Bluey our new coach

[Penrose Warrior]

http://www.sportal.co.nz/league-news-display/warriors-confirm-bluey-132360

The Warriors have confirmed Brian McClennan as the new club's new head coach, taking over from the departing Ivan Cleary on a two-year contract from 2012.
McClennan's name had been at the forefront of discussion surrounding the job and the groundswell of public opinion was firmly in the camp of the man affectionately known as 'Bluey'.
The 49-year-old coached the Kiwis to a 2005 Tri Nations boilover against the odds, led Leeds to back-to-back Super League titles and a World Club Championship victory over the salary-cap exceeding Storm between 2008-10 and has a long list of further achievement on the New Zealand domestic scene.
He is no stranger to the Warriors, having been the assistant coach of the Colts in the Lion Red Cup in the club's inaugural season.
He becomes the seventh Warriors coach, taking over from Penrith-bound Cleary who has been in charge since 2006.
"It's fantastic for us as a club, for our members and all fans that we've been able to appoint Brian as our new coach," said Scurrah.
"There was interest in the position from inside the club and from coaches overseas including some in the United Kingdom.
"Brian came through as the most suitable candidate. He has had outstanding results with every team he has been involved with, be it the Kiwis, the Leeds Rhinos or club teams in Auckland and we're delighted one of the best coaches in New Zealand rugby league history is to be the next coach of the Vodafone Warriors."
McClennan will be released from his present role as Auckland Rugby League's football development manager to take over the post.
"I'm so excited and honoured to have this opportunity," McClennan said.
"I've been fortunate enough to coach the Kiwis, Leeds and Auckland club sides but my ambition always was to one day coach in the NRL, the toughest competition there is.
"To have that chance from next year is brilliant and to be able to achieve it with the Vodafone Warriors in my home town couldn't be better."
McClennan will begin working with the Warriors on a limited basis from September 1, to become fully acquainted with the club's structure and also to put together his support team.
That is likely to include Warriors assistant Tony Iro, and possibly also John Ackland, a long-time friend of McClennan's and the club's Under-20 coach.

 

[hitman82]

