In 2010, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire appointed Nathan Buckley assistant coach, despite the latter having never coached.
It was part of a workplace transition plan to take over from head coach Mick Malthouse in 2012. Malthouse then moving into director of coaching, affording a graduated transition over four years.
The aim: to ensure Buckley could learn as much as he could from one of the best coaches in the game.
When asked how Buckley’s transition would proceed, journalist Bruce McAvaney reported Malthouse offered: “Nathan will be given latitude and be accepted by the players initially, because of who he is and who he was… as a player!
“But as time goes on, the players will ask: ‘how is Nathan going to help me get better?’ It’s how Nathan answers that question, will determine if he will transition from great player to great coach!”
McGuire’s famous transition plan never panned out. For whatever reason, Buckley didn’t want Malthouse sitting above him.
Ex-players gifted professional coaching roles without doing the ‘yards’ can be problematic. One reason is the way professional programs are structured – players seldom have to think too far outside of their role.
Yet even assistant roles at professional level require interdependent understanding.
Further, Eddie Jones recently said:
“The problem with coaching now is that players are being taught by ex-players and not teachers.
“You see a lot of guys from my era that were ex-teachers, it definitely gave us a head start as we knew how to organise a group.
“Knew how to speak to them… you go into any classroom, and you try to work out the three or four kids who are either going to make the class good or disrupt the class and you try to establish a relationship with them.
“It was the same at the Brumbies, understanding which players were going to be influential, establish a relationship with them and which players maybe I needed to move on, and getting those mechanics right.”
Eddie Jones (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
While directly referencing teachers, looking at his mentors, he is also referring to coaches who ‘teach’.
For example, Bob Dwyer, whose career was in real estate. Jones (as did Dwyer) had another mentor – himself a great teacher despite not being formally trained in the profession.
Cyril Towers is regarded as the ‘father’ of Randwick rugby.
His span of influence also included a small public school in southern Sydney – Matraville High.
The 1977 Matraville High rugby team was a fine example of Australia’s multiculturalism. An eclectic mix of ethnic and first Australian backgrounds.
Bob Dwyer recalled attending a Waratahs Shield match between Matraville and St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill (Joeys):
“When I watched the two teams come out, it looked like a scene out of an American movie. We were seeing kids from the wrong side of the tracks trying their hand against the superstars.
“One team ran out beautifully attired, fit, strong and healthy. The other – skinny legs and socks around their ankles.”
Matraville sent shockwaves through the stodgy rugby community by defeating the 30-time GPS champions.
Five players in the Matraville team have since gone on to change the face and fortunes of Australian rugby. The Ella Brothers, Mark, Glen and Gary; Lloyd Walker and Eddie Jones.
For ex-players who successfully transitioned to enjoy long-term coaching careers, there are some common themes:
1. They started coaching either in school or club rugby and worked their way through to professional ranks
2. They were coaching while they were playing:
a) Rod Kafer was the first player-coach to win a Super Rugby title and Heineken Cup with the Brumbies and Leicester. Further, Phil Kearns in 2000 stated that Kafer was pivotal in Australia’s World Cup win in 1999, despite not featuring as a player during the playoffs.
b) Dan Palmer and Ben Mowen both coached the Brumbies scrum and lineout, respectively, while still playing between 2012 and 2014
3. They were part of environments where significant ‘workplace learning’ was a feature.
Jones recognised and enabled Kafer’s attributes.
Similarly, Laurie Fisher further recognised and enabled the same in Palmer and Mowen.
Emotional quotient is an attribute common among the ‘great’ coaches.
Why? Because the best coaches don’t have to be the smartest in the room. They recruit, develop and enable world-class expertise where gaps are in their programs.
But first, they need to be generalist enough to know where the gaps are. Then they need appropriate expertise to coordinate all interdependent variables in one direction.
Why then would Buckley not want one of the great all-time coaches around? Was it insecurity?
