England coach - ? Brian McDermott or Steve McNamara

Dozen Wicked Words

A lot of Quins fans would actually be happy to see him go. I'm not sure either way with our recent form but what do people think of the idea of him as national coach?


Link to article in The Guardian

The first points to make about the search for the new England coach are that it has been thorough, and surprisingly leak-free. It is almost five months since Tony Smith resigned following the defeat by Australia in the final of the Gillette Four Nations series and the Rugby Football League officials who have taken charge of the process of finding a successor – the chief executive, Nigel Wood, the performance director, John Roberts, and the former dual code international B-J Mather – have done so with impressive discretion.

There were a couple of early stories linking John Kear and Shaun McRae to the job, which appear to have been well wide of the mark, and it was only in late March that the League Express newspaper came up with a credible list of four British-based contenders who had been interviewed – Richard Agar, Brian McDermott, Denis Betts and Steve McNamara, the favourite.

Of those four, Agar has effectively ruled himself out by agreeing a new extended contract with Hull, and Betts must remain a long shot after almost four years out of the game. That leaves the two Macs, former team-mates with Bradford Bulls at the start of the Super League era, neither of whom would set pulses racing given their lack of form on the board.

McNamara's reputation with supporters, if not necessarily with players and other coaches, has been tarnished by his association with the steep decline Bradford have suffered since he succeeded Brian Noble in the spring of 2006. And McDermott has been powerless to prevent an injury-riddled Harlequins squad slumping to the bottom of the Super League table this season.

So the RFL can expect a combination of apathy and mockery if their lengthy search for the man to lead England to success in the next World Cup on home territory in 2013 ends with either of these contrasting Yorkshiremen – the amiable McNamara, or the confrontational McDermott, a former heavyweight boxer and Royal Marine.

That is not to say they would be bad appointments. McNamara has long been rated a coach of great potential by both Smith, who moved quickly to appoint him as an assistant and therefore potential successor when he took on the England job in 2007, and by his elder brother Brian, formerly of Bradford and Hull, and now with the Sydney Roosters.

McDermott also worked alongside Smith at Leeds before taking the Harlequins job four years ago, and made a big impression on the Rhinos players – including Jamie Peacock, the England captain. He has since made an immense contribution to rugby league development in London and the south, despite the current stick he is receiving from the Quins supporters whose expectations have been distorted by years of high-profile overseas signings that the club could not afford.

But if, as we're all assuming, the RFL has settled on either McNamara or McDermott for the full-time England role, they really could do with pulling a rabbit from their hat in terms of a high-profile assistant. There is no guarantee that copying the combination that worked so well for New Zealand at the 2008 World Cup – when Stephen Kearney, the former Kiwi forward, was given the job despite his lack of head-coaching experience with the Brisbane Broncos guru Wayne Bennett in an advisory role – would prove the perfect fit for England.

Recent well-sourced rumours that Wood has made a couple of secret trips to Sydney in the last few months would suggest that the RFL are keen to give it a go. The lack of leaks from that side of the operation could be interpreted as encouraging evidence that the famously discreet Bennett, who would surely have been England's first-choice old head, has been tempted to complete the full set of major international league teams.

Certainly he was the first name suggested to me back in November, as part of a dream team with either McNamara or McDermott, and he will surely have been approached. Melbourne's Craig Bellamy would be an equally attractive option, although his State of Origin commitments with New South Wales would probably rule him out, and other names that have cropped up in dispatches are Warren Ryan and Phil Gould, a couple of deep-thinking former coaches currently working in the media.

Even Malcolm Reilly, the coach who led Great Britain back to international credibility in the late 80s and early 90s before emigrating to Australia, has been mentioned in the last couple of weeks, mainly because he is rumoured to be heading back to Yorkshire. But nobody really knows, which sets the scene nicely for the announcement, expected early next week.

For what it's worth – and in this case, that's even less than usual – I heard a couple of pieces of circumstantial evidence back in February that McDermott would be the main man, and I rather hope he is as he would certainly be his own man. As for his sage? We probably shouldn't get our hopes up as the chance to lead England out of the international wilderness would probably be seen as a poisoned chalice rather than a dream opportunity by the majority of major Australian contenders. But like you, I'm looking forward to finding out.

Paul Tergat

Please take McNamara from the Bulls. Please!

toomevara

I think McDermott would do the better job, I don't put Quins travails this season down much to him at all. MacNamara would be hopelessly out of his depth. Personally I'd fancy Kear, but seems to be a non starter.

actua11

If it has to comes down to these two, you'd have to think McDermott would do the better job. The reason I don't think it'll be him is McNamara's good work as an assistant to the national side would make him seem to be suited for the international game.

Personally I like to see Brian Noble take the job but eh....not very likely!

Stev_o

MacNamara would be hilarious, just to see how bad England could actually get.

toomevara

Stev_o wrote: »

MacNamara would be hilarious, just to see how bad England could actually get.

Well, the (totally unconfirmed) rumour round these parts this weekend is that MacNamara is virtually a done deal......

AdeT

toomevara wrote: »

Well, the (totally unconfirmed) rumour round these parts this weekend is that MacNamara is virtually a done deal......

heard the very same a few days ago. League Express reckons it's MacNamara plus Brian Smith as a "mentor" a la Kearney & Bennett @ NZRL.

Brian Smith's well recognised as one of the very best going. I read a list somewhere about a year ago of coaches currently working in SL & NRL who learned their trade under him and another handful of players who played under him and went on to be first-grade coaches. If I find it I'll post it up...

toomevara

This from sky sports today;

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_6089425,00.html

toomevara

It's McNamara....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/apr/19/steve-mcnamara-england-bradford-bulls

Paul Tergat

Good, his contract with Bradford is ending in November so will be getting a new coach for the next season

toomevara

p_larkin99 wrote: »

Good, his contract with Bradford is ending in November so will be getting a new coach for the next season

Hmm I don't know 5th in the league and going well...better the devil you know? Who's being talked about as successor? ...and while we're on the subject of coaches, will Matterson see out the season at Cas?

WakeyTyke

toomevara wrote: »

Hmm I don't know 5th in the league and going well...better the devil you know? Who's being talked about as successor? ...and while we're on the subject of coaches, will Matterson see out the season at Cas?

Think the Bull's league position is flattering to them and is down more to Steve Menzies and Matt Orford of late than McNamara's abilities as a coach. If Menzies was prepared to commit to staying in England I could well see him being offered the job.

In respect of Matterson he will see the season out for no other reason than Cas can't afford to terminate his contract.

toomevara

WakeyTyke wrote: »

In respect of Matterson he will see the season out for no other reason than Cas can't afford to terminate his contract.

Tend to agree, it also appears that Cronulla are sounding out Nathan Brown, much to the dismay of Giants fans...