WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:07.160 Hello and welcome to the Rugby League Coach Podcast, episode 2 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:10.080 two hundred and forty nine. We are in the fourth 3 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:13.919 season of it. My name is Lee Addison. I am 4 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:17.640 the owner of Rugby League Coach dot com dot au. 5 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:22.600 I am a coach mentor, a coach educator, a coach consultant. 6 00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:25.519 I'm the author of Rugby League Coach of thirteen game 7 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:29.879 Changing Conversations to transform your coaching, and you can find 8 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.799 me at Rugby League Coach dot com dot au Online. 9 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:35.840 You can find me at Rugby League Coach on most 10 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:39.679 social platforms apart from x which is at RL Coach 11 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:42.479 on the net. I don't do Snapchat. I think that's shit. 12 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:47.640 My water consumption, which is huge, is sponsored by Global 13 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:50.600 League Network and you can find them at Global League 14 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:58.560 dot Network. Don't be scared to win. Criticism of successful 15 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:03.000 teams is common, and successful coaches is common. The modern 16 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:07.959 tendency to apologize to want to win as well seems 17 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:13.239 to be getting ever more common. Winning isn't a dirty word. 18 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.480 People who canplain most about winners are often frustrated by 19 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:23.120 their own inability. I should say to win consistently. Winning 20 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:29.439 isn't everything, but trying to win should be Some coaches 21 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:35.760 become afraid of success. Tall poppy is a big thing 22 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:39.560 in Australian sport in particular. There's a little bit of 23 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:41.359 it in other countries as well, but it seems to 24 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:46.400 be quite significant in Australia. High standards often get labeled negatively. 25 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:50.599 The difference between wanting to win and win at all 26 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:55.959 costs gets confused. But players want to be part of 27 00:01:55.959 --> 00:02:00.319 successful environments, don't they. Would you rather play for a 28 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:02.040 coach who wants to win or a coach who was 29 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:07.599 happy being average? I was happy giving everybody not very much. 30 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:11.400 What standards are you currently lowering as a coach because 31 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:15.719 you're worried about what others think. Players deserve your best 32 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:21.479 effort and that includes trying to build a winning team now. 33 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:27.759 Probably just like you, I accidentally became a coach. Became 34 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.599 a coach in nineteen ninety nine a cop some illness, 35 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:33.960 I don't know what it was to this day, but 36 00:02:34.199 --> 00:02:36.479 lost a load of weight. I could probably do with 37 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:44.240 it now. And I went to university in England and 38 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:47.159 I was approaching my third year. But at that same 39 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:49.919 time I was also working as a media manager part 40 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:55.840 time at Saltord Reds and then Wigan Warriors, and quite frankly, 41 00:02:55.879 --> 00:02:58.120 I didn't want to go into either of those places 42 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.400 with a black eye from playing rugby league or with 43 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:06.800 an injury. So when we walked past the guys who 44 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:10.000 were organizing the team for that year, they said, I 45 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.960 I don't come and play for us? I went nah, 46 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:18.199 They said why don't you coach us? Then somebody piped 47 00:03:18.280 --> 00:03:21.120 up from the back said why the hell would do that? 48 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:24.560 And then that one session that did the following week 49 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:29.919 changed everything. None of us know which opportunities will change 50 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:35.039 our lives, do we? Coaching often chooses us, and I 51 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:37.240 think one of the big reasons is the buzz of 52 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.639 seeing players improve and teams improve, and the satisfaction of 53 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:46.240 planning and seeing ideas unfold. The best opportunities offer arrive 54 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:53.080 disguised as inconvenience, don't we, And that's probably where you 55 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.400 find yourself now. And my advice to you is schedule 56 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:03.520 your own study periods. Schedule them if you can, weekly 57 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.400 or at least once a month during the season and 58 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:10.319 in the off season. It doesn't necessarily have to be 59 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:13.680 six months. Start with a day, Start with the weekend, 60 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:18.879 start with a week, watch games, take notes, challenge assumptions, 61 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:23.720 think deeply. The best coaches don't just collect information, they 62 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:27.160 develop understanding. And that's one thing I try and say 63 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:29.439 to coaches when I meet them at seminars and whatnot. 