A new dawn: how a new coach can impact an NRL club

Nothing in rugby league brings hope like a new coach. Fresh beginnings. The start of a different path. Optimism is at a premium, even if there is a degree of uncertainty over whether the latest man to sit in the hot seat can get it done.

This season South Sydney, Canterbury and Gold Coast get to wave goodbye to the frustration of yesteryear and say hello to hope and anticipation: Souths sacked Michael Maguire after six seasons, replacing him with assistant Anthony Seibold; Des Hasler lasted the same time at Canterbury before he was unceremoniously dumped and former Bulldogs hardman Dean Pay took the reins; and after three tumultuous years at the Titans, Neil Henry was axed, replaced by Penrith lower grade prodigy Garth Brennan.

With the big kick-off nearly upon us, what can fans expect, based on the records of the 63 full-time hires made by NRL clubs since 2000?

Defensive improvements

When a new coach takes over, this is the most obvious statistical change for a club. It is also a smart one. Defence has been the biggest indicator of success since 2006 with nearly every grand finalist ranking in the top two in points allowed during the regular season.

Teams have improved by an average of over 31 points per season defensively, relative to just eight points in attack. And defence has improved significantly with 19 coaches improving their new team by 100 or more points a season defensively in their first year while three have bettered their new team’s defence by 300-plus points.



Source: theguardian

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