IN my first column of 2023, I picked out some individuals and organisations who I thought were likely to be under great pressure last year.
I focused first on Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles, predicting that he would be under great pressure to get his club back into Super League for 2024, given that France would be hosting the World Cup the following year.
Of course Houles fell at the final hurdle when Toulouse were beaten by London Broncos in the Championship Grand Final at the Stade Ernest Wallon.
But what I hadn’t anticipated was the decision by the French Rugby League to pull out of hosting the 2025 World Cup, which is still having reverberations today, with the tournament having been put back a year and no indication yet where it is likely to be held.
“But Houles won’t necessarily be under the most pressure,” I wrote.
Instead I turned the spotlight on Daryl Powell, who had been newly appointed at Warrington in 2022 after nine seasons of success at Castleford. Daryl had looked like a great appointment at the time, but that year he led them to a previously unthinkable eleventh place in the final Super League table.
“Powell will surely need to get his team off to a good start in the first ten games of the new season if he is to be confident of retaining his position,” I wrote.
Sure enough the Wolves won their first eight games of the new season, losing their next two games to Wigan and St Helens, but sitting joint-top of the league with Wigan after ten matches.
Daryl’s position could hardly have looked more secure.
They won their next three games, including a Challenge Cup visit to the Catalans Dragons, before everything suddenly fell apart in a shocking way, with Warrington scraping only one narrow win against Huddersfield in their next nine matches, concluding with a 42-6 shocker at Wakefield at the end of July, after which Daryl was sacked.
Daryl is now back in the saddle at Wakefield, where I’m sure he will restore his reputation, despite the pressure that he will be under once again.
Last year I also singled out Leigh coach Adrian Lam as a man under pressure, pointing out that he “has to do what his predecessors at Leigh notably failed to do, which is keep the Leopards, as they are now called, in Super League at the end of the season.
“And the club’s owner Derek Beaumont, having changed the identity of the club during the close-season, will also no doubt feel under pressure to justify that decision, hopefully with increased support and commercial income.”
It’s fair to say that Adrian and Derek not only dealt with that pressure, but far exceeded expectations, winning the Challenge Cup for the first time in 52 years.
It was an extraordinary achievement and in my view Derek and Adrian have been a great double act and they deserve the title of the joint Rugby League Men of the Year for 2023.
What now for IMG?
Still on the subject of individuals or organisations under pressure, last year I wrote, “There will surely be pressure on IMG as the year unfolds to demonstrate that they have some great ideas for Rugby League. Let’s hope they have!”
So what is the evidence that they have? I’m not sure there is much.
They have created the grading system, whereby it now seems more important to win grading points rather than league points. If that’s a step forward, then I’m afraid the logic completely eludes me.
They have also given the clubs some tuition on how to improve their digital connections with supporters although I also have mixed feelings about that, as the clubs seek to generate more income from their existing fans rather than seeking out new ones.
And we have seen the value of Rugby League’s broadcasting deal decline significantly.
I’m afraid that for me the jury is still out on the wisdom of appointing IMG as the RFL’s partner.
I hope that by this time next year, I will have a much more positive view of their contribution to Rugby League.