64 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:33.240 Eighty of the requests I get when I meet coaches 65 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.279 is more drills. I'll say, well, you get plenty of 66 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:38.600 them online on Rugby League coach dot Com to tay you. 67 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:44.800 I'm here to tell you how to carry out those drills, 68 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:50.959 how to get the best outcomes out of those drills. 69 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:57.399 Are we really short of talent in the NRL? Andrew 70 00:04:57.480 --> 00:05:00.680 Johns as spart some discussion this week when he suggested 71 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:04.439 Rugby League needs to find another one hundred elite players 72 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.399 for the new and rol franchises that we have, and 73 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:10.720 we should be looking at places like South Africa and 74 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:15.240 New Zealand South Island. That is to help fill the pipeline. 75 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:20.759 On the surface, that's a fair point, and yes, please 76 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:23.759 let's go there. But I think it raises a bigger question, 77 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:28.920 don't you do you think we've exhausted all the talent 78 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:33.040 already sitting in our own backyard here in Australia. And 79 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:38.120 I tell you what, they've definitely not done that in England, 80 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:44.000 I think it's a myth the empty talent pool. Every 81 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:48.439 year we hear concerns about depth and player shortages, yet 82 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:53.639 across New Zealand, Queensland and New South Wales there are 83 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.920 literally thousands of players who never get a genuine opportunity 84 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:02.480 to to be seen. The issue isn't necessarily a lack 85 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:06.839 of talent. I think the issue is a lack of 86 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:14.519 talent identification covering all this potential talent, and scouting has 87 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:22.360 changed too. Modern scouting is more conscious of budgets. Why 88 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:27.600 go looking all the way into the bush for the 89 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:31.920 potential to see one player against players who might not 90 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:35.759 be anywhere near his or her standard when you can 91 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:40.160 wait for them to get to the big city carnivals 92 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:44.079 and just go to the city or the town that's 93 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.160 hosting that carnival, and while you're there you can have 94 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:50.240 lots of drinks with your other scouts and try and 95 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:56.519 pick them for information too. In my experience, has about 96 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:03.759 seventy five percent of scouting i've just described there. Obviously, 97 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:08.480 if you're playing city areas, there's a big focus around 98 00:07:08.519 --> 00:07:15.600 those areas. And I know of one talent who lives 99 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:20.199 five hours away from Brisbane who for some reason has 100 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:22.879 missed out and getting picked up by two NRO clubs 101 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:28.079 that were sniffing around. There's no reason that anybody can see. 102 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:33.480 I'm sure there is, but the wisdom of crowds tends 103 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:37.879 to get us through, and this kid's thinking of moving 104 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:44.759 to Brisbane to get more opportunities. And of course, in 105 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:48.120 the last decade we've had the increase in live stream footage, 106 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:54.560 so a lot of scouts just turn on the Wi Fi, 107 00:07:57.240 --> 00:07:59.040 so if you don't play in a live stream game, 108 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:04.800 you've got less chance of getting scouted. Now. As a result, 109 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:11.040 fewer scouts are traveling to regional areas and fewer players 110 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:15.680 are being discovered the old fashioned way. Technology has improved 111 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:18.600 access in some ways, but it's also created blind spots. 