We’ll never know.
The Brumbies have been gifted a massive opportunity, in the future development of their people, through Dan McKellar’s deserved promotion to the Wallabies.
McKellar is one of the great stories of resilience and having an optimistic mindset.
He started as a country rugby player with Burdekin Canetoads, progressing to colts, then premier grade at Souths in Brisbane.
From Souths and at the ripe old age of 29, he received a contract with the Reds.
When transitioning to coaching, McKellar didn’t take the easy option.
Instead, he started back in club rugby to learn the trade, initially as an assistant under Souths legend and mentor, Ian Cameron.
He led Souths to a grand final in 2009, before transitioning to full-time head coach with Tuggeranong Vikings, Canberra in 2011.
Won two premierships and an Australian Club Championship with Vikings (defeating both Sunnybank and Sydney University).
Laurie Fisher, intrigued as to whether Vikings’ success was recruitment or coaching-based, watched them train in mid 2012.
He returned a McKellar fan, estimating that they moved around the field at around 20 metres per minute faster than other club sides. McKellar’s athletic performance coach, Ben Norcott, was a big part of this, as well.
In late 2013, Fisher’s first act as Brumbies director of rugby was to poach McKellar from Japan.
Under the banner of ‘workplace learning’, I have previously highlighted the importance of head coaching at Premier Club level as a contextual steppingstone to becoming an elite rugby head coach.
Another part of McKellar’s effective transition from assistant to head coach at Super level was Stephen Larkham occupying dual roles with the Wallabies and Brumbies from 2015.
This afforded opportunity, in conjunction with athletic performance guru Ben Serpell, to coordinate the Brumbies program in Larkham’s absence.
The key being through the off-season and without ‘game’ pressure that can overwhelm and affect decision-making.
Serpell’s influence during this period can’t be underestimated.
While head of athletic performance from 2016 until the end of 2019, the Brumbies were able to achieve two seasons where player availability for training and games was above 95 per cent.
Additionally, during the season, individual players improved across all physiological markers. Arguably the world’s best metrics across any sport, let alone a heavy collision sport.
This is a key measure (outside of traditional win-loss) of ‘programming’ effectiveness.
The other is injuries. During this period, the Brumbies were the best prepared and least injured.
Larkham recognised he had a world-class coaching team (others included John Pryor – consultant, athletic performance, Peter Ryan – defence and Dan Palmer – scrum) and while setting the structure for responsibility, he trusted each, to interdependently contribute.
Stephen Larkham (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
In terms of coach development, think open water training 50 metres off White Sands Beach, Kodiak Island, Alaska before being dropped off in the middle of the Baring Sea during hurricane season, versus an outdoor pool in San Diego… then being dropped in the middle of the Baring Sea!
In leading the Wallaby forwards, McKellar will be afforded the opportunity to experience the requirements at that level and take the learnings back to the Brumbies at completion.
McKellar’s world-class expertise is matched by the other coaches within the Wallaby setup, all bringing an eclectic mix of variety in strengths:
• Dave Rennie, bearing responsibility for final decision-making
• Scott Wisemantel (attack)
• Matt Taylor (defence)
• John Pryor (athletic performance)
• Ben Serpell (consultant)
There will, however, be greater diversity of views of effective player and team preparation within this group than Dan has been used to in recent years.
Post the 2007 World Cup, Robbie Deans was favoured to take over as All Blacks head coach.
All Black captain Richie McCaw came out in support of the then coaching group, Graham Henry, Steve Hansen, Wayne Smith, Mick Byrne and Gilbert Enoka.
Stating he was happy to play under either (head coach), he expressed concern (to the board) that Deans would surround himself with support staff who wouldn’t challenge him.
Under Henry, the coaching group challenged each other constantly – always in search of the best result. McCaw felt it was one of their strengths.
Deans, on the other hand, had a history of falling out with and then replacing his assistants.
