Dean Muir has stepped up from the National Conference League to coach Hunslet in League One, and his aim is to help his new club make the step up to the Championship, writes LOUIS CHAPMAN-COOMBE.
THE RHINOS might dominate the rugby league landscape in the city of Leeds but hidden away in the suburbs is a sleeping giant.
Hunslet FC were a dominant force in the early days of the breakaway Northern Union, and quickly became one of the most decorated clubs in British rugby league. They were crowned First Division champions on three occasions, and at the peak of their powers held all four cups. Despite this, though, things quickly turned sour.
Following the sale of Parkside, the initial club was disbanded; but out of the ashes rose Phoenix club Hunslet RLFC.
Since starting anew, the club have been stuck in the lower divisions; but things are looking up once more.
The South Leeds outfit finished second in League One in 2023 and will be looking to again challenge for promotion this season, despite facing competition from Championship-ready Keighley Cougars and Oldham.
The man charged with taking them to the promised land is Dean Muir. Muir was head coach at National Conference League side West Bowling ARLFC last year, and took the reins at Hunslet following the departure of Alan Kilshaw to Swinton.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been outstanding so far,” Muir told Rugby League World just days before penning a new two-year deal with the club.
“Hunslet is a massive club. Historically, they’ve always been really successful, and they’ve strived to get somewhere close to that. The board have realistic expectations, and they’re honest; that’s the best thing, they’re honest.
“We always have conversations, we’re constantly in meetings, nothing’s ever hidden from the playing group, the staff, the volunteers or the fans; everything is really open and everybody knows where we want to go.”
Muir has had experience coaching as an assistant at Keighley, however West Bowling was his first ever time running the show, and he has continued to do so now with Hunslet.
The change between being an assistant and a head coach can be a tough transition, however Muir is really leaning on those around him to become a better all-round boss.
“You feel all the pressure [as a head coach],” he said. “That’s something that everybody will tell you going into it, but you don’t realise how much you feel it.”
He added: “You’ve got to adapt to what your assistant’s capabilities are and what they have. You’ve got to really trust the team around you, like your assistants, your strength and conditioning coaches, your physios; and you’re probably only as good as the people you surround yourself with.
“I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve had Jacko (Ryan Jackson) and Jordan Fentiman. We can’t forget though, we’re still learning. We’re still getting better and if we’re not getting better every week, the players aren’t getting better every week.”
Since Muir’s arrival, this open and honest culture is clearly putting Hunslet in a good position. Going into the round fourteen clash with top of the table Oldham, they sat fourth in the League One table, four points off the leaders.
The South Leeds outfit are also enjoying some glorious form, losing just once since their heavy 62-0 home defeat to Oldham back in April.
This run is equally more impressive considering they have beaten fellow promotion hopefuls Keighley Cougars, North Wales Crusaders and a resurgent Midlands Hurricanes side too.
“We sat down, and we reflected early on how we plan, what process it is, how our training structure was looking and what feedback to give the players; but we were quite brutal with each other. That’s one of Jacko’s biggest strengths. He is very, very honest and he’ll have that difficult conversation with you face-to-face and he will say things as they are.
“I really appreciate that. I think it’s made me a better head coach. I think it’s created a good environment, and the environment that we’ve got at the minute is that honest one. We’re trying to create a culture that reflects what Hunslet is, and to do that we’ve had to make some changes.
“I was fortunate that I was left a good starting point by Alan Kilshaw; but I’m just looking to take that and put my own culture in place and how that works and what it looks like to make sure that we try and push to get into the Championship.”
Promotion is very much at the forefront of Muir’s mind, and with the new changes coming into the lower tiers from next season, it gives them something to properly aim for.
From 2025, promotion to the Championship will come via a new Super 8s-style system, where the bottom half of the table mix in with the top half of League One to book a spot in the second-tier regular season.
Commenting on the new systems, Muir said: “You’ve got to finish in the top four (of League One) to get in that middle eight. Understanding what we need to do each year is really important for League One and Championship clubs.
“What I’m really excited about is we can plan now. We know what we need to achieve, not just this year but next year and the year after. We need to make sure we’re challenging and playing championship teams. If we do manage to get into that middle eight it’s then how do we get into the top four of the middle eight’s to stay in the championship at the start of that following season.”
Building up to Championship level could be a hard task, however the quality of League One this season could be a huge stepping stone. Big spending Oldham and Keighley are building Championship ready squads, and even below that the league is becoming much more competitive.
“I think League One is much stronger this year,” Muir detailed. “Anybody can beat anybody on the day. Look at our games against Workington, they came to us earlier in the season and they beat us, and then we went there and beat them.
“We’ve just got to make sure that on our day, we’re giving it our best to make sure that we go and put a performance in that we’re proud of, and I know if we’re proud of that, we’ll get a result.”
Promotion back to the Championship remains a big aim for Hunslet, and under Muir it appears a realistic target.
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 498 (July 2024)
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