Watching the Tigers out-play, out-think, out- enthuse and eventually win against the Roosters on Sunday, was also a time for those core group of fans who just want to watch players get hold of the ball and do their best.
I had to retire from coaching years ago due to a few life-threatening health issues, but I’ll tell you what, the coaching fire has never gone out in my guts.
Watching Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall ride out the final few minutes to a great victory on the sideline at Alliance Stadium, I couldn’t help but be super pleased for him.
Coaching, like everything in life, continually evolves – and more often than not finds a way to improve itself. In many ways coaching is like raising children – you do your best to help your kids learn the things they need to learn and at times, point out their errors.
The thing is, most parents know that if your guidance turns into nagging, the kids wont listen. Very much like when coaches overcoach, the players turn off.
I’ve not had the privilege of watching Benji Marshall coaching but he sure seems to me to be the type of coach who stands behind his players on field judgements and decisions.
In a nutshell, he doesn’t overcoach, which may be a problem with some. Coaching is not a science as many coaches would like you to believe. Sure, science can and does play a role in the modern game or sport in general.
But at the end of the day, coaching is an art, not a science!
When you are the head coach it can be a very frustrating job and I can certainly understand how and why overcoaching creeps in. But the Tigers coach seems to me like a bloke who shows his players what he expects, then lets them get on with it.
