FORMER Bradford Bulls head coach Matthew Elliott has revealed that he has had coaching offers from Super League clubs to return.
Elliott made his name at Odsal between 1997 and 1999, coaching the Bulls to a Grand Final victory in 1997 as well as a Challenge Cup success in 2000.
Since leaving the club at the end of the 2000 Super League season, Elliott went on to coach Canberra Raiders, Penrith Panthers and New Zealand Warriors in the NRL but is now on the coaching staff at St George Illawarra Dragons.
Now the 58-year-old has explained his current role as well as revealing that he has been a wanted man in Super League in recent years to return as a head coach.
“At the Dragons I work four days a week in a mindset leadership and culture coordinator at the club,” Elliott told League Express.
“I’m really loving what I am doing so I would probably put it that way in terms of being a head coach again.
“I had some opportunities back over in the UK but I decided not to do it there. I’ve got a business here now and all that sort of stuff so I’m pretty entrenched here now.
“I got contacted about three years ago to join a club over there and there were a couple of other occasions before that but I’m not going to name the clubs.”
Being so well entrenched in both Super League and the NRL, Elliott understands both competitions well and has now explained the gulf between the two.
“I think it’s the quality of player with all due respect and I mean that in the nicest possible way,” Elliott continued.
“In the UK at a young age the most powerful athletes go into football. I’m not saying that is exclusively what happens and there is a reason for that.
“It is the national sport and there are a lot more rewards and opportunity whereas on the east coast of Australia, rugby league is the first stop. We get access to that and obviously maybe the lifestyle and being able to play footy outside all the time.
“I don’t mean the quality of players at the top of Super League I mean in the overall competition. So in Super League, the difference between the worst and best team is a lot different than in the NRL.”
