NRL: Coach McClennan ensures son glows

Warriors coach Brian McClennan. Photo / Greg Bowker

To understand the coaching environment at the Warriors in 2012, what really makes them tick, you could do worse than take a drive 45 minutes north of Auckland.

There you will find Mike McClennan, father of Warriors coach Brian. While he perhaps didn't always get the recognition he deserved, McClennan is a legendary figure around Auckland league circles. He was coach of the powerful Mt Albert side that dominated the scene in the 1980s, winning four grand finals before going on to further success with Northcote, then St Helens in the United Kingdom.

McClennan's legacy runs deep around Mt Smart this year. Brian McClennan played almost his entire career with his father as coach, while Toyota Cup coach John Ackland was also a mainstay of that Lions team as a ball-playing second rower. Assistant coach Tony Iro also enjoyed a stint at Mt Albert, albeit much briefer than the other two.

Mike McClennan is the coach who coached the coaches.

"I guess I got the trifecta," laughs McClennan. "It wasn't always easy for Brian, having his dad as coach, but he handled it fine and he was always keen to suggest ideas, to have a say. John was an intelligent footballer, always a thinker. I didn't have Tony for long but he was a hell of a player."

Other McClennan players who have gone on to coaching success include Dominic Clarke, Shane Cooper, Gary Prohm, Mark Bourneville and Graeme Norton, as well as former St Helens men Alan Hunte and Phil Veivers.

"He lived and breathed rugby league," remembers Prohm. "He had so much enthusiasm and knowledge and it rubbed off on you. The trainings were eye-wateringly tough but you were happy to go back for more."

"He was well ahead of his time," recalls Ackland. "He was the first to bring in specialist coaches and source outside advice. He had a true player-centred philosophy and tried to infuse a love of what we were doing, which I like to think I have taken into my coaching career."

Spend an hour with McClennan and the passion for the sport is immediately evident, as the stories roll off the tongue and he recalls the highs and lows of his career. He was a powerful winger in his playing days and counts appearing outside Roger Bailey for the Kiwis in the historic 24-3 victory over the Kangaroos in 1971 as a high point.

He started coaching in the juniors at Mt Albert, where his innovative touch was evident early on.

"We were playing Richmond Rovers one day and they were all monsters - much bigger than us," says Brian. "It was a windy day and he instructed us to kick on the first tackle every set. By halftime they were exhausted and we ran through them in the second half."

In the 1980s, club league thrived and Fox Memorial finals at Carlaw Park regularly attracted crowds of 15,000 to 20,000. It was on this stage that McClennan and his team shone, winning five of six grand finals across the decade.

Just as with Brian, especially during his reign as Kiwis coach, McClennan senior always liked to have trick plays and innovations up his sleeve. "It's fair to say sometimes the players were sceptical when he suggested things at training," remembers Ackland. "But more often that not the opposition were thrown by it."

A pet play was having playmaker Shane Cooper receive the ball with his back to the defensive line, before kicking it back over his head for his team-mates to chase. McClennan also pioneered the practice of halfbacks locking the scrum. He would send his wingers sprinting down the sideline before a penalty kick for touch was taken, so they would be there to catch the ball and force a restart (after complaints the rule was eventually amended).

One of his more outrageous ploys came at St Helens, where he had giant forward John Harrison using a football-style header: "John was huge, about 6ft 7 (2m)," remembers McClennan. "In a match against Sheffield, we had him standing at dummy half. He picked up the ball, threw it back, and headed it over their defence and into the in-goal. [Kiwi] George Mann raced through to score.

"The try was allowed as technically it was fine, though two weeks later there was a rule change."

Ackland and Prohm recall turning up for a Fox Memorial semifinal, only to find their Carlaw Park changing room inch deep in muddy water from the previous game. McClennan promptly raced upstairs to the boardroom, ripped up the carpet squares there and returned to lay it down across the dressing room floor.

"I was that angry," recalls McClennan, "I would have done it with my teeth."

Like many top coaches, McClennan clashed with administrators, possibly the reason for the under-use of his talents on these shores. Men like Tony 'Tank' Gordon and Bob Bailey were instead preferred as Kiwis coach during that era.

It was in the UK where McClennan proved his pedigree. In his first season at St Helens they reached the Challenge Cup final, losing 13-8 to the Wigan team that won the previous three and would win the next four.

Back in Auckland, Brian admits the lessons absorbed from his father have been many and varied. He is his own man, for sure, but there is also no doubt he is a chip off the old block.

"I think both Mike and Brian are great at building team harmony and culture," says Iro, "and they both understand how to get the best out of their teams; they tend not to over-complicate matters and instead play to their team strengths."

"At Mt Albert we always had so much confidence and belief," remembers Brian, "and that is probably the most crucial thing. But as a coach you have to give players reasons to have that confidence and belief. For me, looking back, there were four main lessons. We were always fit and well conditioned; we were always well prepared as a team; I always had good players beside me, players you wanted to play with; and the game plan made sense."

"I would always tell my players there are 4800 seconds in a game," says McClennan, "and make sure every second counts. Don't wait until the last 10 minutes to switch on."

Both Mike and Brian are renowned as motivators but Brian feels that side of the game is often over-emphasised: "Before the game and at halftime it is about giving the players information," he says. "Sure, over the years you get better at making sure they hear what you want to say but it is disrespectful to the players to think that a few words from me can change a game. It is all about the work we do before."

Brian won five grand finals as a player but says his favourite memories came from the moments before the big matches. "My best memory is walking down Carlaw Park lane", says Brian. "You have your bag slung over your shoulder, your team-mates by your side and you were so confident. We were the best-prepared side and knew we were going to win. That was the best feeling in the world."