112 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:21.639 If you're not playing in the right comp or at 113 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:23.720 the right school, or in front of the right camera, 114 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:30.279 it's becoming harder than ever to get noticed. For decades, 115 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:33.240 Country rugby League has been one of the game's greatest 116 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:39.360 talent factories, yet many regional areas now receive fewer scouting 117 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:45.480 visits than ever before. Also, the coaching pathways are very 118 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:49.799 much metro and city based, so the coaches out in 119 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:51.799 the bush areas are getting less and less help as 120 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:56.440 the years go on. So this all creates a genuine 121 00:08:56.519 --> 00:08:59.279 question before we start searching overseas, if we truly left 122 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:05.399 no stone earned in Australia, because there are still talented 123 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.679 kids in country Queensland, country, New South Wales, remote communities 124 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:14.399 who may never ever enter an NRL pathway system. Plus 125 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:21.679 as well, talent identification follows trends. For close to two decades, 126 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:30.320 the NRL scouts prioritized size, bigger athletes, bigger forwards, bigger 127 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:33.759 outside backs. But now the game has changed because of 128 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.519 the rock speeds. Somehow they're trying to get smaller players 129 00:09:38.679 --> 00:09:44.200 because fatigue and defensive movement have increased the value of 130 00:09:44.279 --> 00:09:48.600 being agile and having footwork and being lean and good 131 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:52.679 decision making with the ball. Suddenly, clubs are now looking 132 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:55.480 at smaller, faster athletes again, and the ones they've got, 133 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:00.960 they're stripping kilos off them. How many players have been 134 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:04.360 overlooked five, ten, fifteen, twenty years ago because they didn't 135 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.399 fit that prototype. Have a look at our first lot 136 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:09.279 of immortals and tell me how many of them were 137 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:14.919 six foot four. But it isn't just a recruitment issue 138 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:18.759 as a coaching lesson too, and we've all got to 139 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:23.320 be careful about becoming obsessed with current trends. The best 140 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:27.360 coaches identify qualities that survive every rule change the game 141 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:33.919 has ever tried to give. Us competitors gain sense, work, ethic, fighting, spirit, 142 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:41.200 decision making, resilience, one percenters, body types and fashions change. 143 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:46.120 Footballers don't. One of the greatest footballers many of us 144 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:51.480 will have ever seen, Cameron Smith was everything that scouts 145 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:57.840 tend not to look for for so many years. So 146 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:00.080 I'm not against us looking at suth Africa and New 147 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:03.279 Zealand or anywhere else with talent, Joey, But before Rugby 148 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:08.759 League starts searching to these overseas places, I'd like to 149 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:12.600 know that we've genuinely exhausted the thousands already available in 150 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:16.120 Australia and PNG, because the mr l's in P and 151 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:22.759 G now, because if I'm right, and they're still talented 152 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:26.559 players and the bush going unseen or unpolished players going 153 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:30.080 unseen because we have this culture, don't we that you're 154 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:34.159 a better player if you've been coached well. A lot 155 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:36.399 of these guys in regional areas won't get the same 156 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:43.440 access to quality coaching, so that will skew people's opinions 157 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:51.919 of them. And that's why I'm really passionate about the 158 00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:54.039 work that i do. That's why I was in Maitland 159 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:58.679 last week. That's why I've been to Young Mirandra, That's 160 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:03.480 why I've been to Orange, an Angle, Bunderbergs, so many places, 161 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:10.200 so many places that I forget where I've been, and 162 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:15.120 I say the same thing all the time. And I've 163 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:17.840 always believed that geography and cost should never determine a 164 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:21.360 person's future. So, as I hinted at last week, Rugby 165 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:28.559 League Coach is changing things gradually and i want clubs 166 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:33.639 out there to reach out and I'm already taking bookings 167 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:40.039 for twenty twenty seven and put it this way, it 168 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:44.600 will not break the bank. Please get in touch admin 169 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:48.320 at Rugby League Coach dot com to tell you is 170 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:51.840 my email address at Rugby League Coach. On socials, Please 171 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:59.200 message me on Instagram and Facebook. What should we talk 172 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:04.639 about next? As you can probably tell by this accent, 173 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:11.000 I wasn't born and raised in Australia. And