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They say the success of a leader is best judged by the actions of those he guides. So who are the top five coaches after five rounds of the 2018 NRL competition?
The usual suspects of late have been 2017 premiership winner Craig Bellamy, the unflappable Wayne Bennett and Paul Green from the successful Cowboys.
But this year, they have been overshadowed by a new crop of mentors.
1. Ivan Cleary
He has recruited well but still doesn’t have a champion team at his disposal. Regardless, Cleary has the Tigers playing as a motivated group who are inspiring each other on the field with passionate and unwavering defence and a far more controlled attack.
He has instilled confidence in halfback Luke Brooks, who is having one of his most consistent years in first grade. In addition, Cleary has transformed Benji Marshall into a clever ball-player who is able to lead with his game management rather than quick footwork.
Cleary’s gameplan is simple but effective – tackle hard, get through the six in attack, and play the game in the opposition’s half. He has devised a strategy that works well given the strengths of his current crop. Players like Elijah Taylor and Ben Matulino are a reflection of his personality – honest, no-nonsense workers.
The Tigers are doing a lot of things right in 2018 and the team spirit is something Cleary can be very proud of. They may even end up in the top eight, which was unimaginable when the season started.
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2. Stephen Kearney
Stephen Kearney has assembled a team that exudes self-confidence and control. Kearney obviously has a determination to win in 2018 and he has sold his dream to many great players, attracting new recruits Kevin Proctor, Tohu Harris and Blake Green.
Kearney has instilled a poise not seen by previous, flamboyant Warriors teams. Their spirit is shown through the breathing ritual they go through after scoring a try. They form a tight circle, arm in arm, and simultaneously breathe together as a unified force, while taking in the calm words of captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
This year, Kearney is blessed with a skillful and powerful side, and they could just go all the way.
3. Paul McGregor
The Dragons traditionally start every season well, but after about eight or so rounds, they fade into the darkness. This season looks different.
The Red V are undefeated after five rounds, and their wins have been convincing every week.
McGregor has filled in the missing pieces of his puzzle with skillful halfback Ben Hunt and the ferocious leader of the pack, James Graham.
Gareth Widdop has been waiting for a halves partner to take the pressure off him, and the team is reaping the rewards. The forwards now have a mentor in Graham, building on the strength of Josh Frizell, Jack De Belin and Paul Vaughan.
In attack, they are an excitement machine, with ‘Mary’ giving speedsters Euan Aitkin and Matt Duffy freedom to roam.
The team spirit is strong, evidenced in the fact that the Sydney-based players have organised a 12-seater bus to ride to training in Wollongong together. Jason Nightingale, the instigator, was quoted as saying, “We’ve invested in a bus so we can include our whole Sydney family.”
The Dragons are clearly on the road to brighter days.
(AAP Image/Michael Chambers)
4. Nathan Brown
The Newcastle Knights are no longer the easybeats. Nathan Brown has sold his dream to a host of new talent – including a future star of the game, Kalyn Ponga, who plays with far more maturity than his 20 years.
Other followers of the Brown brigade include Mitchell Pearce, Aiden Guerra and the exciting Connor Watson – a young half the Roosters did not want to lose.
This year, coach Brown has already concocted impressive wins against the Sea Eagles and, recently, the more-fancied Brisbane Broncos.
The 45-year-old has now spent 15 years in the top job at various homes. In 2003, as a 29-year-old, he was given his first coaching job, at his beloved Dragons, who finished second on the ladder in 2005, but by 2008 he was booted out.
Brown then took an opportunity to hone his skills in England, leading Huddersfield to the 2009 Challenge Cup final. He then moved to St Helens and guided them to victory in the 2014 grand final.
In 2015 he returned home and took up a position with Craig Bellamy as ‘coaching consultant’ at the Melbourne Storm.
Now he finds himself in Newcastle with a far wiser head on his shoulders. In fact, it feels like the Knights are moving away from the wooden spoon zone and headed in the direction of the top eight in 2018.
Knights coach Nathan Brown. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
5. Anthony Griffin
Could any coach have had a more tumultuous start to the year? He lost captain Matt Moylan to the Cronulla Sharks before the season started, the had to field questions about key players wanting out.
This was followed by numerous rumours about Griffin being a puppet to Phil Gould, who was apparently meant to be the one running the training sessions. More recently, he’s had to revise his gameplan to accommodate the nine-week injury to key playmaker Nathan Cleary.
Throughout all this, he has been composed and can hold his head up high, letting the team’s attitude and results speak for themselves. He has managed James Maloney’s healthy ego and created a team spirit based on ferocious defending and strong runs through the middle.
The Panthers have won two in a row, including a convincing 33-14 victory over the Cowboys. They may well be headed for a hat-trick of victories with a home game against the Titans this week.
Griffin has moulded the Panthers into a dangerous side who, at this stage, may just maintain their momentum despite a growing injury list.
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