News Articles
July 1999
Coach Talk July '99
(Rugby League Coaching Magazine)
By Don Oxenham, Editor, ARL Level 4 Coach
Craig "Tugger" Coleman
Craig "Tugger" Coleman was a creative halfback who played 199 games for South Sydney between 1982 and 1992. During 1998 he took over the role of head coach at his beloved club and his coaching has played a major part in the resurgence of the Rabbitohs during 1999.
Listed below are 4 of the questions Keith Hookway asked 'Tugger'.
Subscribe and read the entire interview.
RLCM How important is skill development in your players?
C.C. We do a lot of work on skills. From the beginning players have done a lot of fitness work with the ball in their hands. Things such as quick hand drills, running angles, three on two, two on one so that they always have a ball in their hands, and players working in small groups. There are some good staff including Les Davidson who has that aura about him that lifts everybody. We have used some judo work in pre-season to help players tackle the opposition onto their backs and to help our players get up off the ground quickly. We had an instructor work with the team. The idea provided something different, players enjoyed the work and responded at training.They gained a lot from it.
RLCM What is your opinion on game plans and patterns of play?
C.C. We encourage that when the opportunity is there, players take it. Our defence pattern may include inside out, rush defence where we attempt to dominate the early tackles to force an error in the oppositions quarter. Outside the 22m we will compress the line shoulder to shoulder and challenge the opposition to go around the defence. If they are good enough to go around the defence give them credit for that, as long as they don�t go through the line. Inside our quarter we try to play man on man. In attack our plan might be to attack a couple of players, we may want to ruck too but other than that the players have the freedom to attack as they see necessary.
RLCM You concentrate some of your training on game related skills. Can you elaborate on some of the drills you use?
C.C. One example is that I would start with four attackers Vs. four defenders, then I might change to four attackers against six defenders. The attackers would include Trindall, O�Neill, Wing and Loomans to try to create an overlap on the outside of defence. Other game related drills would be four on four with play the balls and from that attackers put on a small play around that area. Another one we use is nine defenders against thirteen attackers to allow players to appreciate all types of situations that could happen in the game. These types of drills would be in every session, and we try to simulate all possibilities that could happen in the game, there is a lot of satisfaction in this type of work.
RLCM Your forwards are well drilled in advantage line running. Do you work on this part of your game?
C.C. Yes we do a lot of work on the advantage line and we will continue to build on this part of our game. Our aim is to give flat passes to go forward over the advantage line. Some passes may be touch and go but that is the risk you take to make sure it works properly. Our forwards work hard to develop this aspect of our game. Every one in our pack is around 110kg and over 2 metres in height so if they can get across the advantage line they take some stopping. Our aim is to get through the line then a quick play the ball and go again. If we can keep this going we will wear the opposition down, and we have been able to achieve this against the big packs in the competition. If you want to be around in September this is the way to play the game.
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