there's a 174 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:14.120 tournament with a funny shaped ball being kicked around in 175 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:18.559 it right now and my country of birth is playing it, 176 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.279 and so is Australia. And actually, as I talk to 177 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:25.360 you right now, the soccer rules are not that far 178 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:29.559 off kicking off and one of the worst things that 179 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:34.679 can happen to an Englishman has happened. England have not 180 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:39.919 played yet and Scotland have scored a goal and are 181 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:42.320 still ahead. As I taught right now in the World Cup, 182 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:47.720 we will never hear the end of it as English people. Now, 183 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:49.919 as you know one here, I like to talk about 184 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:55.399 what we can learn from another sport and I will 185 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:57.559 do everything I can to keep linking this back to 186 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.240 issues in rugby league up today, I'm going to cover 187 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:08.399 a few things. Thomas Tuckle is the England football coach 188 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.840 and this is going to be a big test of 189 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:13.879 why the best team isn't always made up of the 190 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:20.639 best players, as always happens when England names are scored 191 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:23.200 when New South Wales's names are squad doesn't tend to 192 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:28.919 happen with Queensland, does it, But criticism is immediate. What 193 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:33.120 Thomas Tuckle has done is left big names out, established 194 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:36.159 stars of miss selections. Some fans and commentators are asking 195 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:43.240 quite viciously why some players have been left out. But 196 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:45.840 I think there's a really important lesson here for US coaches, 197 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:51.279 a lesson about selection, about culture and the difference between 198 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:57.519 picking the best players and picking the best team. England 199 00:14:57.720 --> 00:14:59.840 as a football nation as one of the deepest talent 200 00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:03.639 rules in world football, and every position has several elite 201 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:07.480 players and several of them have been left at home. 202 00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:11.200 The ones that are clussed to stars and former internationals 203 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:16.720 and media personalities are question in selections and that very 204 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:19.960 much reminds me of what New South Wales have for origin. 205 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:25.679 One of the reasons Thomas Tuckle's selections have generated so 206 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:31.039 much debate is because of that deep talent pool, and 207 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:34.759 in rugby league terms, it's just like the players that 208 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.720 were missing for New South Wales in Game one and 209 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.200 now in Game two. And I've been even diving in 210 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:48.799 on that as well, particularly about the front row. Over 211 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:52.080 the years, New South Wales have left players like Cameron mckinnis, 212 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:56.960 Ryan Papenhouse and Clint Gutherson out of games. Brett Camwley 213 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.440 was always behind, Joey Jones, could go on and on 214 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.000 and on. Queensland offered a fewer stars on paper, but 215 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:11.320 have far greater role clarity. The best players don't always 216 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.559 make the best team, do they. Queensland have an origin dynasty. 217 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.240 For years people arguing New South Wales had more individual talent, 218 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:22.480 and they're still saying that now. But Queensland kept winning 219 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:26.320 because they understand roles, combinations and culture better than their opponents. 220 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:30.960 Penry's Panthers are a perfect example of a system first organization. 221 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.240 They didn't build four straight Grand Final teams by chasing 222 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:37.360 the biggest names all the time. They built them by 223 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:40.000 finding players who fit the system and understand their role. 224 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:45.200 Melbourne Storm or another. Craig Bellamy has spent two decades 225 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:48.799 proving that a great team an environment can elevate good 226 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:59.320 players into REP level players. Selection isn't always a reward 227 00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:04.240 for being talanted. It's a decision about what gives a 228 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:06.880 team the best chance of success, or it should be. 229 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:11.200 And I think the question you have to ask, if 230 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:14.039 