The influence of the elite coaches this season is having a huge impact on results. Since the beginning of the National Rugby League era in 1998, the current top five team’s coaches have won 13 premierships between them, although Melbourne have had stripped off two of them.
There is an argument to be made that Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy are two of the greatest coaches in the modern game, and success can back that claim. But Des Hasler, Trent Robinson and Ricky Stuart are not far behind them.
Something that stands out is the uniqueness of each coach. All with individual, larger than life personalities that bring their own philosophies to the game which is then shown in the style that the top five teams are currently playing.
It’s no surprise then that the Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders, Manly Sea Eagles and South Sydney Rabbitohs find themselves competing for a top-four spot and are all genuine contenders to the 2019 NRL Premiership.
How much of a gap is there between the good coaches and the great coaches? We often hear discussion about whether there is a gap between the top teams and bottom teams in terms of the playing roster, but this year in particular is showing the importance of the coach.
At the beginning of the season not many people would’ve given Manly a chance to finish in the top eight, let alone throw their name in the ring as a premiership-winning force. But enter the mad genius, Des Hasler, who has made best with the team and facilities he has and are now every chance of going deep into the finals.
Looking at a the rosters of all 16 teams, I don’t really see any as being weak. Sure, not every team is capable of reaching the grand final, but there’s enough talent for each team to make the finals and have a crack.
Gold Coast might be in the midst of a dreadful season but on paper they still have quality players. Garth Brennan didn’t inherit a roster that lacked talent, their issues for failure lie elsewhere and, unfortunately for Garth, he couldn’t amend those problems. But you only have to go back to 2016 when Neil Henry took the Gold Coast Titans to their first finals appearance since 2011.
Dean Pay, over the past few months, has proven that with the right coaching, signing players for the betterment of the team and instilling belief in the playing roster that even a team like the Bulldogs – who many predicted would run last – can string together a few wins in this competition and find themselves not that far away from being in the top eight.
If a few results had gone their way earlier in the year then they would’ve been every chance of playing in September.
The key to having major success comes down to having the right coach and, more importantly, a great coach. Is Ivan Clearly the man that can take Penrith from the foot of the mountain and all the way to the top? Can Anthony Seibold become the new master-coach of the Brisbane Broncos and bring them back to the land of glory?
If Adam O’Brien does become the new head coach of the Newcastle Knights, will he be able to continue on the work of Nathan Brown and ultimately lead them to the success the Newcastle fans crave?
As of this moment in the season, arguably five of the greatest coaches in the NRL era have their teams all in contention. In a post-Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater world, Craig Bellamy is virtually guaranteed to win another minor premiership with the Melbourne Storm.
Trent Robinson has his Sydney Roosters seemingly playing better football than they were playing this time last year and are on track to possibly going back to back for the first since the Broncos of ’92 and ’93.
Ricky’s Raiders have found consistency for the full 80 minutes and playing an excitable brand of attacking footy with hard edge defence. The English contingency, Josh Papalii and Jack Wighton are playing some of the best football in their careers.
Des Hasler has taken a Manly Sea Eagles side that a lot people had doubts about and has them firing on all cylinders as they keep marching towards finals football. Despite injuries to key players in the early part of the season, Des remarkably has been able to keep winning as they loom closer to cementing a spot in the top four.
And you know Wayne Bennett still has a trick or two up his sleeve as the South Sydney Rabbitohs attempt to win their second premiership since coming back into the competition.
With the Rabbitohs spine starting to find form again and still waiting on the return of Sam Burgess, South Sydney are starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together for something special.
There are many good coaches in the NRL but which of those good coaches is going to go to that next level and prove themselves as a great coach or will we continue to see the success of the current top five coaches for the years to come?
