Rugby League Coaching Manuals

The Roar - The appointment of Roosters legend Arthur Beetson to become assistant coach at the Bondi Junction club is a step in the right direction for a side struggling to find the necessary attitude and belief to climb off the bottom of the NRL ladder. However, if the Chooks really want to feel the passion of a man that is arguably the greatest forward of all time, they should make Beetson the head coach, and let Brad Fittler assume an assistant’s role at the club.

What current coach Fittler did last season for the Roosters has unfortunately unravelled in front of his eyes.

In the space of a year, the Roosters have gone from premiership contenders to becoming one of this season’s wooden spoon contenders.

But the writing was all over the wall when the Chooks lost by over 40 points against bitter rivals the South Sydney Rabbitohs in round one this year.

The side has since done little to turn around a form lapse that could very well land them their first wooden spoon since 1966.

With a roster containing representative forwards Willie Mason, Mark O’Meley, Nate Myles and Craig Fitzgibbon, this is simply not good enough, even for a coach of Fittler’s standing at the club.

While Fittler should be commended for sprinkling his fair ounce of fairy dust in a team that was on death’s door late in 2007, his spark has unfortunately run out.

So much so that there has even be talk of a player revolt against arguably one of the Roosters favourite sons following their recent 48-6 flogging against the Penrith Panthers two weeks ago.

The bye has allowed the Roosters to think about their future options regarding the head coaching position and its most suitable applicant.

Although nothing has been decided yet, Beetson’s return to Bondi Junction should at least install some much needed passion and respect to a Roosters jersey that has experienced every season rugby league in Australia has had to offer.

Although Beetson’s coaching resume is nothing to get the Roosters crowing, it did have its bright spots during the late seventies, winning 64 percent of his matches as coach of Eastern Suburbs from 1977-1978. Not to mention he also won ten games as Queensland Origin coach out of a possible thirteen during 1981-84.

These performances would make any current Roosters player perform at their best.