you're coaching rep football, or even if you're coaching a 231 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:21.440 club team, what is my best team? And that's a 232 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:26.880 different question to who are my best players? And recent 233 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:31.799 reporting around England's manager suggests is deliberately narrowed squad sizes 234 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:36.039 and focused on competition for positions and placed a bigger 235 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:40.799 emphasis on team and social cohesion, role clarity and behaviors 236 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:44.759 rather than simply collecting the biggest names and some people 237 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:46.440 that will tell you that the last coach to do 238 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:50.759 that was Sir Ralph Ramsey in nineteen sixty six and 239 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:55.839 they won the World Cup. But just like Alph Ramsey 240 00:17:55.880 --> 00:18:01.440 back in the sixties, Tuckle is getting criticized. Yes, I'm 241 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:08.599 criticizing Laurie Daily too. Possibly the strongest rugby league comparison 242 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:13.400 isn't Origin, it's probably Penry's. Every coach listening now understands 243 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:16.160 that a team full of stars can fail, while a 244 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:19.240 team full of players who understand their role can win competitions. 245 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:22.920 And that's a lesson England's manager seems to be trying 246 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:27.440 to apply to England. And when a coach leaves out 247 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:31.279 a famous player or a club legend, people often assume 248 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:35.519 it's a mistake. The public tend to look at talent, 249 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:45.119 coaches have to look at something much bigger. How many 250 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:47.240 times have we all sat in a selection meeting or 251 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:50.640 something similar and started naming the best players individually rather 252 00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:52.799 than asking how the team is apt to go into function. 253 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:04.319 It's a big question is but why do We sometimes 254 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.960 leave out big names, or sometimes we have role duplication 255 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:10.720 of two people who play the same role Brett Comawali 256 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:17.240 Andrew Johns. Both of them might be outstanding, they might 257 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:20.160 provide the same strength. One of them might have one 258 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:25.839 less strength or one more weakness. But there's a team 259 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:32.240 balance issue. The team might need more defense, might more 260 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:37.519 work rate, more levels of communication, more leadership rather than 261 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:42.839 just another good attacking player. And sometimes the best player 262 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:46.319 isn't the best team mate either, are they? And elite 263 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:53.640 coaches understand that junior coaches out there often pick the 264 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:57.519 biggest kids, the fastest kids, the representative kids, without even 265 00:19:57.559 --> 00:20:02.440 straining the brain. Instead, more of them need to ask 266 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:05.319 what does the team need? Who compliments each other, Who 267 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:12.880 improves the team environment, who helps others perform? Great teams 268 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:16.079 are built like puzzles, not collections, and every piece has 269 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:23.200 a purpose. Coaching isn't about popularity. It's not about keeping 270 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:27.640 everybody happy, and it's not about selecting the players that 271 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:31.519 will get you the least criticism. It's about building a 272 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:38.799 team capable of winning, isn't it. Have you ever been 273 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:41.160 part of a team where the best player wasn't necessarily 274 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:45.559 the most important player let me know, because I think 275 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:48.200 every successful team has at least one of those stories. 276 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:51.839 Admin at Rugby League Coach dot com dot au at 277 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:57.160 Rugby League Coach on socials on another sport, I want 278 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:03.240 to talk about on another England cricket team issue. So 279 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:07.519 for those who were minded to look at this stuff, 280 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:14.279 Ben Stokes has basically been stepped down. He's the captain 281 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:18.680 of the team for staying out beyond a curfew that 282 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:22.279 he was part of setting and he was pissed as 283 00:21:22.279 --> 00:21:25.880 a fart apparently. So the question now is how professional 284 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:31.400 professional athletes really One of my friends who's got a 285 00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:36.319 massive background in the NRL said to me that he 286 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:41.640 believes rugby league players don't understand