetown to its first competition trophy for 37 years. In 2008 he also did some consulting with the Stormers before his mentor Jake White talked him into moving to Australia as a defence consultant with the Brumbies in 2012.
It is worth noting that in the 2012 season the Brumbies conceded the fewest points in the Aussie conference and only second overall in the entire Super Rugby comp. Let’s hope this effective defence flows into the Rebels this year.
Wessels moved to Western Australia in 2013 to take on an assistant coaching role with the Western force and was co-head coach of the Perth Spirit from 2015-16. With the departure of Michael Foley, he was selected by the then ARU to take over the head coaching role at the Force for the 2017 season and got the Force from cellar dwellers to very close to the top of the Aussie conference table within one season.
Wessels also had to contend with the highly unsettling and unusual events of his team being cut by his employer but showed some excellent leadership and player management in keeping his playing group tight and unified.
So much so that this loyalty has led to a big influx of Force players into the Melbourne Rebels where, despite rumours he and Adam Coleman were off to Munster, he accepted the position of head coach for 2018.
Wessels has brought three assistant coaches with him from WA inJoe Barakat (forwards), Kevin Foote (defence) and Shaun Berne (attack), while Craig McGrath has been retained from the Rebels staff last year as skills coach.
Brad Thorn (Reds)
This is one guy who probably needs no introduction. At 43 years young, Thorn has had a stellar playing career spanning 22 seasons across RL and Union, including a Rugby World Cup trophy in 2011.
Thorn the player was famous for his dedication to weight training, work ethic and uncompromising physical approach on the pitch. He only stopped playing at 41 and reports from the Reds claim that he can still bench an amazing 250kgs.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Nothing like having the coach out-hoist you in the gym for motivation. One thing Thorn definitely won’t have to worry about getting from his playing group is respect.
Thorn comes across as your typical understated, even taciturn, South Islander where deeds matter more than words. He was born in Mosgiel, which coincidentally is the same town where Steve Hansen came into this world.
Due to his incredibly long playing career, his coaching journey only started in 2015 when he took over the Reds Elite Development Squad forwards at the U20 level before accepting a forwards assistant coach role in 2016 with Queensland Country in the NRC.
They finished stone motherless last that year in the NRC. However, Thorn put on the head coach’s cap in 2017 and the Queensland Country boys went from dead last to their maiden championship title.
This title was based on direct forward play and solid defence. Watching Queensland Country last year, it appeared that Thorn definitely drilled into the team that they had to do the hard yards in the middle before they earned the right to go wide.
Thorn also acted as an assistant coach for the Reds in 2017.
In October last year, he was announced as the Reds head coach to replace the hapless Nick Stiles. Thorn has brought Paul Carozza with him as an assistant from the Queensland Country NRC team and ex-Rebels Head Coach and Wallabies assistant coach Tony Mc Gahan also joins the coaching staff.
At that press conference, the ex-All Black made this quote when pressed by reporters that pretty much sums up Brad Thorn:
“It’s easy to talk, isn’t it? But I think people have had enough of talk. They just want to see stuff. That suits me.”
Well, as a Reds supporter Brad, I am definitely sick of talk at Ballymore…and yep, I wanna see stuff. That would suit me.
What about you Roarers, do you want to see stuff this year from these guys? Can these rookie head coaches deliver? Is this long overdue generational change in our Super Rugby coaches?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.