Where Do Leeds Rhinos Go Next?
- Ollie Tinker
- May 12, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 11, 2019
After the surprise sacking of Head Coach David Furner, Leeds find themselves searching for a coach for the second time in under a year. The Australian was just six months and fourteen games into his three year deal when his premature exit was announced on Tuesday, and whilst the club’s decision came as a surprise to many, when the Rhinos’ recent performances and league position are compared to the expectations set during pre-season, the decision begins to make more sense. Regardless of whether fans support the decision, the club will now turn their attention to recruiting Furner’s successor. With several names already being linked to the role, Chief Executive Gary Hetherington and Director of Rugby Kevin Sinfield are likely to have a wealth of options to choose from. The importance of the final decision they make should not be underestimated, given the relegation battle that Leeds currently face, added to achieving their long term ambitions. Finding a suitable candidate who can both turn around their short term from and build for the future will be no easy task, but there are a number of directions in which Leeds could go in their search. This article will identify such directions whilst suggesting potential candidates to match those directions and weighing up the potential benefits and/or pitfalls of such decisions.
Temporary Fix
Head of Player/Coach Development Richard Agar has been placed in temporary charge of the Rhinos until a new coach has been appointed, although Sinfield has not ruled out the possibility of Agar staying in charge for the rest of the season. There is no denying Agar’s experience and ability as a Super League coach, but doubts remain over whether Agar possesses the ability to coach a club with the pedigree of Leeds. The former Wakefield, Hull FC and France coach has indicated that he is not looking for a permanent return to coaching, so any deal involving Agar is highly unlikely to extend beyond the end of the season. If Agar were to retain control until October, it would provide ample time for Hetherington and Sinfield to identify and recruit a candidate who matches their criteria, rather than make a knee-jerk decision. However, although Agar has only been involved in the coaching staff since the recent departure of Assistant Coach Jimmy Lowes, many fans are concerned that a lack of fresh ideas will see the team struggle to turn their fortunes around swiftly. The likely scenario is that Agar will stay in charge for the near future, until he returns to his previous role following the arrival of Furner’s permanent successor.
Young, British Coach
After being spotted with Kevin Sinfield at Leeds’ recent defeat at Salford Red Devils, former Halifax Coach Richard Marshall became linked with the recently vacated Assistant Coach role at Headingley. Since Furner’s departure however, Marshall has been linked with the Head Coach role along with fellow young coach and Leeds academy graduate Danny Ward. Ward has been applauded for his work as London Broncos Head Coach, which was recognised when he was named Championship Coach of the Year after leading the Broncos to promotion in 2018. It remains to see whether Ward could be tempted to leave his role at London, especially having seen how little time former team mate Furner was afforded at Headingley. Furthermore, it is unlikely that Leeds will take another gamble on a relatively inexperienced coach following Furner’s reign. The next appointment is likely to be (and sensibly) a safe appointment, making it less likely that Ward or Marshall will be offered the role permanently just yet. That is not to say that we won’t see Ward involved at Headingley in the future, but the current role seems to be an opportunity that has come too early in Ward’s promising coaching career.
Pedigree Super League Coach
This looks to be the most likely direction in which Leeds will look, especially given the interest that has already been shown in the role. Former Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane left the sport to take up a role with Scotland Rugby Union last October after leading the Warriors to the third Grand Final victory of his reign. A tough coach with a reputation for solid defensive organisation and strong leadership, Wane appears to be the perfect candidate to take over at Headingley. A former Leeds player, Wane has reportedly shown interest in the role, although whether he would be keen to return to the sport so swiftly after leaving hometown club Wigan remains to be seen. One of the key factors behind the Rhinos’ struggles this year has been that whilst they have shown their ability to score points, they have struggled to defend a lead and have too often thrown games away – a challenge that Wane would be more than capable of overcoming. Another name that fits this criteria is former Leeds Coach Tony Smith. Smith joined Leeds from Huddersfield Giants ahead of the 2004 season and went on to win two Grand Finals at Headingley, before going on to coach Great Britain and England, then leading Warrington Wolves to three Challenge Cup victories in an eight year spell in Cheshire. The Australian is another proven winner currently out of the game, having left Warrington in 2017. A move for Smith would be sensible, but whether he would be interested in returning to the Rhinos remains to be seen. Castleford Tigers Head Coach Daryl Powell is also a candidate, having transformed Leeds’s West Yorkshire rivals’ fortunes since arriving from Featherstone in 2013. Powell is another former Leeds Player and Coach, having taken the reigns following retirement in 2001 until his sacking in 2003. Powell remains adamant that he wants to stay in his current role at Castleford, and a return to Headingley remains unlikely, following the circumstances that surrounded his previous departure. However, a move to Headingley is not impossible given that Powell is a much more experienced coach now than he was the last time he led Leeds, and would be sure to do a sterling job should he return to the club. Bringing in a coach with a proven record of success in Super League is likely to be the aim for Leeds, although history suggests that this is not always a priority – nor a requirement for future success. Recent coaches have all arrived at the club without having won major honours in Super League prior to their appointment, but have gone on to achieve great success at the club. Tony Smith, Brian McLennan and Brian McDermott all won more than one Grand Final with club, despite being relatively inexperienced Super League coaches following their appointment. However, Leeds’ recent coaching recruitment does not mean that they are certain to follow the same policy when appointing Furner’s successor. Since Sinfield’s arrival last summer, Leeds have shown that they are prepared to do things differently, as evidenced by their decision to recruit ‘marquee’ signings Trent Merrin and Konrad Hurrell.
Coach From Down Under
Other than a four year spell as Head Coach of Canberra Raiders, David Furner’s coaching experience had largely been as an Assistant Coach with North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs. Whilst Furner was ultimately unsuccessful at Headingley, other NRL assistant coaches have found success on these shores in recent years. Former Wigan coach Michael Maguire, who won the Grand Final and the Challenge Cup in a two-year spell from 2011-2013 was appointed following spell as a no.2 at Canberra and Melbourne, whilst current Super League coaches Justin Holbrook (St Helens) and Simon Woolford (Huddersfield Giants) have thrived in their first experiences as a Head Coach. Despite these success stories, for every Justin Holbrook there is also a Craig Sandercock, and Leeds are unlikely to take another gamble on an inexperienced coach, following Furner’s reign. Instead, if Leeds are to turn to the NRL for their next coach, they are likely to look for an experienced winner. Two names linked with the role that fit into this category are former Penrith Panthers Coach Anthony Griffin and Cronulla Sharks’ 2016 Premiership winning coach Shane Flanagan. Both would bring fresh ideas to the club, and Griffin was linked with the role last season before the appointment of Furner. Recruiting an experienced Australian coach would likely help Leeds to attract top talent from down under to join the likes of Hurrell and Merrin at the club. For obvious reasons, if Leeds were to appoint an Australian coach, there would inevitably a period of time between appointment and arrival – precious time that many fans believe the club cannot afford to waste. However, after Sinfield’s assertion that he is in no rush to appoint a successor, added to his openness to Agar remaining as Interim Coach until the end of the year, it would be no surprise if Leeds were to appoint either Griffin or Flanagan.
The Verdict
If Leeds are to meet their aims of fixing their current predicament as well as building for the future, their next appointment should be someone who can both improve the current crop of players to ensure a strong finish to 2019, and develop the club’s next generation of players and coaches. With this in mind, the best appointment would be to hire an experiences Super League Coach such as Shaun Wane, with a young, promising coach like Richard Marshall as their assistant with a view to take over in the future. Not only would this help to transform the side’s form in the short term, it would also increase the probability of Leeds challenging for honours in the future.
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