New Zealand Warriors chief dismisses rumours linking duo with coaching role
New Zealand Warriors owner Mark Robinson has ruled out the possibility of the Walker brothers, Ben and Shane, arriving at the club to replace Nathan Brown.
The Warriors are in the hunt for a new coach following the departure of Brown this week. Kiwi legend Stacey Jones has taken the reins for now while the search goes on.
A number of names have been thrown into the frame. They include the likes of Shane Flanagan, Paul Green and Kristian Woolf. However a more left-field approach has also been put out there in the form of the Walker brothers.
Johns talks up Walker brothers
NRL immortal Andrew Johns is a huge admirer and believes a club should take a punt on them. The Bulldogs are also searching for a new coach and Johns said they would be perfect. They play a style different to anything seen in the NRL right now.
Johns says it is a throwback to the great Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos sides. It would be exciting to play, but would be a gamble.
“When they coached the Ipswich Jets, they had a 1990s mindset of free-flowing footy in which players passed to space at every opportunity. In 2015, they won the Queensland Cup and then the NRL state championship with this throwback style of play,” Johns told the Sydney Morning Herald recently.
He then added: “It would take a courageous NRL club to move away from the status quo to a style of play like the one the Walkers suggest. But, as the saying goes: “Nothing changes if nothing changes”.
However it looks as though the Warriors are not ready to take such a gamble. The brothers have been heavily linked with the Warriors in the past. Indeed they held talks with the club before Brown was appointed.
New Zealand Warriors rule out duo
Fresh reports have emerged suggesting that they are in contention again. However Robinson has ruled it out.
“To be honest, we won’t be considering the Walker boys,” Robinson told Newscorp. “We looked at them last time and it’s just not my style on what we are looking for, I don’t think you can have two people as co-coaches. It’s not really the type of model I want.”
It is certainly interesting times with three clubs now looking for a new coach. Including the Wests Tigers following Michael Maguire’s exit.
Reports are rife suggesting the Tigers are pushing hard to land Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo. But luring him could be easier said than done.