Stephen Kearney - NZ Coach

[Kimlo]

So what do you guys think of Kearney as a coach at rep level? My memory isn't the greatest but I feel like he's done a good job with the kiwis, and possibly even overachieved in his time with them, obviously with the World Cup win being the highlight of his rep coaching career.

They always suck at the Anzac tests, but I don't feel that's a fair comparison as a lot of the kiwi boys never play together outside of national duties, whereas the Australian team have a heap of combinations at club and origin leven that carry straight over to the national team.

 

[Big Pete]

Good question pwn.

In fact, so good, it deserves it's own thread.

Let me look into it. My hypothesis is that he's crap and has been fortunate enough to fluke a few wins at just the right time, but that could be unfair.

 

[Sproj]

Semi-related fact, walked past Kearney in the CBD about 7.30 this morning and said all the best tonight and he didn't even acknowledge. Maybe he didn't hear.

 

[vertigo]

Semi-related fact, walked past Kearney in the CBD about 7.30 this morning and said all the best tonight and he didn't even acknowledge. Maybe he didn't hear.

You don't happen to look like Josh Hoffman do you?

They were bloody woeful in last year's WC final, they were lucky to even make it after Johnson pulled that try out of his arse. Either the players were spent after a tough game and felt that that was their final or he didn't prepare them well enough.

NZ played well tonight but I don't think we could've played worse - Sheens has a bit to answer to for that regardless of the injuries.

 

[Nashy]

He could have at least suited up last night.

 

[Big Pete]

I'm so out of touch with NZRL, I didn't realise that Kearney was actually the most experienced Kiwi coach of all time at 32 games.

If New Zealand beat Samoa next week, he'll officially hold the highest winning percentage of any NZ coach. The current greatest of all time is Anthony Gordon who had a 7-6 record from 1987-89.

Kearney is currently 16-15-1.

However, it's really hard to judge him as a coach and weigh everything up. Coaching a nation like NZ doesn't lend you too many luxuries. Between star players choosing to undergo major surgery to get themselves right for next season and the limited playing pool, it really is a matter of identifying the have and have nots and doing your best with them.

Now I can't remember Kearney having a whole lot of wriggle room and going against the grain. At least in his opening years. The only aspect that stood out to me was his decision to stick primarily with NRL players. In the past, NZ had often brought in a number of players from the ESL to help bolster their squad but with Kearney I can only remember two players - Brent Webb & Thomas Leuluai who fit that bill and with the former, it was an arrangement that only lasted one match, Kearney's debut as coach.

So I can't remember too many baffling selections and the only thing that stands out was his willingness to back young talent ASAP. I still remember being surprised at his decision to blood Foran & JWH in their first year of first grade footy. That's been a feature of his coaching - constantly looking for the next generation and giving them a go but using those two aforementioned examples, I don't think they've made the impact at this level.

As far as their performances are concerned, they remind me a lot of Kearney as a player. Nothing flashy, just intense ruck work with the star players like Marshall and Johnson playing off the back of it. When it's worked and all the players have bought into it, you get performances like last night. However, when things go astray, they can look very pedestrian as a lot of the creative pressure comes down to one or two players and it's just too much to bear.

All in all, he's a solid coach. Not great but not horrendous either.

 

[Unbreakable]

Their defence was decent last night from what I could tell, although our attack was woeful.

 

[Ari Gold]

NZ win percentage records as any sort of guide would be pretty useless I'd have thought. Win would essentially be how many times you didn't play Australia. Would more than 2 of those Kearney wins even be against us? I expect most are against the Samoas, Frances and Tongas with a few English wins thrown in.

 

[Big Pete]

FWIW

vs. Australia: 3-13-1
vs. England: 4-2

 

[Ari Gold]

So 23/32 of his games were against tier one nations but less than half his wins are. Says a lot IMO.

 

[Big Pete]

Sure.

But comparatively speaking and given all the obstacles, he's done very well to achieve a World Cup and a Four Nations.

NZRL is only getting stronger as well.

 

[Kimlo]

That's another tournament for Kearney at rep level, they were unbeaten this tournament, and I have to say I thought they played really well in the final.

So I think that's two four nations and a world cup, an impressive record considering the main opponent is Australia.

 

[Alec]

They had the best squad, so I'm not surprised.