Stephen Kearney has been announced as the New Zealand Kiwi’s new coach. He will be helped along by Wayne Bennett who will take an “advisory role”, what ever the hell that means!
This saga has dragged on for so long that quite frankly I’m sure all Kiwi Rugby League fans are over it. Its been a complete farce!
Kearney is part of the Melbourne Storms coaching staff so he has at least seen what type of environment is needed to grow a winning culture.
Personally I felt that the Kiwi’s needed an outsider to come in with none of the NZRL baggage, someone who had no ties to New Zealand and who has a proven, top level coaching record.
There was a lot of criticism that Gary Kemble had no top class coaching experience, and lets face it, Stephen Kearney has never coached a top class side either.
Still, I guess if the decision made sense, then it wouldnt have been the NZRL that made it.
As for Bennett advisory role, I’m gonna wait and see how that works before I say to much about it. If during the mid season test against Australia we see Bennett sitting alongside Kearney in the stand, in the dressing sheds before, during and after the game, then we know that Benny is really running the show and Kearney is just a figure head.
I think if I was a Kiwi’s supporter, I’d have been much more settled and confident knowing that Bennett was the coach of the side. You know you would be getting a top class tactician, someone who can rally the troops, someone who has huge respect from his players and someone who you know has proven he can go toe-to-toe in the coaching stakes with Australia’s Ricky Stuart.
So after all of the mess that has been caused by the NZRL, we now have another coach, but we still have the questions about whether he can get the job done in the World Cup.
Daily Telegraph Report On Kearneys Appointment
