
Welcome to the nominations for the inaugural League Express Coach of the Month award!
Each month, we’ll be nominating four coaches from across the professional game, with an attempt made to pick at least one candidate from each of the sport’s three professional leagues. Then, we’ll throw the voting out to you for 24 hours on Twitter (you can follow us @LeagueExpress), where we’ll ask you to pick your winner. Here, without further ado, are the nominations for May:
Richard Marshall (Halifax)
It’s been a phenomenal month for Halifax, and their charge into the Championship’s top four has been led by the outstanding work done by Richard Marshall. Fax were unbeaten throughout the month of May, claiming five points from six games to move above a number of their rivals in the race for the Qualifiers. Can they defy the odds again?
Results: 24-18 v Featherstone, 22-22 v Dewsbury, 42-6 v Sheffield
Scott Naylor (Oldham)
Oldham are in the midst of a six-game winning sequence right now – with three of those coming throughout the month of May as they solidified themselves in the League 1 promotion race. The biggest of those three wins was a huge victory against top-five chasing Newcastle – and again, Scott Naylor deserves credit for the work he’s doing with Roughyeds.
Results: 28-12 v Newcastle, 74-6 v Hemel, 74-0 v West Wales
Chris Thorman (Huddersfield)
Granted, Simon Woolford’s name could be attached to this month’s award – but Chris Thorman deserves his share of the credit for not only steadying the ship while Woolford waited on his visa, but helping Huddersfield into the top eight in Super League, too. They not only won all three league games in May, but they knocked Wakefield out of the Challenge Cup, too.
Results: 28-18 v Widnes, 25-22 v Wakefield, 24-16 v Salford, 24-14 v Wakefield (Challenge Cup)
Justin Holbrook (St Helens)
The Saints’ march at the top of Super League goes on – and coach Justin Holbrook continues to mastermind a revolution at the Totally Wicked Stadium. Twice winners at Castleford in the space of a fortnight – they only lost twice at home all last season – plus wins against Catalans and Widnes have Holbrook in the running for this month’s award on merit.
Results: 26-12 v Catalans, 38-18 v Widnes, 40-18 v Castleford, 36-18 v Castleford (Challenge Cup)
Who wins? That’s up to you – you’ve got until 12pm on Thursday to cast your vote! Click here.
Here are the four nominations:
Richard Marshall (@Halifax_RLFC)
Scott Naylor (@Roughyeds)
Chris Thorman (@Giantsrl)
Justin Holbrook (@Saints1890)Voting is open until 12pm tomorrow!
— League Express (@leagueexpress) June 6, 2018