Guys,

This thread is to discuss Coaching Structures......

Do you think we should adopt a different setup in regards to how Rugby League Teams are Coached?

Currently, I believe, and I'm not an expert mind, some clubs have a Head Coach solely, a Head Coach and Assistant Coach, a Head Coach, an Assistant Coach and Academy Coach, etc etc....

Looking at the majority of British Coaches in our game, most of them were Forwards in their playing days. Some might say this is why Super League isn't as exciting as it used to be.

Do you think Clubs should adopt a structure, where you have a Head Coach who is responsible for the overall Coaching Setup, A Defensive Coach, A Halves Coach, A Kicking Coach, A Forwards Coach, A Wing/Centre Coach etc etc? basically recruit Coaches based on their unique playing skills? Or are you of the opinion this should be done at a Grass Roots level?

I could be wrong, but how can a Prop Forward coach attacking skills to a Scrum Half?

Please discuss...

P.S. Please don't let this become a "We all hate Mac Thread".

I think a coach for every position would probably have issues with cost for a start. I think also you could have a too many cooks kind of problem.

I know what you are saying in regards to cost. In regards to "Too Many Cooks", I can see your point, but how can a Prop Forward Coach attacking skills to a Halfback? Or Defensive Organisation Skills and Goal Line Defence to a Fullback or Positional Play to a Winger? Doesn't this strike you as odd? I see Wingers and Centres running the ball up the middle like a Forward though, and Halves taking on the line too much. I just want to know where this knowledge and experience is coming from when it doesn't exist in the Coaches Toolbox..

wane doesn't do bad.
its who you have around you as assistants and not being arrogant enough to believe only your opinon counts

Imo id have a Head Coach Assist Coach(Backs & Halves) Assist Coach (Pack) if neither of the aforementioned 3 have the credentials id have a kicking Coach aswell.
Then id have an Acadamy Director who oversaw U19's U16''s & U15's with 2 assists for each age group made up of snr/ex players who wanted to Coach.

Kris Radlinski will be pointing the Backs in the right direction (Attacking Wise) I suppose. But aren't Wigan still running the old Michael Maguire structures?

quite possibly. but my point being Williams has improved no end under wane

I like where your heads at. I was thinking the same. That way, you have the required Experience and Skills across the board. This also allows for retiring players to have a career path within a club if they 1. Have the ability and 2. The desire to move into Coaching.

Yeah I get that. He isn't afraid to take on the line and exploit poor defence. I wouldn't say he is a good organisational player though. This showed in the 4Nations. Plays well within the Structure at Wigan.

and that's the point. leeds have no structure, no leaders, no organisation. and that's why we will struggle like hell next season

Interesting topic. I don't think there is a best number of coaches to have, so I wouldn't go for a coach for this, and a coach for that. What I'd look for is a mix of skills (game management, defence, player skills, unpredictability, and motivational speaking) such that we had a "toolkit" that we could call upon depending on the situation.

At the moment I'd say we have the motivational speaking bit in McD, but not so much else. I'm not convinced by the other coaches, but don't really know enough about them to say really.

One area I'd set apart is the Academy, and I think that we should follow the concept Rhino-Mark outlined above. We should also have a defined playing style that all the team subscribe to, which embodies what the club think they are all about, a Vision for the company so to speak.

I think you need someone respected who can motivate the team and have the knowledge to build the team and choose a play style that suits the team best.

You then need some one with the playing skills and ability to teach those skills to the team, especially for the Hbs and spine players .

If you get that in one person great, if you need an assist coach, so be it. I prefer the latter as it adds a second voice, gives valuable training to possible future coachs

ATM, since Peacock and Sinfield we seem to have lost more than their playing skills but also the structure, leadership and play style we saw during the last few years.

Imo we are crying out for a Dunemann style player or one who could coach those skills into Lilley and Sutcliffe.

This. Why we moved away from something we did so right, just to suit someone else's power building I do not know. What a backwards move.

What coaching structure , at the moment we don't have one. That's why we finished up propping up the super league table .

Can't argue with that. We seemed to be hoping for a miracle play every time.

Head of Rugby
Head Coach
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach

Head of Academy
Academy Head Coach
Assistant Coach - U19s
Assistant Coach - U16s

Head of Performance
Player Performance Analyst - 1st
Player Perfrormance Analyst - Academy

Head of Strength and Conditioning
S & C Analyst - 1st
S & C Analyst - Academy

Etc.

I don't think there's a set answer to this, but it is about having a range of skills in the back room staff. If you look at Wigan they have Wane, but IMO they played better rugby with Deacon as an assistant.

Not entirely relatable but I used to play in the forwards and when I've took up age group coaching there are some stuff that scared me to death, like kicking, until I found someone to involve who had this as part of his skill set.

But that's not to say that's always the case, good coaches not only put the right people, but they also can always learn themselves. Ryan hall gives a lot of credit to Bluey (a former half) for teaching him how to attack a ball in the air both to have a chance at scoring or feed a support player.

You can often get too caught up in a coach's former position to form an opinion on him.....note Morley's appointment.

Graham Murray at Leeds was famed for his aggressive pack but what position did he play? In the halves.

Would you say the best bit of Tony Smith as a coach is the centres? I wouldn't.

Assuming nothing has changed since I was last at Kirstall These are the people I can name off the top of my head as the clus has loads of coaches and assistant S C and Phsios.

I really dont see the point of this threads attack on lack of structure

Head Coach Mcdermott
Assistant Coach Chris Plume
Assistant Coach Barry Eaton

Head of Academy Simon Bell
Academy Head Coach Adrian Morley
Assistant Coach - U19s Johnny Wainhouse
Head Coach - U16s Mark Butrill
Assistant Coach - U16s Martin Wood
Head Coach U15s Dan Cooke
Assistant Coach - U15s Steve Hill

Head of Performance
Player Performance Analyst - 1st James Bletsoe
Player Perfrormance Analyst - Academy there is one cant remember name

Head of Strength and Conditioning
S & C Analyst - 1st Ian Kirke
S & C Analyst - Academy Ben Jones

Two many cooks

because there's none on the field. it's a shambles

Oh and there was me thinking with a thread title Coaching Structure we were talking about Coaching my bad, unless you mean Leeds are so poor they need n under 7s style coach on the field aswell

We are talking about our Coaching structure but writing a list of names nest to job descriptions doesn't show or prove a "structure" & given that we don't have one ON the field either id say it's failing from top to bottom.

Ok break it down

The list of names in my opinion does show there is a structure in place at Leeds, What I would question is it effective.

I'm not a Leeds fan so wont comment on the first team as I don't see them enough, I do have a connection with the 16s and can categorically say its one of if not the best.

The scholar coaches the SC team work incredibly hard and Mark Butrill has the respect of all the player( something I'm not sure Brian Mac does)