sacrifice, and I don't 287 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.640 think that's necessarily true, but I get his point. He 288 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:52.680 was comparing that to boxers for example. So English cricket 289 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:55.759 has found itself in the headlines again overplay behavior, drinking 290 00:21:55.799 --> 00:21:58.960 culture and preparation standards. You may remember Queensland went through 291 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:04.440 something similar years ago. The vice captain Harry Brook was 292 00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:07.400 overlooked for the captaincy of the next Test because he 293 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.119 himself had been involved in an alcohol related incident a 294 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:15.400 few months ago. So this saga's sparked debate in the 295 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:19.720 UK about whether cricket is lagging far behind other sports 296 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:25.200 when it comes to professionalism. Cricket, just like rugby league, 297 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:28.000 at times, has celebrated stories of players drinking all night 298 00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:33.039 and still performing brilliantly the next day. The legends in 299 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:36.160 cricket are famous. I could rattle off loads of story 300 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:44.759 right now. But just because some athletes succeeded, or players 301 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:48.400 succeeded despite poor habits, doesn't mean others can do that too. 302 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:51.680 I can tell you of one player who was very 303 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:57.559 big in the NRL, very big in England, Englishman who 304 00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:03.759 was regularly pissed before big games. The world's best athletes 305 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:06.119 the world's best players now I hate the term athletes 306 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:16.160 are now obsessed with finding tiny advantages. No Dyokovic transformed 307 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:20.680 his diet and lifestyle. Virak Coley became obsessed with body 308 00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:27.319 composition and recovery. Declan Rice, the Arsenal midfielder, wasn't there 309 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:29.680 purportally never drunk a pint of beer in his life. 310 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:36.640 You could argue that the question many of them ask 311 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:39.279 is what gives me an edge? Not what can I 312 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:45.039 get away with? And sleep is a huge issue too. 313 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.119 I saw a piece the other day that Manchester City 314 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:51.960 demand all their players sleep eight to ten hours a night. 315 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:57.960 Anybody who gets less than eight hours who's performing at 316 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:02.680 a certain level, have an increased injury risk, slowly reaction 317 00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:06.960 times to poorer recovery, and reduce decision making ability. And 318 00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:09.240 that's something I'm suffering from right now. I've had an 319 00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:15.720 awful weeks sleep. As coaches, we offer focus on skills, tactics, conditioning, 320 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:20.319 but how often do we discuss sleep hided habits, nutrition, hydration, recovery, 321 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:28.160 screen time before bed with our players. The players who 322 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:32.319 can stack everything together with hundreds of small professional habits 323 00:24:32.359 --> 00:24:36.160 every day will be the players that go the furthest 324 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:40.599 And one of the biggest mistakes we can make is 325 00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:48.200 celebrating exceptions. Every sport, including ours, has athletes players who drank, parted, 326 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:52.759 skip recovery and still dominated. The danger is those stories 327 00:24:52.799 --> 00:25:01.240 becoming the standard. Discipline is what gives you the best 328 00:25:01.319 --> 00:25:04.359 chance to succeed tomorrow, not what makes you feel good today. 329 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:11.920 That's this week's quote, with Origin around the corner or 330 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:16.039 Origin two around the corner, and then Origin three, and 331 00:25:16.039 --> 00:25:18.480 then our old teams going through what they could probably 332 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:22.759 class as the toughest period of the season. Recovery is 333 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:29.680 a very genuine competitive advantage and the teams that succeed 334 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:32.079 better are the ones who back up better, recover faster, 335 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:40.079 stay healthy longer, and avoid injuries. As a coach, what 336 00:25:40.119 --> 00:25:42.599 you let go is what you allow. I say this 337 00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:45.359 every week, and what you walk past is what you allow. 338 00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:55.200 What should we talk about now, guys? Oh yeah, I 339 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:57.319 do want to make sure you know about an offer. 