Coaches do the hard yards
January 1, 2007

Eight NRL coaches start 2007 with a clean slate, writes Glenn Jackson.

THE coaching merry-go-round has been swung. So, after the first stage of the off-season, with eight new coaches at the helm of clubs, how does your team fare?

Canberra
The coach: Neil Henry

Henry has the body of a first-year coach but the brain of a 10-year veteran, according to halfback Lincoln Withers. A rookie in rank only.

"No one here looks at him as a first-year coach," Withers said. "He had a lot to do with the Cowboys, he's been in Origin, and he's taken a bit from everyone. It feels like he's been around for years."

For a former Canberra resident, the move from tropical Townsville to the nippy nation's capital won't be so hard. But Henry's move will be a "change-up" for the players, too.

"With a new coach, there's a new feeling," Withers said. "Neil and Matthew [Elliott] are probably the same with attitude. We don't have the best players, but in attitude, training-wise, the standards they've had is high. If you see a good price, get on us."

Cronulla
The coach: Ricky Stuart

Second-rower Paul Gallen has heard all the stories; the intensity and the incendiary nature of Stuart. And they're all pretty much true.

"Everything he does is intense," Gallen said. "Whether he's playing table tennis or doing weights, he's always competing. It's full-on."

It's already led to some split heads on the training paddock for the Shire boys.

"The training we've done is the hardest I've ever been involved in," Gallen said. "Training's not any longer or any shorter, but the intensity's doubled.

"We've even been practising our kick-offs. In my whole career, I've never done that."

Stuart has already foreshadowed bringing his renowned defensive strategies to the club. "The Roosters were a side other teams didn't want to play," Gallen said. "He's trying to bring that to Cronulla."

Gold Coast
The coach: John Cartwright

New franchise, new colours, new team, so it's only natural a new coach has been added to the mix on the Gold Coast.

Cartwright is a rookie coach but, according to Luke Bailey, has taken enough out of stints under Ricky Stuart and Phil Gould at club and Origin level to ensure he comes with experience and cool head on those broad ex-prop's shoulders. "He's done his time under Gus and Sticky and it makes him pretty knowledgeable," Bailey said. "It's rubbed off on him quite a bit."

And Cartwright isn't afraid to ask his players for ideas.

"With some coaches, what they say goes, but he's pretty flexible," Bailey said. "That's a good thing for a new club. There's 25 players from different clubs after all."

Newcastle
The coach: Brian Smith

There's no BS when it comes to BS.

"It's been great," hooker Danny Buderus said. "We've had to learn it all again.

"It's a fresh change for everyone, a different perspective. Everyone's on their toes. Everyone's got to fight for a position. That's only going to be healthy."

Smith has already put some significant systems in place. Gone are the entertainers - the coach has made it his priority to add some defensive steel to the steel city.

"He's almost had 25 years of coaching," Buderus said. "He should have won a couple of grand finals in that time. Hopefully we can help him get one."

Parramatta
The coach: Michael Hagan

Some of the Sydney-to-Hobart yachts could have done with the ease of transition with which Michael Hagan has settled into the hot seat at Parramatta.

"It's smooth sailing so far," hooker Mark Riddell said. "There really hasn't been a huge amount of change. Hages and David Fairleigh have more just fitted in with what we were doing previously."

With Brian Smith at the club for 10 years, Riddell said the change had given the players, especially the long-term Eels such as Nathan Cayless and Nathan Hindmarsh, a fresh outlook.

Penrith
The coach: Matthew Elliott

The roar you heard at the foot of the Blue Mountains may not have been the Lithgow Panther - it may well have been Luke Priddis having a chunder.

"I'll put my hand up; I had a chunder the first week back," Priddis said. "He's taken a lot of blokes out of their comfort zone. We did the same thing for five years under Langy [former coach John Lang]. There's a new crew, and a totally new approach.

"There's a different way how we've been doing weights, and combining it with cardio. We've done some different fitness training, and on the field's going to be completely different to what we've been used to.

"We've come a long way with Langy. We won a premiership, but we probably stagnated those last two years. We want to be in contention every year. Hopefully, Matty can take us to that next level."

Souths
The coach: Jason Taylor

Back to training meant back to school for Souths.

With a new owner, new facilities, a vastly different playing roster as well as new coach in Taylor, there has been a new approach.

"We've just started from scratch," said prop Peter Cusack. "It's been back to basics - play-the-ball, passing. There's been a lot of emphasis on defensive technique.

"We've got a base, and we'll just go from there."

Cusack has marvelled at Taylor's hours - in before 7am training and out well after the last group. And he described Taylor as a "hands-on coach", as you'd expect from someone who had his hands on the ball for so long as a halfback.

"If something's not right, he'll pull you up and show you," Cusack said. "He's certainly not a rookie coach. He did play the game for 15 years."

Sydney Roosters
The coach: Chris Anderson

Anderson has a presence, and wherever he lays his hat, he generally makes it felt.

His rebirth at the Roosters has shown exactly that, where his could be described as, well, silent but deadly.

The Roosters spent the early summer months concentrating on fitness, strength and defensive structure, and generally "training our ****s off".

"Obviously, his presence is there," hooker Craig Wing said. "He's always there, watching how everyone's going, who deserves a spot. He's not in your face, he's not talking all the time. He's got his views on how things should be done, and he's good at getting his points across.

"He's a straight shooter. He calls it as he sees it. And I've got to say, he's pretty much picked up from where he left off. It doesn't seem like he's been away."

Source: SMH