History shows that New Zealand Rugby Union’s strength in supporting that coaching group led to the All Blacks becoming one of the greatest teams in the history of all sport.
I am a massive fan of Dan McKellar. I hope that this change of scenery will propel him to the next level in his coaching.
Laurie Fisher and Dan McKellar are incredibly similar.
There is an argument that they could be one voice in a coaching room which may drown out others, particularly with a talented, but relatively young coaching group.
With McKellar’s Wallaby appointment, the Brumbies have a wonderful opportunity for workplace growth in their high performance staff.
It’s inevitable that being an assistant again will bring (slightly) less pressure.
With a little more room ‘upstairs’, my hope is that McKellar is able to reflect on the benefits of an eclectic environment where shared ideas and debate is a feature, then encourage more of that from his less experienced assistants on return to the Brumbies.
Laurie Fisher, aside from being one of the world’s best coaches, has also been an incredible mentor to many. Mowen and Palmer are examples. The one thing missing from his career at the moment is international coaching.
If McKellar continues his improvement, he is in pole position to be the next Wallaby coach. That potentially forbids opportunity for Fisher to cap off a remarkable coaching career, by finally realising that dream.
If there was ever a time that bucking the trend of hopelessly short term thinking in rugby (in general), this is it for the Brumbies leadership!
The easy option would be to say, “Lord, you run the program while Dan is away.”
What is the pitfall of that? A potential disaster in IP dissolution post the 2023 World Cup (if both Fisher and McKellar move on).
What is the alternative and what are the potential benefits?
With no NRC and effectively five months before the start of the next pre-season, there is opportunity to provide each member of the coaching group with extra responsibility without the suffocating stress and decision limiting, week-to-week game pressure.
Allow them to develop appreciable voice and contextual experience that will more greatly serve the organisation, both within the coaching room moving forward and also two years down the track when change is more than likely.
It will allow Rod Seib to step up with relevant contextual program management experience, similar to that of McKellar in 2017.
What else can potentially be gained?
With Fisher in an over-arching avuncular role, the ability to look from the outside in.
In addition to accelerating workforce progression, utilise action research in some experimentation via linking athletic performance and skill for more robust individual development – an area that’s gaining more traction in sport.
Innovation has always been at the heart of the Brumbies:
•McQueen’s democratising of Leadership ’96–’97
•Jones’s changing of the game ’98-’01
•Fisher and Scrivener’s skills focus in ‘04
•Benton’s overarching program management and maximisation of resources ’12-’13
• Serpell’s maximisation of physical output, injury reduction and leadership research and implementation ’16- ’19.
They have the personnel, and the time is right for the next evolution.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
Thanks Leahry ...! A very well referenced article. I enjoyed reading it and learning some backstage details of the game on AUS. Greetings...!
jameswm
Roar Guru
Sorry not my son going to Tokyo - someone in their squad. Now that guy on gym, accelerations etc - just incredible. He'd be 76kg doing 280kg 1/4 squats - the power to weight he generates is just amazing - max power in minimum time. My 21yo is about next strongest in their squad - still converting it into speed. My younger son in an elite program just had some testing done - they did 60m sprints and measured touch down times, stride lengths (looking for imbalances), strides per second, how long to top speed, fascinating stuff. One other incredible stat - the US Olympic track & field trials are on at the moment, and some of the graphics are great - the guy who came 3rd in the 100m final (known more as a 400 runner usually) reached top speed at 91m. Just unheard of. Normally 45m for shorter guys and Bolt was an outlier at 65m. Yeah I reckon generally speaking, the taller you are the longer it takes to reach your potential - so Frosty is surely still a work in progress. With the older one who is training for 400 - his sprint coach (who is excellent) does his speed and gym and speed endurance, and I write the 2 special endurance sessions he does per week (in conjunction with them). As I said - they are brutal - yesterday 4 x 400m with 5 min recovery averaging about 54. He just needs to layer a few seasons of good training and relatively injury free. I find 400m and 800m the most fascinating of all track events - My younger one (16yo) by the way is top few in the world for his age for HJ - born with springs in his legs. But with fast developing speed could end up better at LJ or TJ - Triple Jump, there's another brutal event, in different ways. Imagine basically doing a long jump but instead of landing in the pit, doing another jump on the same leg. We are very excited about this Olympics in my house - first time someone close to us has competed. The squad just scraped into Nth Qld today before the border closures kicked in - for a training camp. I digress - I can see from your posts a fair bit of thought has gone into sport-specific training, with some groups anyway. I worry hearing stories, like from some Sydney private schools about them getting their rugby players to do gym to get bigger as the priority. As you know getting bigger and heavier with no functional strength improvement = getting slower and less aerobically fit. Both my boys track weight leading into a big comp - lose 2kg in the last week but keep strength, has to be a good thing.
