Chad Randall is experiencing the best of both worlds when it comes to further developing his coaching knowledge.
A former Manly first grade player, Randall has risen through the club’s coaching ranks and was an NRL assistant and development co-ordinator in 2017.
Randall was recently promoted to the role of NRL Assistant Coach to join John Cartwright in that role under Head Coach Trent Barrett. He says both have plenty to offer in different ways.
“I don’t think I have seen anyone more composed than Trent in the way he talks and delivers a message,’’ Randall said.
“He explain things so well that everyone understands exactly what he wants, even in high pressure moments in games, at half-time, or when the match is on the line.
“As a coach, they say it takes time to build a culture and that your team will be a reflection of you. Our team is now starting to reflect Trent in terms of his competitiveness and composure in big moments.
“We won a lot of games this year in the final minutes, but that is the composure ‘Baz’ has on the team. I was in the huddle for the Warriors game in Auckland (round 25) when we were down by seven with five minutes to go. The boys never gave up and were very composed under pressure. That was a reflection of Trent.”
Randall said it was hard not to be impressed by Cartwright’s man-management skills.
“John doesn’t talk just for the sake of it. When he talks, it means something. He is an observer,’’ Randall said.
“For me as a coach coming through, that is something I have got to work hard on. When ‘Carty’ is observing, he makes better and clearer decisions. His overall presence is enormous for the club and for me. He is a mentor.”
Outside of coaching, Randall says captain Daly Cherry-Evans has now developed into an ‘outstanding leader’.
“Daly’s words are getting more powerful but if you talk about a leader by example, he is at the top,’’ Randall said.
“He wins every single thing at training, doesn’t take any fundamental skill for granted, and everything Daly does is done properly and professionally. He always puts the club and the team first.”
Randall said he developed a passion for coaching whilst at the London Broncos at the back end of his playing career.
“London Broncos were a very small club with a very small junior base, and they never had beaten Wigan or Leeds ever in their whole junior system.
“I was helping out with some defence work with their U20s team, and they went on to beat Wigan and Leeds.
“To help a group of individuals achieve something as a common goal felt good. The buzz I got from that was better than a buzz as a player.
“I suppose that’s what everyone thinks when they look into a rugby league team environment, they want to part of that winning feeling. That moment when everyone is together.
“There is no better feeling than coming off a hard fought win knowing what work you put in and the thought process behind it. You also learn a lot more too when you lose. It helps you to reassess the basics and to get back on track.”
