NRL: Jones still a guiding light at Warriors

Stacey Jones. Photo / NZPA

The Little General is earning his coaching stripes and has aspirations to coach at NRL level.

For someone who got into coaching on a whim, and loses some of his best players every week to higher grades, Warriors Holden Cup coach Stacey Jones is doing all right.

His team will return to the top eight if they beat Canberra today, after being in playoffs range for most of the season. It's a fair return for the rookie coach, who came into the role at a time when the under-20s are less of a priority than previous years.

Rather then winning NYC titles, the major focus has been on preparing players for first grade, meaning regular personnel changes as the best players are shifted into reserve grade.

After two heavy defeats to start the year, the team posted their first win when David Fusitu'a and Tuimoala Lolohea joined the side in round three. They have also tended to perform well when the likes of Solomone Kata, Mason Lino and captain Sam Lisone are available, and struggle to replace them when they shift to reserve grade. It's central to the new approach initiated by Matt Elliott and cemented by his successor Andrew McFadden.

"It's been hard," Jones admitted. "When we have our key players, we tend to win. Without them, we struggle. But I accept what the club are doing. It's all about the big picture and giving them the best possible chance to make it as league players."

It's all part of the learning curve for Jones, who never harboured coaching ambitions during his decorated playing career. He got into coaching "on a whim" with former Warriors team-mate Awen Guttenbeil in 2010 when his junior club Pt Chevalier needed help.

Those two years took him back to the grassroots - he was player-coach when the Pirates won the division three title - and gave him a taste for staying in the game.

Now you get the impression there's no place he would rather be.

"If you are retired and can't play any more, what the next best thing?" Jones asked. "It would be coach of a young team ... helping the next generation come through and find their place."

There have been big adjustments that come with coaching at this level. Rather than just running a couple of training sessions a week, there's video analysis, planning sessions, strength training and sport science to deal with. It's a juggling act with his players, most of whom combine full-time work or study with their Holden Cup careers.

"They need to be managed carefully," said Jones.

Not all ex-players make it as coaches at the top level but plenty do, especially a lot of former halfbacks such as Des Hasler, Geoff Toovey, Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley and McFadden.

"I'm realistic. I know where my levels are at," Jones said. "I'm here to develop and learn as much as possible and there will be stepping stones. But ambitions are there in the long term. You would never say never to coaching at the highest level one day."