League: Heat goes off as Kearney delivers

Stephen Kearney. Photo / Getty Images

Stephen Kearney's bikram yoga classes might be a bit easier during the next few weeks.

Kearney did some yoga during his playing career - something he credits with extending his time in the game - but became a devotee of bikram yoga midway through his first season as Parramatta Eels coach in 2010.

It was a traumatic time for Kearney and his family, as he battled with delivering the sort of results the club expected, and he quickly became hooked after a friend suggested he start spending 90 minutes stretching in a room heated to 40 degrees.

"It's always a challenge," says Kearney, who practises several times a week. "You have to be completely focused but it's also a bit of an escape."

Kearney has had plenty of reasons to escape over the past few years, with the Eels episode and some extremely testing times with the Kiwis. But some of that is all forgotten now.

Of all the storylines to emerge out of the Kiwis' stunning Four Nations triumph, one of the most compelling is the redemption of Kearney.

Before the recent tournament, there were plenty of question-marks over Kearney. Sure, the Anzac test had looked like progress but that could have been a one-off, and the spectre of the World Cup final debacle loomed larger in the memory.

The Kiwis had won just three of their previous 15 games against Australia or England coming into the Four Nations.

Another loss to the Kangaroos and his overall winning percentage in transtasman matches would have been hovering close to 10 per cent.

Kearney - and his reputation - had been damaged by the failure at Parramatta and there was a view the NZRL's decision to reappoint him as Kiwis coach last February said as much about the lack of experienced alternatives as it did about Kearney's abilities.

Those doubts are gone now. In less than 12 months, Kearney has rebuilt and overhauled this Kiwis team.

He has successfully established a new culture and put pride back in the jersey.

The 42-year-old got some tricky selection decisions right (Peta Hiku, Manu Vatuvei) and shrugged off the loss of key weapons such as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Sam Moa and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

He created a platform to get the best out of guns such as Shaun Johnson, Kieran Foran, Greg Eastwood and Jason Taumalolo.

Kearney has now recorded four wins against the Kangaroos, the first Kiwis coach to achieve that feat since Phil Amos in the early 1950s.

The Australians will rebound, but few would bet against Kearney claiming the record for himself in the next few years.

Perhaps most importantly, Kearney has also reinvented himself as a coach.

A long-time disciple of the Melbourne Storm's ultra-structured style, Kearney has softened a little.

He has realised the Kiwis couldn't keep trying to beat the Kangaroos at their own game - things had to change and he gave the players freedom to express themselves.

Johnson was a key agent of change. He got things wrong in the final - being herded over the sideline early in the tackle count could have been costly - but also tried things, which left the Australian defensive line constantly on edge.

"Full credit to Mooks [Kearney]. He's done a really good job of making the group feel comfortable about offloading," said Johnson. "Just play what we feel and it's pretty obvious we're at our best when we're doing that.

"We've got structure but, right from the start, Mooks encouraged everyone to take the opportunities when they come and a lot of our tries throughout the tournament came from exactly that rather than structured plays."

Kearney deflected any praise after the final, saying he was "pleased for the lads ... my joy is for them".

But he must allow himself a contented smile, no matter how tough the half tortoise pose gets.