League: Coaching swap boosts Warriors' confidence

Tony Kemp (right) and former All Black coach John Hart after the announcement yeasterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

It was a departure with a difference yesterday. The announcement of Ivan Cleary as new coach of the Warriors, and Tony Kemp's exit, came in marked contrast to the way in which the club parted company with coach No 5 Daniel Anderson.

Cleary, board chairman Maurice Kidd and new assistant coach John Ackland fronted the media to tell of the changes. Kemp was there to listen, then tell how he felt about it.

When Anderson was chopped after eight losses and three wins (plus a bye) following round 12 last year, no one fronted except Anderson, and that was not at the club.

Kemp, 37, kept a brave face as he accepted the outcome of the review that followed their 11th placing.

He was disappointed that he didn't get another go, but believed the moves were positive. He was a realist, he knew that he would be under pressure if they didn't make the top eight, and after five years under pressure he was looking forward to time with his family and time to decide his future. He had not given away all thoughts of coaching.

Former All Blacks coach John Hart, appointed as a director to the board, was at the media conference to detail the changes, as was Ackland, Tony Iro, who also changes role to become development coach, Kevin Campion, who is skills coach and video analyst, and conditioner Keir Hansen.

Hart is to be the executive director of football, and Kemp and Cleary said he had offered good advice already.

Board chairman Maurice Kidd said they believed they had a correct mix of youth and experience and there was no concern at putting Cleary in charge - the club's sixth coach in 11 years - nor that that would unsettle the players.

The players had reacted positively after being called to a meeting to be informed of the changes.

Kemp and Cleary said the club had the playing talent to push up the table.

Much noise was made at the media conference and afterwards of reconnecting with the community. Such openness was a good start.

Among fans there is widespread disquiet about the departure of Stacey Jones and the failure to sign an adequate replacement - even more so the failure to develop one or to grab one of several young New Zealand players now in the halves in reserve grade at other NRL clubs.

But the word is that the new coaching team will try to restore the entertainment-style of play that got the Warriors to the 2002 grand final.

They have Roosters' reserve grade halfback Grant Rovelli coming in. But the intention is apparently to stick with Sione Faumuina at five-eighth and shift Nathan Fien to halfback, with Lance Hohaia as hooker/impact player.

If they do pursue the New Zealand-style running game, without the grid-workings of the Aussie defensive patterns, it will be a refresher for players and fans.

The Warriors have never coped well with too much structure in the game-plan, and the solution to the problem is like answering the "chicken-and-egg-which-came-first" question - do the coaches kill the playing talent or are the players coach-killers?

Balance is something yet to be achieved at the club and they came nearest to it in 2002. Cleary was undoubtedly Mark Graham's smartest signing in his two years as coach. After a 31-24 loss to Penrith in 2000 in which he badly injured his shoulder, I asked Cleary while he was leaving the ground: "What is it that the Warriors lack and why can't they win the close ones?'

He shrugged good shoulder and bad. But 53 games watching from the No 1 jersey will hopefully have given him a few clues.

Next year the Warriors do not want to be frightened to make a mistake. They are a team stacked with confident players who have been playing without confidence.

When they start enjoying their football, so will we.

Ivan Cleary

Born 1/3/71 Sydney

Married with 3 children

Played 189 games 1992-2002 for Manly (15), North Sydney (37), the Roosters (84) and the Warriors (53)

Reserve grade coach at the Roosters 2003-04, won the championship 2004