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There's a small-town Kiwiness about Brian McClennan. He's genuine, humble, loyal and down to earth; qualities which have made him as popular in the UK over the past four months as when he was Kiwis coach.
He recently described himself as "the luckiest coach in the world" after his Leeds Rhinos side reclaimed the World Club Championship crown following an 11-4 win over Melbourne.
He used to say he was the luckiest coach in the world to be at the helm of the Kiwis.
McClennan is not disingenuous. It's just that he has a great appreciation of where he is and from where he has come.
"I'm just a normal bloke trying to do the best for the club and the players," he says from his home in Leeds.
At the moment, his best is more than good enough. Not only did Leeds win the annual battle between the champion sides from the NRL and UK Super League, they are atop the Super League table with eight wins from 10 games. Three weeks ago they thrashed Bradford 44-2, a side many expected to be championship contenders, and followed that up with a 14-10 victory over St Helens. Heading into this weekend's games, they had conceded only 104 points all season, almost half as many as the next best side.
Their only defeats were against bottom side Castleford - in the week immediately after their win over Melbourne - and against second-placed Wigan 14-10 when they were without five frontline players and then lost two players to injury inside seven minutes.
As is often McClennan's way, he credited everyone else for his side's great start. He doesn't like taking the plaudits, publicly at least.
One of the great talking points in the UK before the season was how difficult it would be for McClennan to take over a championship-winning side put together by new Great Britain coach Tony Smith. If Leeds succeeded, it was Smith's making. If they failed, McClennan wasn't up to it in his first assignment with a professional club.
"People said he didn't have enough experience as a coach to step into Tony Smith's shoes," Mike 'Stevo' Stevenson from the Sky Sports commentary team wrote.
"OK, tactically and technically there's not much more you can do to a championship winning side, but there is plenty you can do to ruin it. What Brian has done, which has so impressed me, is foster a team spirit and togetherness that is behind their superb start."
Kiwis fans will not be surprised. McClennan's strength is working with people and knowing how to get the best out of them.
He introduced themes at the Kiwis - like conquering Everest and Slaying The Dragon when taking on Australia - and while he doesn't really use them with Leeds, admits his approach is not that dissimilar.
"When you are a coach, it's always about dealing with people," he says. "I still have the same philosophies that I used with the Kiwis or Hibiscus Coast. It's different in that it's a lot more advanced than [New Zealand] club football.
"It's not hard taking a successful side like Leeds. It's easier to take a side that can play good football than one at the other end of the scale. I have been through that when I was with Hibiscus Coast.
"I always had the confidence I could do the job. Getting a side ready to play Australia in a [Tri Nations] final, gee, I can't see anything harder than that. I always think back to that.
"Leeds have always been the biggest club in England as far as resources go, and they have had little periods of success. One of the most successful periods was under Tony Smith but what they haven't had is sustained success and that's the challenge for me and the players."
Although only one-third into the Super League season, McClennan admits to thinking "every day" about what his side will look like next season.
He's already signed Newcastle and former Australian hooker Danny Buderus for 2009 and there's a widespread belief Ruben Wiki will call Leeds home after finishing up with the Warriors this season.
Although there would be few in New Zealand who watched as much UK rugby league when he was here, McClennan was genuinely, and pleasantly, surprised by the quality of players he had to work with.
Leeds is blessed in that respect. Among the host of Great Britain internationals like Rob Burrow, Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock, Danny McGuire, Gareth Ellis and Keith Senior, he also has Kiwis Brent Webb, Ali Lauitiiti, Kylie Leuluai and Clinton Toopi to call on (although Toopi is out for five months with a shoulder injury).
Many will be involved in this year's World Cup in Australia. McClennan could have been there as well had the NZRL changed their residency rule for the coach six months earlier.
He's not bitter about it. After all, he's the 'luckiest coach in the world' and his reported £130,000 (NZ$352,500) salary was too good to turn down.
"It wasn't that long ago that I woke up every morning thinking about how to win the World Cup," he says. "Now I think about how to win a World Club Challenge, or Challenge Cup or Super League trophy.
"Sport is one of the most demanding businesses there is because there's a scoreboard there every weekend to show you how you are going. Every day I'm looking at players, strategies, philosophies and tactics. Trying to work out how you can get better is the part of the game I have always loved the most.
"I'm having a great time."
Who could begrudge him that?