RobC
Roar Guru
thanks Leahry. As mentioned by many here, fantastic article. I learnt many new things here. I think coaching is the more critical intervention need by Australian Rugby. Not only RA. But others in the Aus Rugby “system” too: – There is a lack of emphasis on this – I think developing an army of high-quality / competitive coaches esp from grassroots will would deliver the highest yield, considering the relative lower cost – Unfortunately its not on many peoples radar, compared to WBs, SR, etc
Leahry
Roar Rookie
Awesome Mate. Interesting the points about their strength. A guy that is having some influence in rugby circles (Wales 2010 - 2019, Brumbies 2012 - 13 & 16 - 19). Japan (2013 - 2015) & England (2016 - 2020), is a former National High Jumps Coach from the Netherlands by the name of - Frans Bosch. He stated recently that despite the massive body composition differences, your average high jumper is able to generate more power than an international rugby player. He said that he made the mistake when starting with Wales of upping the weight too much in his agility based exercises. In the end to get transfer - the weights used were significantly less than those for high jumpers. His whole model of athletic performance is a "movement based strength"/Strength & Coordination one. Despite, I would argue overwhelming evidence for it's efficacy - it's been fought tooth and nail by the traditional S&C Community and Coaches in general, because... well it's different. But all of the methodology comes from Athletics. Hence why I was keen for you to further extrapolate. A lot of the exercises are around implicitly developing the mechanics of running, then small changes in the trunk for example transfer quickly into skill. Probably the most famous example was George North - who plenty would argue has one of the best sidesteps in Rugby - particularly for a big man at 193cm and 105kg. Early in his career because of his size - he just used to try and run over the top of players. However, he'd undertaken this type of training for around 18months early in his career in conjunction with normal rugby training. Then when the Welsh Coaching staff identified that he needed to develop evasive skills - Bosch took him from a player who never sidestepped to one of the best in the World in 30 minutes. His adaptive movement patterns and trunk control developed to a point where they were implicitly adaptive - so to integrate the change of direction was through adding an upper body movement. Another example is Dean Benton - who for one player that came to him from Rugby League at 104kg - struggled. Dean got him to 98kg - at 98kg was able to get around the field quicker and for longer than the opposition. He was clocked at 9.9m/s through GPS on field in games. If his weight went to 99kg he dropped 1m/s. In a game where beating a defender or getting into position to make a tackle can be defined by 10cm - pro rata'd an absolute speed drop of 1m/s is significant. He went from reserve grade Rugby League to International Rugby. The other point was - that at 104kg incredibly injury prone. At 98kg accept for 1 syndesmosis (High ankle Sprain) over a 3 year period was resilient. Another example which was presented at the recent RugbyAU Academy Conference. Both Benton - who is a proponent and John Pryor - the Wallabies Athletic Performance Coordinator (Who used it with Eddie Jones at Japan & with Fiji) - Stated the Kurtley Beale went into professional rugby fast and with superb agility only to after 12 months of traditional athletic performance training - to chronic hamstring issues, got slower and lost a lot of his agility. So it's interesting & the point you made also about the contrast training - and again I concur. The body adapts and learns from differences within execution. There isn't enough of this type of training for mine in Rugby. A strength session is a traditional strength session. A skills session is a skills session. A speed session is a speed session. A scrum session is a scrum session. The last point is interesting - because the static exertion needed for a scrum effort produces significant