Zavjalova
Roar Rookie
Bennett, Bellamy, robinson.......................... then daylight. No arguement. Thank you come again
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Man U got a manager who was sacked from his previous 2 jobs
mushi
Roar Guru
Didn't Man U get a coach who had won multiple titles across 4 different leagues he coached.... but then oust him? Shouldn't he have been a magical panacea under your theory. I'm not sure you could pick a worse example for the coach fixes everything. Bennett has been moved on for under performance, so has Des, the axe was out for Robinson post one poor year. Fact is fans don't really have any insight in to how a coach is performing. We just enter into a circular logic of coach drives results, players are then judged by their impact on results and then the expectation of the coach is amended because of how we view the players. Long tenured coaches have a sizable advantage in that they have consistent recruitment and planning.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Ohhh awesome No One. I live a bit of Pareto.
Jaydem Martin
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the compliment. Yeah, I've realised that it's a bit of stretch calling him an elite coach. I do think he's a great coach, but in comparison to the others mentioned I see that he's not there yet. And agree with your point about Des and the position he has left clubs in when he left.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi JM. Well done.
WAYNE BENNETT
Roar Rookie
I think gus gould was more responsable for the roosters winning then ricky stuart. The following year when gus stepped aside from being rickys mentor , the roosters went downhill fast and continued down hill untill robinson arrived, stuart did nothing at sharks with a fair roster and untill this year the raiders have under achieved for atleast the 3 seasons prior. I think dean pay has achieved better results with a team of nevilles then stuart has in the last 13 years
steveng
Roar Rookie
Mate, I'm not doubting Bennett at all, lets see how he goes with the Bunnies this year and into the future, as the Bunnies have choke up and just faded away in the last 4 years and pre years, hope I'm very wrong as I want the Bunnies to be right up there with the Storm and the Roosters in as far as their consistency and records.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Trent Robinson has had one crook year and then won the premiership the next.....I do not classify has having "lean years" and just so that you have the facts correct in future, he has coached the Roosters for 7 years he has been in the finals 6 out of those 7 has 3 minor premierships and 2 Premierships and they are certainly not going to miss the finals this year considering their current position on the ladder. He has coached a mere 180 games at a success rate of 64.4% second only to Bellamy at 68.7 % and actually slightly better than Bennett at 62% Hasler is currently at 58.5% Stewart does not even make the cut at 49.6%
Jaydem Martin
Roar Rookie
Thanks to everyone that has commented so far. It's my first article I've written and without going into too much detail about my personal life, it's a big thing for me. I wasn't really expecting much of a response so I'm a little overwhelmed but I promise to get around to responding to each comment. But I honestly appreciate everyone's opinion. Not everyone is going to agree with what I wrote, but it means a lot that everyone is going into detail and giving their thoughts.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
You are imagining what will happen. Look at history to see what really happens. Stuart takes the Chooks to grand finals and titles but how many titles or gf since then? Sheens does the same at the Raiders and one gf since then. Hagan wins a title at the Knights and then.......? Folkes wins a title at the Dogs and then.......? Green wins a title at the Cows and then........? Bellamy coaches two series in SOO and loses both ...... why would that be? Meninga after an ordinary spell as an NRL coach but excels in SOO, why? Fittler fails at NRL level but wins at SOO after Smith and co retire, coincidence? Maguire wins a title at the Bunnies but how many will he win at the Tigers without any Burgi or Inglis? The coaches you seem sure would excel elsewhere haven't been tested elsewhere except Bennett who has won one title in many years at various clubs since the Broncos dominant era. One title in 15 years or so, why would that be ? Average coaches win titles with great rosters , the evidence is there. Rarely does a super coach take average rosters to titles. Robinson has done well but would he win without Aunty Nick buying SBW and then Cronk and Teddy?
