CATALANS DRAGONS head coach Steve McNamara linked up with Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the Super League club’s pre-season.
The French club are back in pre-season next week, though England pair Mike McMeeken and Tom Johnstone as well as the club’s oldest players – Michael McIlorum, Ben Garcia, Julian Bousquet and Manu Ma’ u – will link up later, according to L’Independant.
The French publication also revealed that McNamara and Pochettino had been picking each other’s brains last Thursday before the former met ex-England rugby union boss Stuart Lancaster at Racing 92.
McNamara told L’Independant: “I have a very good friend who works at Chelsea and who put me in touch with Pochettino. I know Lancaster who accepted me coming and I like to vary these experiences before diving into the season.”
Delving into other sports has become a more common idea amongst rugby league coaches in recent years, with Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet often swapping insights with Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney, whilst rugby union guru Shaun Edwards is a regular at Catalans training sessions.
Meanwhile, McNamara and the Dragons will be wanting to go one further in Super League 2024 after falling to a 10-2 defeat to the Wigan Warriors in the 2023 showpiece event at Old Trafford.
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