lactic acid, and it speaks to a point you made in the second comment. The ideal time to do specific lactate tolerance training for the forwards is in transition from a scrum to another action (defence/attack). But I haven't seen that done. A scrum session is an hour session of scrummaging. I was part of a study on this alone at University 20 years ago - where we measured lactates post scrum, post scrum and 2 minutes of game play. Normal game play without scrum. The lactate accumulation had a massive affect on movement ability and speed in the first 30s post scrum. Data was never written up as it was an undergraduate experiment. But again - that was 20 years ago. So mate that's awesome and enlightening. I hope your son goes well in Tokyo. Also Frosty - great kid. I'd already finished my last stint at the Brumbies when he started - but was still (at the time) based in their offices. I knew his Dad well years ago. He wrote the Try Rugby curriculum way back in 2001. I think we actually ran the first program at Gungahlin in 2002 - so I got to know his Dad quite well during that period. Comes from a really good family and he's an athlete - but nowhere near his athletic potential yet. If they can manage him well and he keeps working hard - could easily be a 100 test Wallaby. Interesting also that Steve's (his Dad) 'Try-Rugby' Curriculum has been rebadged about 10 times since that period. I think they call it now 'Get into Rugby'. But it's the same program/curriculum that Steve wrote and delivered 20 years ago :)
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
Can you please send this to all Australian super rugby teams esp the Reds and Waratahs..
jameswm
Roar Guru
By the way my oldest kid used to be good mates with Frosty - they went on athletics camps together. Frosty was very good at discus and for a big guy, even good at hurdles. Hence his surprising turn of speed on a rugby field.
jameswm
Roar Guru
This applies a lot to athletics too, Leahry: "Also by moving more efficiently, players lose less energy in terms of speed, power and can run faster for longer". In a 400, you call it speed reserve. If you want to go out in 22.0 for the first 200m of a 400m, there are 2 ways to improve your back end. One is get fitter of course. But the other often overlooked one is to improve your 200 speed. A 20.8 200m runner is going to find a 22.0 a lot more comfortable than a 21.3 runner. Running efficiency comes into it a lot too. One of them does 100-200-400 and sometimes hurdles and may get back to that. He was a good middle distance runner when younger, and 400 or 400mH will probably end up his best event (possibly 200), and they are brutal to train for. when he did 800, we trained a lot on running efficiency - a session called diagonals - in joggers on ideally a fake grass soccer pitch, stride out the diagonal at about 800m speed, turn left and jog the sideline, stride the diagonal and jog the baseline (just keep turning left or right), keep going till you're too fatigued and form drops off (20-30 mins if you're fit). Great session for running efficiently, the shorter intervals mean you run run at anaerobic speed without fatiguing too fast, the short recoveries (40sec) make it aerobic. Obviously adjust depending on the fitness level - front rowers may only do half the pitch. I also once heard a top Jamaican asked what their secret is for speed and acceleration - he said 3 things, sleds, sleds and sleds. And I like the contrast training too (30m sled followed by 40m sprint), which my boys do. The younger one is a different build and athlete (tall and light, but deceptively strong for his weight and age) - he is best at jumps but is also a state medallist over 100 & 200. His training is different - heaps of plyos, to add to the usual gym, acceleration, top speed, speed endurance etc that sprinters do. The athletes in their squad - they are incredible (compared to their body weight) at deads, cleans, squats (though usually only 1/4 squats because that's all they need). Right now they're in base - hills, steps, some hypertrophy in the gym (but not too much), except for the one going to Tokyo...
