Coaching the Coaches

While their current respective positions on the NRL ladder look poor at first glance, Monday’s showdown between the Knights and Eels could be of Grand Final proportion.

Eels V Knights
Energy Australia Stadium
Monday August 4^th, Kick-Off: 7pm
Referee: Jason Robinson
Head To Head: Played 36, Knights 18, Eels 17, drawn 1

The Knights still have a few players out and need to win to stay in the finals hunt.

This game is a case of trading places. Brian Smith got the chop at Parramatta in 2006 and left early and Michael Hagan got the shove at the Knights and signed with Parramatta. Smith joined Newcastle.

Hagan coached the Knights when they defeated the Eels in the 2001 grand final. Smith coached the Eels. 

There is definitely no love lost between the two.

This is Brian Smith's 500th NRL game as a coach, but he did coach 100 plus games in Britain with Hull FC and the Bradford Bulls.

Both coaches are like chalk and cheese the way they operate. 

Smith is like the military strategist, using soldier-like, orchestrated and structured plays and manipulates the footy chess pieces on the board with a field marshall's wand.

Hagan is more relaxed, laidback, a better tactician than given credit for.

His team do play to patterns but is much more liberal letting his attack and using the full repetoire of skill and panache.

Newcastle were desperate for an overhaul in club coaching and playing talent and Smith, the former school teacher and ``footy professor'' was their man.

Parramatta needed a coach like Hagan, one who encourages freedom of expression and encourages skill to thrill, rather than science and the grey matter approach to footy.

The Eels have been poor this year, the big factor is their forwards have lacked line-breaking ability and oomph and their attitude has been slack. 

The Knights have a potentially top-class side and 2009 will be a year to watch them rocket near the top of the NRL.

Verdict:

The science and football strategy of the Knights to prevail over the Eels, who if ever they are get motivated for a game this is it.  

The loser of this one definitely won't make the top eight.

KNIGHTS: 1. Kurt Gidley 2. James McManus 3. Junior Sau 4. Adam MacDougall 5. Akuila Uate 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Scott Dureau 8. Daniel Tolar 9. Danny Buderus (c) 10. Matthew White 11. Steve Simpson 12. Cory Paterson 13. Zeb Taia Interchange: 14. Chris Houston 15. Cameron Ciraldo 16. Richard Fa’aoso 17. Mark Taufua; Reserves: 18. Cooper Vuna 19. Marvin Karawana Coach: Brian Smith

EELS: 1. Luke Burt 2. Taulima Tautai 3. Krisnan Inu 4. Jarryd Hayne 5. Tony Williams 6. Kristopher Keating 7. Brett Finch 8. Nathan Cayless (c) 9. Matthew Keating 10. Fuifui Moimoi 11. Nathan Hindmarsh 12. Daniel Wagon 13. Chad Robinson Interchange: 14. Mark Riddell 15. Josh Cordoba 16. Joe Galuvao 17. Todd Lowrie; Reserves: 18. Weller Hauraki Coach: Michael Hagan