Super League coaches have to expect criticism - it's part of the job
As a head coach, you get your good times and bad times but you are always under scrutiny.
That’s part of the job. The problem is everyone who isn't a coach thinks they can do a better job than you! It's a challenge. And regardless of who you are, if you get a string of poor results, you are going to face pressure. It's then about the owners and whether they have faith in their coach or not and how strong their relationship is.
I saw Wigan coach Matt Peet’s comments defending Ian Watson after the Huddersfield boss’ position came under fire when Giants lost 54-0 at Leeds last week. Peet said the media here needs to have more empathy and rugby league’s not like football. But journalists have the right to ask questions and, for me, coverage here is fairly balanced.
Every situation where a coach is in a losing streak is different. Clearly, there are times when a club does need to make a change and for me - like everything with coaching - that decision is very much an art form: there's some science in it but there's also some guesswork in there. Personally, I've never been interested in a coaching role. You can have a three-year contract but then have six bad games in a row and be sacked.
There's only a small field of jobs as well so not many become career coaches in this country. So I always thought, for more security for my family, it'd be better to explore other options. And my hair’s grey enough as it is. It'd have gone white if I'd have coached!
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But I’ve no regrets making that choice. None. I admire and respect coaches for what they do. I’ve obviously got former team-mates who have gone into it and know the pressure they are under. It's 24/7 and 365 days per year. So whatever coaches get paid in Super League it's never enough anyway.
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