Rugby League Coaching Manuals

By Michael Carayannis, The Leader Newspaper - The smell of a football dressing room has former Test rugby league coach Chris Anderson enjoying his new mentoring role with the Southern Districts Rugby Union Club - the Rebels - now in the process of rebuilding after an horrendous 2008 season.

Anderson who also coached Canterbury and Melbourne to NRL premiership success and coached the Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters is giving Souths' co-coaches Tim Rapp and Steve Harkin feedback about different training techniques, while focusing on the defensive structure of the team.

``I'm enjoying the involvement,'' Anderson said. ``I like the smell of the dressing room. I've been around footy clubs for a while and it is always good to have someone to talk to who has been there and done that.''

Anderson dabbled in rugby when he was in charge of Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales, in 2004-05. ``We are a different game but all the preparation is the same,'' Anderson said. ``I've found a lot of [the players] willing. A lot of the skill levels need to be improved, and that's what we can do.

``It is hard training just two nights a week to get them fit and increase their skill level. We reward blokes who do their own fitness so we can spend two nights on skill.''

Moving from a professional set-up to an amateur one has presented some different challenges, although benefactor Kevin Maloney and friends have boosted the club's professional outlook for season 2009 with an injection of much-needed funds and new players, headed by former Easts backrower Tim McGann and former Cronulla and Parramatta rugby league outside back Matt Raftery.

Andrew Maloney, the well respected former rep back rower and first grade captain, is coming out of retirement to return to the club. Souths also have access to Waratahs trio Dan Palmer, Rob Horne and Kane Douglas and Western Force lock David Pusey, when available.

They have signed backrower Puni Loi, who has been playing in France, second-row duo Noel Franco and Chris Aho, while former Cronulla lower grade players Chris Kerr and Stan Tuionuku, who has been selected as part of the Australian sevens rugby side, are also in the squad.

Co-coach Rapp is excited by what the club could achieve this season after its very existence was threatened. ``The club have had a bad couple of years,'' Rapp said. ``At the end of the day if first grade aren't winning games it is a bad year.''

``We think with the ability we will get on the football field, not only with first grade but in second grade as well, we can't see us not pushing at the pointy end of the season and not getting into the finals.

``If we get ourselves there that will be a very successful season and we would give it a real shake.''

The season kicks off on March 28 and Souths will face Sydney University in a trial on March 7.