Journalist Brent Read joins NRL Daily hosts John Gibbs and Joel Caine for our weekly ‘Voice of Reason’ segment to debate the pros and cons of this coaching conundrum amid speculation NSW Origin coach Ricky Stuart could be setting his sights on re-taking the reins of an NRL club in the near future.
“It should be a standalone job definitely,” says Gibbsy. “There’s no way he could put in as much effort (for NSW) if he was looking after a club.”
Joel agrees that coaching at both state and club level would have its distractions, but states that if they are prepared to take on both roles then they should be encouraged.
It is the money side of things that raises concerns for Joel. “Origin coaches should be paid just as much as club coaches. What Mal and Ricky have done for the game is massive,” he says.
Setting aside the emotional and financial side of the debate, Brent Read imparts a more pragmatic approach. “There should be structures implemented that allow a person like Trent Barrett, Brad Fittler, or Laurie Daley to be the NSW fulltime coach/manager,” Read says. “Ricky Stuart should be able to come into camp as the head coach with the specific role of coaching the team for gameday.”
Which side of the fence do you sit on? Watch NRL Daily at 7pm on NRL.com to catch the debate.
Also on today’s show Sharks utility Wade Graham phones the studio to talk about the Round 17 match against the Broncos, filling in for Paul Gallen and the rebirth of Jeff Robson.
We also step through the complex matrix of the cause and effect of Billy Slater’s injury to the Maroons squad. Our experts point to Ben Te’o as the key answer for the Queenslanders.
Get all this and more in tonight's episode of NRL Daily, the only NRL show that's on every night of the week.
Stream it on the NRL.com homepage from 7:00pm tonight, watch it on the official NRL mobile site (Telstra customers only. Action Pack required. Click here for more details) or Telstra T-BOX. You can also watch the best NRL Daily videos on your iPhone with the official NRL iPhone App (Official Pass required. Click here for more details)
Surviving the wear and tear of an Origin campaign while still providing loyal service to your club is tough enough for an NRL player, so should we be allowing Origin coaches to take on the responsibility of also being an NRL club coach?