340 00:25:57.319 --> 00:25:59.720 I've got one now, okay, So if you were to 341 00:25:59.720 --> 00:26:02.599 buy everything that Rugby League Coach has online, it costs 342 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:05.079 you about one twenty two dollars, which is about five 343 00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:08.680 hundred English pounds. You can get it all now for 344 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:11.920 three hundred dollars before the end of June, end of 345 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:16.680 year financial sale in Australia, so about one hundred and 346 00:26:16.680 --> 00:26:23.960 fifty English pounds, so seven percent off. Get in touch 347 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:27.440 and I'll tell you what to do or go to. 348 00:26:28.039 --> 00:26:30.640 Let me find a link Rugby League Coach dot Com 349 00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:34.240 to tay you forward slash Register Forward Slash Coach Update 350 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:40.640 package Rugby League Coach dot Com dot AARU Forward slash Register, 351 00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:48.359 Forward Slash Coach Update Package. Let's talk some football as 352 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:51.920 in rugby league football, one of the biggest misconceptions is 353 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:59.519 that overlaps just happen in our game. Good teams manufacture them. 354 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:05.920 Coaching philosophy has always been simple. On every play, there 355 00:27:05.960 --> 00:27:09.079 is a four on one overlap somewhere on the field. 356 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:16.039 That's because virtually all teams supply two markers in their 357 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:18.400 defensive line and one fallback, which means it's ten in 358 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:25.680 the defensive line. And you've got thirteen defenders trying to 359 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:29.279 cover sixty eight meters width with three of them missing. 360 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.920 So every defender has six point eight meters to cover, 361 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:39.519 so seven meters and if we can manipulate the defensive line, 362 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:44.160 force decisions and move bodies, eventually somebody somewhere runs out 363 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:48.079 of numbers or doesn't turn up where they should. The 364 00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:51.519 best attacking teams don't look for miracles. They're patiently stretching 365 00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:56.880 the defense until it breaks. So my question for you 366 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.200 coaches and players, does every player in your attack have 367 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:05.559 a purpose? Or your players just running shapes because that's 368 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:12.960 what they do I always have. I'm going to give 369 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:21.240 you a challenge here, what if the half back didn't 370 00:28:21.240 --> 00:28:29.160 have to solve everything? Okay, so get back on your 371 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:32.519 chair after you've just fallen off it, if you've crashed 372 00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:38.319 your car. I'm sorry. What if the half back didn't 373 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:49.039 have to solve everything? Can the halfback see everything? The 374 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:52.240 people in a football team who can often see the 375 00:28:52.279 --> 00:28:56.839 space the clearest and count the numbers the easiest, to 376 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:58.960 your centers, your wings and your second rowers who were 377 00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:01.799 on the edges. Yet we put all the pressure on 378 00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:05.960 the halves, don't we, The halves who have to organize 379 00:29:05.960 --> 00:29:08.799 people around them, The halves who have to check where 380 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:16.920 the ball is coming from. Everyone else is looking directly 381 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:21.720 at the defensive line, Isn't that? Aren't they? So? Imagine 382 00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:25.359 you're nine, you're six, and you're seven as the front people, 383 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:28.920 and everyone else is behind. They're the ones who look 384 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:31.599 at the defensive line and count numbers, aren't they, And 385 00:29:31.720 --> 00:29:34.759 they can communicate what they see what they see. Sorry, 386 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:44.880 if the defense is compressed, if there's lazy defenders, disconnected edges. Yet, 387 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:48.640 most rugbilly coaching I see is those players are waiting 388 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:53.519 for instructions, not giving tips on where to go next. 389 00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:01.440 When I coach, I teach my players to communicate information 390 00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:04.599 back to the playmakers all the time. Instead of the 391 00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:12.400 half back telling everybody what to do. And I always 392 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:14.480 wonder why he puts so much pressure on the hooker 393 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:20.279 when the hooker literally spends most of his game or 394 00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:26.480 her game where there are stuck up forwards, asses and 395 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:33.880 low down. One of the most undercoach skills in rugby 396 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:41.000 league is scanning the defensive line. Most players watch the ball. 397 00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:47.559 I always say to my players, if you want to 398 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:49.359 watch the game, go stand behind the fence. I want 399 00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:52.920 you to take part in it. Eighty plus percent of 400 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:55.200 the game is played off the ball. The best teams 401 00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:57.599