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Stuart isn't an elite coach. He inherited a brilliant Roosters side in 2002 and they won the comp but then should have won in either 2003 or 2004 but came up short. Since then he hasn't won a comp and it's only now the Raiders are playing to their potential. Good coach, yes, but not elite
Peter Piper
Guest
Except that the coach appoints the Captain and then schools him in what he wants. Again, a weak coach may appoint a weak captain and then not have the smarts to deal with that. A good captain is an extension of the coach on the field. Bennett / Darius had that but I don't think that Seibs / Darius do and I think the team suffers because of that.
bbt
Guest
What is often overlooked is the coach/captain combination. The chicken/egg argument is whether great coaches know how to make great captains or are the coaches "chosen" by the captain. Without the tactical smarts on the field, the coach's training and strategies will not be carried out or adjusted in the heat of the game. The old saying of a great coach plus great captain equals great team, whilst a great coach with an average captain equals average team will always apply.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Have the Dragons and Storm swap coaches the past few seasons and you think the teams get similar results? You really think Newcastle miss the 8 this year if Bennett or Robinson were coach? Do you think the Sharks would be in the same position had Flanagan still been coach? It is the same in every sport. Just look at Man Utd since Ferguson retired
no one in particular
Roar Guru
A good coach with a good roster are contenders A good coach with an average roster are competitive An average coach with a good roster will disappoint An average coach with an average roster are also -rans Of course people will point to one coach in one year, but, like everything, the pareto principle applies
Pickett
Guest
Steveng, Bennett's 'trick' is to flog them like nothing else at training/camps/whatever for a number of weeks before finals. During this time, their performance during game time is average or poor because they're so tired. Once conditioning sets in, they're fitter and put in the 'second effort' and run over teams in the last 30 minutes. The timing is important, and of course you have to be hovering around the top 4/6 to achieve this. He knows what he's doing.
steveng
Roar Rookie
I don’t really agree 100% that it’s the coach, Bennett had some lean years at the Broncos, same with Sticky, same with Robinson. Bellamy is different, hes one of the lucky ones, hes got the whole of Melbourne (AFL coaching methods included) behind him and that is a far bigger advantage than most coaches but, one of the perfect examples is the Panthers, who were a definite top 8 if not top 4 sides, with Ivan coaching Nathan and Maloney and all their talented players, surly they were a chance of making the 8, same with Manly, Des has been there before, it’s not ‘rocket science’ or mars for him at the Northern Beaches, Des is a great old timer type of a coach, he knew what he had and got the best out of them, hes done that before. I don’t agree with this ‘And you know Wayne Bennett still has a trick or two up his sleeve as the South Sydney Rabbitohs attempt to win their second premiership since coming back into the competition’? What tricks, there is no ‘magic wand’ that Bennett will wave around, to get the Bunnies winning! It’s either the players have a go or its ‘all over red rover’ very simple formula, Bennett is a great manager of players and the game, with his great record everything follows when the players have a go! Not that I’m very impressed with the Bunnies ‘hot and cold’ type of form (in the last 4 years) and attitude, perfect example, the Warriors yesterday, 14 – to zip up and they just fall and let the Warriors score in 3min and its 14-10, that’s not what the Roosters and Storm or even the Raiders would have done, especially when we needed ‘for and against’ points and the bigger the score, the better it would have been for us. Hope I’m wrong and my Bunnies go all the way but, 2019 will be probably the best final series and the fans should really love every game and the NRL.
Big Daddy
Guest
Of all the top 6 teams only Arthur has not won a premier ship. Only Stuart has not won multiple titles . On paper the Roosters roster is the best one but both Bellamy and Hasler let have that knack of getting the best out of no name player's. You can never underestimate Bennett but it has been a long time between drinks and it has been a bad year for the Burgesses who have had their season interrupted by injury and suspension. I think we're looking at a repeat of last year's grand finalists but I can't split them.
Peter Piper
Guest
I have always considered that the coach has a massive influence on how a team performs. A great coach with an average roster can deliver great things but an average coach with a great roster rarely does. That said, even a great coach needs to be in the right environment, in a club that allows him to deliver, has the right support mechanisms and facilities in place. I also think there is a kinda "FIT" with coaches and clubs Dessie and Manly, Bellamy and Storm, Bennett and Broncos etc, its a fit that serves both parties and why they tend to stick together. Its that fit that makes the likes of Bellamy very reluctant to leave Melbourne and Hasler/Bennett return to their native clubs. A great coach is more valuable than a great player and not many people understand that.