Nambawan
Roar Rookie
In his autobiography Mathew Ridge opined that Fulton was the best coach he had ever experienced in either union or league.
Leahry
Roar Rookie
Hey James, Interesting regarding your kids. Do you mind me asking what disciplines they compete in? The reason being is that we are and have been for some time coming to a tipping point in rugby in terms of Athletic Performance. Focus on improving ‘movement efficiency’ and running mechanics have shown to accelerate a whole range of skills in an agility based sports like rugby. Also by moving more efficiently, players lose less energy in terms of speed, power and can run faster for longer. While fatigue is always going to be an issue in Rugby due to the multivariate nature of the game. The more efficient players are through their movement patterns – the more options they have available to them, less risk of getting injured and they can do it for longer. So as mentioned – interested to hear what discipline your kids do and also more of your thoughts on this. Cheers
Leahry
Roar Rookie
I don’t disagree with any of that. Parling and McKellar have had similar raw line out statistics across Super Rugby since Parling started as the Rebels line out Coach. I also agree that line out systems in the Northern Hemisphere are significantly more sophisticated. At the end of the day, Dan was Rennie’s first choice as Forwards Coach last year - with Parling brought in at the last minute after McKellar pulled out when Peter Hewat unexpectedly quit the Brumbies. While I agree, I think he did a reasonable job, unfortunately he was only keeping the seat warm so to speak. In terms of the Wallabies return rate of 89% - unpacking that (and I haven’t had a look at it - I’m genuinely asking) - is that just raw line out wins or is there a qualitative measure applied to that. Knowing Dan, he would have presented that he could improve on that - but would have more than likely added a qualitative measure to it as well as a way of measuring technique. E.g. If off the top delivery was the ball delivered to the 10/first receiver on the front foot - not that the Brumbies did much off the top delivery. But even then - was the Maul able to be set up without disruption/ if they pulled back and delivered to a 1st receiver - did they receive the ball on the front foot/in space (depending on the option etc.). So given your relationship with Parling - would be interested to know if there was also a qualitative measure to it as well. In terms of - will he actually improve on last year’s retention rate - don’t know. As you say - last year’s raw rate was decent and I’d be interested to know how many of the 11% misses were due to throwing as that is an elephant in the room across all Australian provinces. They’re going to come up against a different beast this year in the Springboks - who will be battle hardened after the Lions series. If their selection is similar to that of the World Cup final - 5 players at 198cm or bigger (4 over 200) - that’s an inconsistent Thrower’ worst nightmare! As you say the selection and development of a 3rd Jumper (potentially also a 4th) is going to be crucial - as will all the technical elements leading to speed and accuracy across the Throw - Jump - Lift. Alan Alaalatoa & Taniela Tupou - I agree they’re not World Class yet? Dan won’t be directly coaching the scrum at the Wallabies and he hasn’t directly coached the scrum at the Brumbies since 2014. I don’t know the guy at the Wallabies - Dan will definitely be directing him in terms of fitting in with the overall Forwards ethos - but won’t be hands on with the Scrum. I can say that Alan’s scrummaging along with the Brumbies scrummaging in general dropped off over 2019 & 2020. They had a young scrum coach - that frankly needed to spend more time working on his coaching at a lower level. Dan Palmer came back for this year - but in the 2 years he wasn’t involved - the whole 8 got away with developing bad habits that while could (at times) get away with - particularly in the AU competition. Couldn’t against the Reds or any of the NZ teams and certainly won’t in the next level up. Also combine the fact that he (Alan) had a disrupted season - suspension - the Brumbies don’t have a great scrummaging hooker. Once Slipper was injured - very little support from that side of the scrum. Scotty Sio has been poor all year - again just being allowed to get away with bad habits. Frankly I’m surprised he is in the Wallabies Squad. In the second game against the Reds, Sio aligned on an angle in - which just played into Tupou’s hands. Young Lonergan is a great young player - but he’s under 100kg. A small hooker hurts the scrum. Faingaa has also fallen away massively over the past 2 years. Questions also over the back 5 scrummaging all (along with Alan’s scrummaging stagnating over 19’ & 20’) contribute to Alan’s issues this year in particular. Tupou - the reason that the previous Wallaby hierarchy rarely selected him to start is referee perception. If he starts and the referee already has it in his head that he is starting on the angle - the scrum is gone for the rest of the game. So I think that they will start with Alan with Taniela coming off the bench. The question will be - can they get the shifts in Alan’s technique, combined with better scrummaging loose head (Slipper) and Hooker (potentially Paenga-Amosa - but that hurts the line out) and actually getting the back 5 to scrummage better - will that be enough. Honestly don’t know. But that’s why they’re on the big bucks!
Leahry
Roar Rookie
Good points. Dan (Palmer) spent 2 years out of the program 2019 & 2020 while he was finishing his PhD and this really hurt the Brumbies scrum. The guy they appointed was a young coach with little experience accept for the fact that he was a professional player. He needed to cut his teeth longer in Club Rugby in my opinion – but wanted to be fast tracked. The Brumbies scrum and individual players within dropped standards and developed some bad habits during this period. Palmer came back this year – but there’s a reason that most Props in particular don’t hit their straps until their late 20’s early 30’s. Development takes a long time – there’s a lot of changing forces that have to managed. With Palm’s only just coming back this year – any real benefits from the renewed focus won’t really be seen until next year. But if what I’m hearing is correct – he’s been offered a Post Graduate position at Cambridge. If he takes that up – Brumbies scrum will be in a World of hurt. They will need to find someone of equal ilk and who has the attention to detail around body position and combined forces. They can’t afford to go an inexperienced coach in this area again. But that’s my view.
Leahry
Roar Rookie
JC - Laurie's been overseas a couple of times. As Head Coach of Munster under Tony McGahan (Director of Rugby) between 2008 & 2011 and Head Coach of Gloucester 2014 - 2017. When Laurie left the Brumbies in 2014 it was because he wanted to coach 'for another 10 years'. Wanted another overseas opportunity and felt that by taking that role was his best opportunity to do that. He's now into his 60's and if there wasn't an opportunity with the Wallabies post the next World Cup would think he would contemplate retiring. I don't have any intel on that and haven't spoken to Laurie in over 12 months - more just going off the comment he made in late 2014. When he was at Munster it was with his wife and family. However, when he took up the Gloucester role - his oldest daughter had just started University and I think his other two kids were still in high school. So his wife stayed in Australia. I do know that he found doing it without the family was difficult and part of the reason why he resigned from Gloucester in 2017 was because it was just too long away from family. He was actually offered the Forwards role with the Wallabies when Cheika took over in late 2014. But because he had already accepted and started in the Gloucester role - remained loyal. Laurie has pretty much gone from role to role since he first finished as the Brumbies Head Coach in 2008 without too much time off. The most time he had off from recollection was between Munster and the Brumbies under Jake White in 2011. That time allowed for some reflection, but also due to the people that Jake recruited/was advised to recruit (by Eddie Jones) between the time he got back and the start of the Brumbies pre-season in November there was a lot of time bouncing ideas off - Jake, Stephen (Larkham), Dean Benton, Aled Walters (who was South Africa's Head of Performance in the World Cup). Dean Benton also got guys in like Vern Gambetta (one of the World's best Athletic Performance Coaches) to facilitate with the Coaching group. After this period - Laurie coached as well as he ever has. This is essentially the point that I was alluding to in the article. Since 2011 he has again gone back to back for 10 years. If the Brumbies provide opportunity for the less experienced coaches to take on more responsibility, allowing Laurie to look from the outside in - and similar to 2011. I reckon (and again just my opinion) that will be enough to refresh him. Combine that with Dan coming back and the whole environment amenable to new opinions. That I think would set him up for a grand finale, and give him some new vigour - similar to that of 2011.
