OLDHAM’S managing director, Mike Ford, has revealed that he was rejected by two Super League clubs to become head coach before leaving for rugby union in the early 200s.
Ford left Oldham as head coach in January 2002 after an illustrious playing career to become defensive co-ordinator of Ireland and stayed for four seasons, winning a triple crown and helping guide Ireland to third in the world rankings.
After that, Ford held posts at Saracens, Leeds and eventually Bath where he became head coach – and now he has explained why he took the job at Ireland despite his rugby league pedigree.
“Do you know why I went to rugby union? I had gone for two Super League jobs – I had gone for the Huddersfield Giants job when Tony Smith got the job and then when Darryl van der Velde left Warrington,” Ford said on The League Express podcast.
“I got an interview for the Warrington job and they ended up giving it to David Plange and an Australian as a joint job.
“When you ask for feedback they said I wasn’t experienced enough, but how do you get experience at a Super League club? You probably have to become an assistant first.
“I thought I would go to Ireland rugby union, I’d go and do a Six Nations, tour New Zealand and go and coach Brian O’Driscoll and Keith Wood and then come back to rugby league and say ‘I’ve coached these international players’.
“At the time, Brian Noble was coaching Bradford and he asked me to go back as an assistant there and when Shaun McRae was at Hull, he asked me to do the same.
“But the wages were so different between me being an assistant coach for Ireland and Bradford. I couldn’t justify going back.”
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