We might be just over a month into the season, but already, the futures of several coaches are already in question.
For Keiron Cunningham, Brian McDermott, Tony Smith and Denis Betts, their job security has already been discussed after differing starts to the season.
But what fans always seem to forget when calling for the heads of certain coaches is considering the potential replacements. Nevertheless, Garry Schofield was on hand to highlight the talents of some coaches currently not plying their trade in Super League while writing for his latest column, ‘Pulling No Punches’.
But which of these coaches would you most like to see in Super League? Cast your vote below.
Andrew Henderson
The current London Broncos head coach has done a great job at the Championship clubs since taking over in 2015.
He turned them from a club on a downward spiral to one that is currently flying in the top four of the Championship after last year’s second place finish.
All the while, he has achieved that while playing an expansive, exciting style of rugby.
Steve McNamara
The former England head coach is currently the assistant at New Zealand Warriors.
Highly rated as a coach Down Under, he was linked with the Hull Kingston Rovers job last year, and he could be tempted to return somewhere down the line.
Geoff Toovey
The fact that the Rugby League world was amazed at Toovey’s appointment earlier this year speaks volumes at his reputation.
Toovey is a Super League calibre coach who did a sound job at Manly, and would have an impact at most clubs in Super League.
Tony Smith
Not the Warrington coach, the former Wakefield chief who was sacked in 2006.
He hasn’t been seen in the game too much since, but Daryl Powell went a similar path following his departure from Leeds, but his season hasn’t gone too badly since.
Richard Agar
The current Warrington Wolves assistant had a tough time of things during his tenure at Hull FC, but the fact that a man of Tony Smith’s reputation saw enough in him to make him his assistant suggests he has sound coaching credentials.
He’s still young, and with additional experience under his belt, he may be far better equipped to succeed.
Paul Rowley
Rowley was consistently named as one of the favourites for vacant Super League positions last year.
It’s easy to understand why – he played a monumental role in Leigh’s eventual path to Super League and played a superb brand of rugby.
He hasn’t coached in Super League yet, but if it doesn’t happen with Toronto, it will likely happen at some point in the future.
Paul Cooke
The former Hull FC and Hull KR halfback took over Leigh’s attacking coaching midway through last year, and there was an evident improvement.
Beyond that, Cooke did wonders with Doncaster in 2014, taking them to the top half of the Championship, which far exceeded expectations.
He has a good reputation and will likely make the transition to a head coach role in the future.
Ivan Cleary
Cleary is currently out of a job, but has a decent reputation in Australia after doing a sound job at Penrith.
Others, such as Trent Robinson and Michael Maguire have learned their craft in Super League before returning Down Under, Could Cleary be the next?
