Rugby League: Sober Endacott feels heat of Wigan passion

By PETER JESSUP

New Wigan Warriors coach Frank Endacott has come a long way since he made his first foray to England 11 years ago - all the way from sleeping in a van on roadside laybys to a luxury suite in a fine hotel.

On a scouting mission/holiday in 1989 the then Canterbury rugby league coach along with Manukau/Carlisle/Maori coach Cameron Bell and Glenora's Laurie Stubbing drank their way around Britain in a campervan.

Endacott this week shifts into a club-owned home just vacated by cast-off centre Danny Moore, gone to the London Broncos, and will shift up a gear in his bid to resurrect the proud club's winning tradition.

He and his Kiwi-connected coaching team - assistant and former Kiwi and Warriors centre Dean Bell and early Warriors trainer Marty Hulme - have just taken the team to Dublin for a three-day bonding exercise.

"Yeah, we tried the Guinness," he said. "We're ready to play," was his assessment of fitness levels and player combinations.

Wigan open their account in the Challenge Cup in mid-February, the draw to be conducted in Manchester on January 31. Their first premiership game in Super League is away to their bogey side Castleford in March, with Leeds next up in what will be a true test of the coach's ability to turn things around after what Wigan followers consider a losing season with a fourth-place finish and no cups.

Endacott is under no illusions about what will happen when negotiations come around to renew his one-year deal should the silverware cupboard still be empty. Wigan have had four coaches in the past four seasons.

"The people are very passionate - they've made me very welcome, there's lots of expectation. I would expect the same passion reversed if we can't win."

But he is confident.

"There's a great attitude in the squad, we're putting the work in."

Bell dissected the squad prior to Endacott's arrival a fortnight ago and 11 players have been sacked. Gone are former Norths standoff Greg Florimo and hooker Mark Reber, and Moore, in order to satisfy the four-import restriction after the club bought Bronco Steve Renouf and Norths wing Brett Dallas, half Willie Peters from Souths and former Warrior prop Brady Malam, who is to fly over this weekend.

Endacott reckoned the English Super League sides were not far behind Australasian standards. The biggest problem is maintaining training.

"The fog's been hanging around all day, you can't see 20 feet in front of you, so it's hard to work on ball skills outside."

The club's new ground, JJB Stadium, includes a near full-size indoor field, and a 60m running track is being built under one grandstand.

Endacott watched NRL champions the Melbourne Storm train there yesterday in preparation for this weekend's world club final against St Helens, and later spoke to the Storm's Kiwis Steve Kearney, Matt Rua and Richard Swain, all dead keen for the Anzac test; and met Australian counterpart and Storm coach Chris Anderson.

The session ended in some acrimony, JJB ground staff unhappy at the treatment the surface received from the Storm players and refusing a request for another session.

Endacott was also pulling strings in the game to get the Paul brothers released from Bradford for the Anzac game. His Wigan side play the Friday night before the test, he flies to Sydney on Saturday and wants the Pauls, Leeds' Richie Blackmore and Gene Ngamu from Huddersfield - if selected - with him.

Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield play on the Sunday, and Bradford and Super League chairman Chris Caisley has said he wants the Pauls playing, which would breach the international agreement for players to be released five clear days ahead of a test.

There could be distance between the coach and the Pauls the day after the test, however: Wigan meet Bradford in the next round.