Poor club planning kills coach
Stephen Kearney came to the Warriors feeling he deserved a second chance to coach in the NRL, but he never really got much of one.
His time as the Eels coach from 2011 to 2012 was a disaster, winning just 10 of 42 games, while his record with the Warriors was only slightly better and it’s tough to know how history will judge Kearney as an NRL coach.
There’s no doubting his Kiwis success, winning the World Cup in 2008 and the Four Nations in 2010 and 2014, and on the surface it’s easy to come to the conclusion he didn’t live up to those heights as a club coach and deserved his sacking.
But in reality, he wasn’t given much of a chance of success. He got the Warriors to the playoffs in 2018, his second year in charge, then just as he was finalising his squad for the following season, playmaker Shaun Johnson quit the club.
It’s debatable whether Johnson was the long-term future for the Warriors, but leaving then
future looks like.
‘‘We’ve made a decision on our future and that’s where we stand right now.’’
Kearney was informed of the decision yesterday morning, and then told the squad that he was on his way.
George acknowledged that Kearney had shown commitment, a work ethic and didn’t give the club any chance of finding a suitable replacement.
Going into this year with no big-name signing, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be a successful campaign. They have a roster that at best is a borderline top-eight team and certainly not one that could challenge for the title.
The Warriors and Kearney paid the price for years of poor recruitment, losing players they should have kept, and signing average reserve graders.
But there was light at the end of the tunnel, with plenty of bigname players coming off contract at the end of the season. It was an opportunity for a start afresh. But Kearney won’t now be a part of that.
It must have been an awkward situation at Mount Smart Stadium over the past couple of weeks. CEO Cameron George fought so hard for Kearney to be given a contract extension in February last year, when the then-majority owners of the club, Auckland Rugby League, didn’t want to offer it. George has always been loyal to Kearney and dismissed any notion his job was in danger, either publicly or off the record.
But Kearney’s position became
concern for the wellbeing of the club, players and their families in a challenging year.
The Warriors have a 2-4 win loss record in 2020, but have had to contend with the enormous complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
They are playing out the rest of the NRL season away from home and face challenges that no less secure when Mark Robinson and Rob Croot from Autex Industries took over total control of the club late last year.
Both are savvy businessmen and wanted success.
Brian Smith, the general manager of football, was surprisingly sacked at the end of last season. He was the person responsible for planning the club’s future success.
But it seemed Kearney had a ready-made excuse for the team having a poor season, with the players based in Australia. However, sources told Stuff at the beginning of the season that Kearney’s job wasn’t as secure as it appeared and the drive for success and willingness to make tough decisions, that also saw Johnson and Smith go, has also resulted in Kearney’s exit.
It’s a tough call. Kearney can only take so much blame for the poor performances.
He could only work with the players he had and frankly there aren’t enough of them up to it.
Let’s hope this isn’t the end of the road for Kearney as a coach.
George has the drive and tenacity to bring success, and right the wrongs from the Eric Watson era. It’s a shame that Kearney won’t be there.
other side has to deal with.
Kearney signed on as Warriors head coach for the 2017 season, guiding the club to the finals in 2018.
The Warriors struggled to find consistency last year, finishing 13th on the ladder and were again blowing hot and cold in 2020.
However, wins against the
Cowboys and Dragons over the past month showed that the Warriors had plenty of fight left in them.
George also insisted that Kearney had never lost the dressing room. He had a great relationship with the players.
Former Wests Tigers prop Payten joined the Warriors’ coaching staff last season after