League: McClennan the people's champion

Brian McClennan. Picture / Paul Estcourt

When Brian McClennan was a youngster, playing junior rugby league in the late 1960s, there was one thing he wanted to be when he grew up.

He didn't dream of being a Kiwi international, that came later, nor even a top level coach like his dad, Mike. Instead McClennan wanted to be the person that decided whether Saturday morning junior rugby league would be cancelled or not. If he rose to those lofty heights, he figured, he would be able to ensure it was never called off, such was the disappointment he felt when he was forced to keep his boots in the cupboard for another week.

Nearly 40 years later, that passion and enthusiasm for the game hasn't diminished. In fact, it's these two qualities that people close to him immediately identify when talking about the new Kiwis coach.

Former Kiwi Mark Bourneville, who played with McClennan for close to a decade during their time together at Mt Albert, remains a close friend and marvels at the way McClennan can explain game plans in simple language to his players.

"He's quite a technical coach and does a lot of homework on opposition teams but he knows he can't use fancy words on rugby league players," Bourneville said.

"A couple of years ago he developed this game plan to take on a huge side with a big kicking game. It sounded pretty technical and I asked him how the hell he was going to communicate this to his players. He replied that he said to them: 'We are going to drown them in their own end of the swimming pool' and everyone knew straight away how they were going to play the game. I was really impressed."

McClennan has also introduced themes for each test in the Tri-Nations to date. The first was 'bully the bully in his own back yard' and the second 'welcome to the jungle'. Following last week's narrow 28-26 loss to the Kangaroos, Bourneville found a quiet corner to chat to McClennan and discovered an interesting perspective.

"Bluey thought it was a good result because if they had knocked over the Aussies then it might have been difficult to carry on the momentum all the way to the final. He thought that might have been quite a settling thing to get so close but to lose after such success in the first test."

Those who know him point to the fact that there are few people in league who can read the game as well as McClennan. His father Mike was a huge influence and the pair could often be found talking for hours about players and tactics, dissecting games played and looking ahead to next week's opponents.

"Even as a seven-year-old, he would sit at Carlaw Park and watch my games while all the other boys were playing around underneath the scoreboard," McClennan senior remembered. "Even for a young kid he was very analytical and very correct in his assessments."

Mike McClennan played one test at fullback for the Kiwis in 1971 before turning his hand to coaching and steering Mt Albert from a team of also-rans to the dominant club in Auckland rugby league in the 1980s. He then did the same with St Helens, who were soon challenging Wigan's superiority in the English competition. It is one of league's mysteries why he was never appointed Kiwis coach.

To some observers, it was also a mystery why Brian never played test league despite appearing in a few Kiwis trials and captaining Auckland to an historic win over the touring Great Britain side in 1990.

Opinion is divided on whether the five-eighths was good enough to play international football - his dad is convinced he could foot it with the best, while others, including McClennan, question whether he had that something special to make it to the top.

There was little doubt, though, that he would make it as a coach. His first club assignment was in 1992 as player/coach of Hibiscus Coast and by 2001 he had taken the unheralded club from the third division to the pinnacle of domestic league as Bartercard Cup champions. During that time he also helped out John Ackland with Auckland Warriors youth teams. He then guided Mt Albert to successive Bartercard Cup titles in 2004 and 2005. Success came at every turn and it would not be long, most imagined, before he would get his chance at the top level.

When the Kiwis coaching job was left vacant in 2003 following the sacking of Gary Freeman, McClennan considered himself a good chance to be handed the reins. In the end, he lost out to Australian Warriors coach Daniel Anderson, although he joined the coaching team in 2004 as assistant along with James Leuluai. "Brian told me he was disappointed he missed out when Anderson got it," New Zealand Rugby League chairman Selwyn Pearson explained.

"But he said, 'in hindsight, I'm glad I didn't get it because I wasn't ready - but I am now'. He knows he's been given a chance to do his bit for his country and, beyond that, I think the world is his oyster."

In four short months since McClennan was appointed Kiwis coach, there has been a palpable lift in the excitment around the international game in this country, certainly since the upset of the world champions. Anderson undoubtedly had his strengths but there is a new level of intensity within the Kiwis camp. Players seem to want to play for their country again and that is no better illustrated than by Stacey Jones, who came out of international retirement to play in the Tri-Nations.

Where Anderson was a blackboard coach who seemed to lose touch with his charges because of his schoolteacher approach, McClennan is a man-manager who can think of no bigger honour than playing for his country. Former Kiwis coach Frank Endacott likens him to Graham Lowe, someone with the same intensity and passion for the black-and-white jersey.

"The guys believe what Brian says and they run with it," Kiwis assistant Graeme Norton said. "The man is clever, so any team coached by him is going to be a smart team. He's innovative in his thinking and understands winning and all of the components involved with that - the emotional side, the physical side and how to improve the skill level of players. Most of all, though, he's well liked by his players. He really cares about what's happening with his players and that level of caring is beyond what most people would do."

A couple of days before the Kiwis toppled Australia 38-28, Mike McClennan put a call through to his son to alert him to a favourite set-piece move of Australia coach Wayne Bennett. "Don't you think I've been watching tapes?" Brian questioned.

His father should not have been surprised by the response. Brian McClennan has been analysing moves for nearly 40 years.

He still can't control whether junior rugby league is called off. But he seems to have just about everything else under control.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY