NEWCASTLE THUNDER team chief Graham Steadman believes every day’s a school day as he combines leading the north-east club’s bid to make the Championship top-ten play-offs with his work in Super League at partner side York.
The 64-year-old former Great Britain fullback has a quarter of a century of coaching experience on his extensive CV, coming after a decorated playing career which began in earnest in the minster city, and also took in Featherstone, Castleford and the old Gold Coast Chargers in Australia.
Former Castleford boss Steadman could be forgiven for thinking he has seen most things which can be throw up by rugby – either code since has has made a string of coaching forays at international and varied club level into union, the game he started off playing at hometown club Knottingley.
But not a bit of it. He wants to keep on learning, and says his current roles give him a great opportunity to do that.
It’s coming up to a year since he was installed by Thunder after they became part of a three-way ‘high performance and pathways’ link-up with York and NRL giants Penrith Panthers.
Steadman, who had worked for rugby union club Newcastle Falcons in the past, took the Thunder reins in succession to Chris Thorman, who joined Mark Applegarth’s staff at York.
He has since transformed them from strugglers on a shoestring to second-tier contenders, and says it’s a journey he has enjoyed.
“I’ve always been about development, clubs, players and myself, and I have learnt a lot since coming here,” he explained.
“With the situation when I was appointed, there were challenges I hadn’t faced before, and working with Mark and Chris at York has opened me up to new ideas and methods, which has been great.”