Some NRL players have great playing careers, while others have incredible coaching resumes.
It's difficult to determine which is more rewarding, but very few men cross the threshold of a successful NRL and head coaching career.
While many footballers excel due to their freakish athleticism and natural abilities, others simply have a knack for the game, with a blueprint to success that could hand them a handy coaching gig post-retirement.
1. Adam Reynolds (Brisbane Broncos)
One of the greatest halfbacks of the NRL era, Adam Reynolds, could coach a side tomorrow if he wanted.
As he inches closer and closer to the NRL's all-time points scoring record, what he could achieve post-footy could be even more impressive.
A natural-born leader, Reynolds has led every side he's played for. Regardless of whether or not he has a 'C' next to his name on the team sheet, Adam Reynolds seems to have his head in every play his squad puts together.
His excellent off-ball direction and strategic game management, which he seems to execute to perfection every time, are why his teammates and coaches trust him in high-intensity situations.
Adam Reynolds is a shoo-in for a head coaching role when his time comes, and it can be argued that he could be an even better coach than player when it's all said and done, due to his extensive footy knowledge and ability to bring out the peak of every player who runs alongside him.
โHarry Grant is a guy who lets his actions do most of his talking.
This is a skill not many players in the league possess, but Grantโs ability to lead a side by example is a unique characteristic that would surely make him a stellar coach post-retirement.โ
Leading by example is not a useful skill for a coach on the sideline, away from the action.
Iโd recommend identifying what it is that a coach actually does, and what skill-sets he needs, before trying to identify players who look like they may be decent at that job.
Assistant coaches are focused on the technical side of the game.
They may also be responsible for running pathways programmes and developing young kids โ thatโs a different skill than working with the young professionals in Jersey Flegg and above.
NRL Head Coaches are about the day to day grind of motivation, promotion / dropping from the team, dealing with injuries, setting strategies for particular opponents, working with recruitment & retention, cap management etc.
SOO coaches donโt have to worry about most of that. They get a bunch of players who are fit, and who already have the requisite skill set. SOO coaches have to be able to deal with huge egos and to meld the bunch of alpha-males into a team.
Kevin Walters and Michael McGuire were good SOO coaches, but neither has been successful as an NRL coach. Craig Bellamy and Rickly Stuart have not been successful as SOO coaches. Different jobs and different skills.
At its most basic, being a player is about being good at YOUR job. Being a coach is about MAN-MANAGEMENT, and making individuals into a team.
Not easy to pick man-management skills from players who donโt need to have such skills, but to start by trumpeting _playing_ skills is not offering any insight on which players _might_ become decent coaches.