Graham Lowe: Sometimes a coach needs to whisper

I wonder who the Broncos coach, Ivan Henjack, sees as the biggest threat in the Warriors line-up.

Often coaches, when looking at other teams, cross their fingers that certain players are kept in a position they believe will harm their own sides the least.

I can recall seeing the great Ellery Hanley for the first time and the impression he had on me. It was no surprise that Hanley went on to become Great Britain's player of the century.

He was playing for Bradford against Widnes at Odsal Stadium in the UK.

In the first half he played in the centres and was outstanding, but in the second half he was switched to stand off. He was sensational and won the game for Bradford on his own.

I was the Kiwi coach at the time on a visit to size up the Great Britain players before we played them in the 1984 test series in New Zealand.

The Poms played Australia in a three test series on their way out here and I went over to watch the first test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

For reasons only their coach Frank Myler knew, Great Britain played Hanley on the wing.

In a team that was flogged by Australia in that first test, Hanley still stood out as one of the best players on the field.

I was asked at a press conference after the match how I thought we would compete when they came over here and who I thought were their best players.

They had many great players in that team. But - trying to keep a straight face - I said I thought Ellery Hanley was the best winger I had ever seen and I didn't know how we would cope with him. It was the biggest footy fib I ever told.

All the time I was thinking to myself - please Frank, keep him on the wing where he will do us the least damage.

As it turned out Hanley did play on the wing against us in the first two tests and we won both.

However, I think the penny must have dropped in Myler's mind because in the third test at Carlaw Park he put the "Black Pearl", as Ellery was known, into the centres. He nearly killed us.

Hanley was magic. In my first year with him at Wigan he scored 61 tries for the club, playing in a new position at loose forward.

Being that bit closer to the ball he dominated the match and it was only when our reserve halfback, Clayton Friend, came on and produced his own style of magic that we were able to kick on and win.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ivan Henjack has similar thoughts about the young Warrior Kevin Locke staying on the wing.

If the Warriors are to win tonight they must try the unexpected.

The Broncos have certainly done that, bringing hard man Tonie Carroll back from retirement tonight.

It will be interesting to see what shape he is in.

Maybe coach Ivan Cleary has to bring in a "horse whisperer".

It seems to me the players have been playing with a pretty tight rein and maybe they need to be given their head a little more.

It's a critical time because the players can start to lose confidence - not only in themselves, but also in the style of game they are trying to play. They will know it is not working.

Players tend to become tentative if they fear making a mistake and what should be a strength can easily become a weakness. It's all about what is going on in their heads. The simplicity of league is only ever made difficult by what is in the mind and how the player interprets it.

One of the best examples I've ever seen of this was just a few weeks ago in an under-six match, the grade I'm now coaching in.

The coach of the other team told one of his players to run as hard as he could and score a try under the posts.

Well, the little bloke did exactly what he was told except there was a small problem. He took off and scored all right, but it was between the posts of the football field next to us.

It was a great and funny moment, but it reminded me of what happens in the minds of the big blokes in the NRL.

They do their best to follow instructions, but somehow the instructions need to be feathered into what their natural instinct tells them.

Robert Redford played the part of the horse whisperer in the film of the same name.

He saved a troubled horse by using methods some thought silly. The horse whisperer simply went about things in a quiet manner, instilling confidence. Which is not silly, when you think about it.

That's no different to what a coach needs to do at times.

Maybe the Warriors coach should rent the movie out, it may help him.

But Ivan Cleary will be doing it very tough at the moment and I feel for him.

As a coach you convince yourself that what you are doing is right and every mistake that happens on the field is an arrow in your heart.

However, as tough as it is at the moment, Cleary now also needs to keep half an eye on next year as well. It is a chance for him to find out exactly what he has to play with in 2010.

Youth is the key. Never mind looking at the greener grass in other paddocks. Give a few more Kevin Lockes a gallop.

I think that would be the advice from the horse whisperer.

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