Leahry
Roar Rookie
Yep agree whole heartedly mate. I actually refer to your comment in a comment above. ...@GoldenEye points out in the comments below – which I agree with – is that the Brumbies did peak before covid and the title last year, plus the fact that COVID essentially hid them from the Kiwis (and South Africans for that matter) – bandaided some issues (some of which go back to 2019) with their game. Dan got big shifts early in his tenure which largely required himself and Laurie Fisher (who are two peas in the same pod) to drive that and be the loudest voices in the room. But for the Brumbies to move forward and for Dan to make the shifts he needs to place himself in the best position to be the next Wallaby Head coach – there has to be more debate and input from the expertise of the other coaches.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
When Tupou is in position to run they should give him the ball. Reds half-backs often throw the ball to smaller less damaging runners like Scott-Young and Wright when Tupou is in position to go. There is very little spontaneity in the Red's attack so using him as a decoy must be part of coach Thorn's plan.
savant
Roar Rookie
Great article. I wonder how the Brumbies maul will be affected next year after non Brumby Wallaby forwards return to their franchises and spill the beans on what McKellar has taught them about the maul! Will he give up their secrets for the country? The Brumbies scrum has really struggled this year without Slipper. AAA and Sio have been shadows of their former selves. How much of their success has been Palmer and how much was simply their previous form? On the subject of teachers, its often been said that a great teacher will get their pupil to stand on their shoulders. McKellar strikes me as having this same selfless approach. Wayne Bennett, for all his personality issues, has always managed to make his players the heroes. Brad Thorn on the other hand strikes me as one who will always remind his players how great he was, not how great they can become.
savant
Roar Rookie
Yeah I don't believe the Wallabies can afford to carry Tupou as a starter because of his low work rate. He might become a permanent bench option and has proven to be damaging there. AAA's loss of form in the scrum is a worry but his work rate is still bloody good. The door is open for a new tight head to raise his hand.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Thanks for another detailed article! Always good to hear the thoughts of someone with such a deep and rich background at a particular club... Some questions arising: Not much doubt Dan McKellar will improve the lineout drive (on both sides), but can he improve the WB lineout return? It was running at decent 89% retention rate at the end of the 2020 season under Geoff Parling - I was in conversation with him throughout that period. Dan will have to find and develop a third option from the likely back row, and I don't believe Australian lineout systems are as sophisticated as they are up North. Can we really call Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou world-class yet? They are very good, but given the observations from the two SR comps in 2021, there have to be serious doubts about AAA's work in the scrums, and Taniela's work rate outside it before they can lay claim to being in the top three globally?
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Aaron Smith is one to watch as a future coach, he has a lot of input now into the coaching and tactics at SR level. A champion player but one who is tactically aware and one who’s ethos is to work harder than the rest to be the best. I imagine he will move into coaching when he retires from playing and will be interesting to see how far he goes. I like McKellar and come across as a intelligent communicator. He does come across as he’s the boss. As someone who’s worked in a few countries I think Australia does have a good attitude to bosses being open to being challenged so hope Dan is open to this as well.
Goodbye NRC
Roar Rookie
Pretty spot on article, a great player does not translate to a great coach. There’s a special skill required to digest and impart knowledge to those you’re teaching. I sincerely hope this coaching group can turn the Wallaby fortunes around to become a team to be feared and respected when they run out onto the field.
JC
Roar Rookie
I'm no expert, ATW, but I'd imagine a good coach is, first of all, one who can establish a connection that allows both coach and player to come to some sort of agreement over what they're seeing in the mirror now -- and what they want to see in the mirror next month or year. That's probably the EQ bit, building trust, and then using that as a basis for development of technical and other skills. From the outside, it always looked like Robbie Deans was missing the connection bit, not helped by cultural differences. Cheika, on the other hand, was fantastic at connecting with his players, but lacking in other areas.