Rookie Kiwis coach could use an expert helping hand
Saturday (NZ Time).
One thing is clear from the Kiwis’ frustrating Four Nations campaign: Kidwell needs a coaching mentor if the Kiwis are to challenge for the World Cup title.
No-one questions his passion and commitment, but he is basically in the same boat as predecessor Stephen Kearney when he took over the Kiwis in 2008 after just two years as a NRL assistant-coach.
The NZRL knew Kearney was as green as grass and appointed champion Australian coach Wayne Bennett as his adviser. The upshot was the Kiwis won their first World Cup crown.
Kidwell had never been a head coach at elite level before taking on the Kiwis top job - and it is showing.
The Kiwis have been absolutely underwhelming at the Four Nations - hardly worthy of their No 1 world ranking - have played a predictable, grinding game although, to be fair, the Cumbrian conditions weren’t conducive to free-flowing footy against the Scots.
How can a rookie coach be expected to match it tactically with Bennett (now coaching England) or Australia’s Mal Meninga (nine State of Origin series wins in 10 years)?
The NZRL should be sounding out someone like Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart or Ivan Cleary now.
In the meantime, Kidwell faces another selection conundrum.
If there was one player the Kiwis could least afford to lose, it was Leuluai, their 31-year-old standoff and backline general rated the best defensive half in the world game.
Kidwell is now faced with Hobson’s choice for the Four Nations finale at Wembley.
Does he start 21-year-old Te Maire Martin, the sole remaining specialist standoff in his squad, or shift second rower Tohu Harris to the No 6 slot?
Martin made his test debut off the interchange bench against Scotland but has played just six first grade games for the Penrith Panthers, although he was selected in the National Youth Competition team of the year while with Wests Tigers last year.
It’s a big ask to expect a rookie to run out and compete with the Kangaroos’ world class halves Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston.
Having Harris defending in the standoff channel might discourage Cronk and Thurston from taking the ball up - Harris is 1.95m tall and 108kg.
He has played test football in the No 6 jumper - in the 2014 Anzac Test when Australian captain Cameron Smith dubbed him ‘‘the world’s biggest five-eight’’.
So Kidwell will have to throw the dice.
He would have plenty of backrow cover if he shifts Harris to the halves, but is it better to leave him where he works best and punt on someone more familiar with a standoff’s skill set?
The Leuluai injury underlines the lack of quality halves in the New Zealand rugby league system. There are plenty of big, ball carrying Kiwi-born forwards running round the NRL and a fair few flashy outside backs, but a paucity of practitioners skilled at steering teams around the paddock, darting around the ruck and pressurising opponents with a pinpoint kicking game.
Looking to the long term, not the stopgap, NZRL needs to perhaps employ a resource coach with kicking and passing teaching skills to imbue youngsters and grassroots coaches with the oftoverlooked fundamentals.