Departing Eels coach Brad Arthur publicly thanked fullback and team leader Clint Gutherson for his efforts during his time at the Eels.
This was a fitting tribute for King Gutho who Arthur leaned on more than any other player during his 11-year tenure with the Eels.
Gutho is a very “coachable” player and Arthur’s comment provoked in my mind the question of how important the quality of “coachability” is for NRL players.
Is it a more important attribute than inherent talent or speed or ball skills, noting of course that these attributes are not mutually exclusive to coachability?
Being a coachable player means you are open to mentoring, instruction and improvement. It involves respect for the coach’s time and receptiveness to feedback.
It also conveys a willingness to sacrifice the self for the team and to put your body on the line for the cause- to do the one percenters.
Further, an ability to follow a game plan, and avoid off-field discretions, ill-discipline, foul play and penalties are also part of coachability.
Any player who can make the maximum contribution with minimal coaching effort is highly valued in any squad.
Brian To’o, scoring in the corner. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Some of the greatest sportspersons are the most coachable. No less a sportsman than Michael Jordan said that his greatest skill was that he was coachable.
A good coach can coach players with a low coachability factor, and a great coach can coach “uncoachable” players. The exemplar of the NRL coach who has tamed headstrong and loose players is Wayne Bennett.
There are dozens of troubled and troublesome players whom Bennett taught discipline and self-improvement over his long career.
Other coaches do better with more coachable players and can struggle with players who need more active or bespoke management.
Madge, Michael Maguire, rightly or wrongly, has been labelled such a coach.
Penrith presents as a team of highly coachable players. Discipline lapses are minimal.
Game plans are well executed and there are only a small number of players who appear hard to coach in the 2020 to 2024 team, but perhaps this is the result of Ivan Cleary’s impressive coaching.
Coachability also encompasses an undefinable X-factor that draws a coach to look to certain players to lift the team, change the tempo or correct the course.
Some of these players have only middling skills or inherent talent but are key members of any high-performing squad.
Such players bring smiles to a coach’s face, are often the first players picked, and provide more pleasure than pain.
It’s acceptable to have a few loose units in the team with a low coachability score as long as there are enough coachable players to maintain equilibrium.
Indeed, spontaneous ad-lib players with a maverick streak or unorthodox playing style can win games by themselves and bring the crowd to life. It takes a mix to make a winning team.
My current most coachable NRL team is:
Clint Gutherson
Brian To’o
Valentine Holmes
Joseph Manu
Xavier Coates
Tom Dearden
Nathan Cleary
Lindsay Collins
Cam McInnes
Tino Faásuamaleaui
Cam Murray
Pat Carrigan
Isaah Yeo
Reserves:
Harry Grant
Alex Johnston
Tohu Harris
Dylan Edwards
Tom Trbojevic
Jake Trbojevic
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