Scurrah said the former New Zealand and Leeds coach had been signed on a two-year deal through to the end of the 2013 NRL season.
McClennan (49) will take over from Ivan Cleary, the longest-serving coach in the club’s history, who will finish up with the Vodafone Warriors at the end of the 2011 campaign after six seasons at the helm.
“It’s fantastic for us as a club, for our members and all fans that we’ve been able to appoint Brian as our new coach,” said Scurrah.
“There was interest in the position from inside the club and from coaches overseas including some in the United Kingdom.
“Brian came through as the most suitable candidate. He has had outstanding results with every team he has been involved with, be it the Kiwis, the Leeds Rhinos or club teams in Auckland and we’re delighted one of the best coaches in New Zealand rugby league history is to be the next coach of the Vodafone Warriors.”
McClennan has been working as the Auckland Rugby League’s football development manager since coming home after a highly-successful term at Leeds when he guided the Rhinos to back-to-back English Super League titles and a World Club Championship crown from 2008-2010. His tenure at Leeds followed his stint as Kiwi coach from 2005-2007 when his crowning achievement was New Zealand’s stunning 24-0 upset of the Kangaroos in the 2005 Tri Nations final at Elland Road in Leeds.
“I’m so excited and honoured to have this opportunity,” said McClennan today.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to coach the Kiwis, Leeds and Auckland club sides but my ambition always was to one day coach in the NRL, the toughest competition there is. To have that chance from next year is brilliant and to be able to achieve it with the Vodafone Warriors in my home town couldn’t be better.”
McClennan said he was highly impressed with the Vodafone Warriors’ development in the last six years.
“I’ve admired the way the Vodafone Warriors have grown to the point they’re now one of the strongest and best-run clubs in the NRL,” he said.
“Ivan is again doing a terrific job with the NRL side. They’ve been really impressive lately and there’s also great playing depth through the NYC team, where John (Ackland) has had such success, as well as the Vulcans (in the New South Wales Cup). There’s a lot of great work being done off the field, too, and the club now has a wonderful reputation.
“While this a huge moment for me, after today’s announcement I will step back. It’s important everyone gives Ivan and the team all the support they can for the rest of this season. That’s what matters most right now.”
This isn’t the first time McClennan has had a coaching role with the club. In the Auckland Warriors’ inaugural season in 1995 he was assistant coach of the Warriors Colts in the Lion Red Cup (current NYC coach John Ackland was in charge). The colts, including future NRL players like Logan Swann, Nigel Vagana and Anthony Swann, were beaten in the grand final by North Harbour. McClennan was also assistant coach of the Warriors’ under-19 side the following season.
He becomes the club’s seventh NRL coach – and fourth New Zealand-born coach – following John Monie (1995-1997), Frank Endacott (1997-1998), Mark Graham (1999-2000), Daniel Anderson (2001-2004), Tony Kemp (2004-2005) and Cleary (2006-2011).
Scurrah said McClennan would begin working with Vodafone Warriors on a limited basis from September 1 so he could become fully acquainted with the club’s structure and organisation and put together his support team for next season.
BRIAN McCLENNAN
Born: February 16, 1962
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Coaching Career:
New Zealand coach 2005-2007
New Zealand assistant coach 2004
Exiles coach 2011
Leeds Rhinos (Super League) 2008-2010
Mt Albert Lions (Bartercard Cup) 2004-2006
Mt Albert Lions (Auckland competition) 2004-2006
New Zealand Sevens co-coach 2004
Hibiscus Coast Raiders (Bartercard Cup) 2000-2001 & 2003
Hibiscus Coast Raiders (Auckland competition) 1997-1999
Hibiscus Coast Raiders player-coach (Auckland competition) 1992-1994
Major Achievements:
2009: Won Super League grand final
Won League Leader’s Shield
2008: Won Super League grand final
Won World Club Championship
2006: Won Bartercard Cup grand final
2005: Won Tri Nations final
Won Bartercard Cup grand final
2004: Won Bartercard Cup grand final
2001: Won Bartercard Cup grand final
Major Honours:
2009: NZRL Coach of the Year
2006: International Coach of the Year
NZRL Coach of the Year
2005: NZRL Coach of the Year
2004: NZRL Coach of the Year
2001: NZRL Coach of the Year
http://www.warriors.co.nz/news/1004...Warriors+News+Feed)&utm_content=Twitter#rss-1

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Bluey Bluey Bluey!

This is great news and now on to the rest of the season

The future is bright

 

[Mr Angry]

Happy you guys got who you wanted.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Can we start a book now on when the media will start to turn on him ?

 

[Revelation 3:20]

well well well well......
Bluey is the new Warriors coach
What a great idea.

Told you guys it would happen!

 

[LeagueNut]

Can we start a book now on when the media will start to turn on him ?

I think he'll have a longer "honeymood period" as far as results go - everyone will want to give him a chance.

The only way things will turn septic is if he pisses off someone equally as popular as himself - e.g. he decides Locke & Johnson are both surplus to requirements and cuts them loose.

 

[ozbash]

I'm happy.

 

[_addict]

I think he'll have a longer "honeymood period" as far as results go - everyone will want to give him a chance.

The only way things will turn septic is if he pisses off someone equally as popular as himself - e.g. he decides Locke & Johnson are both surplus to requirements and cuts them loose.

League in this country is currently in a very good place. We have good stocks in the International, NRL, Toyota Cup, NSW, competition fronts. The NZRL is no longer a basket case. I see heaps of young'uns playing mini's, mods and juniors on Saturdays.

The point is in the first instance, that with what we have and is upcoming there will be something wrong if we can't get results.

Secondly, given the cup of overflowing talent, there is every chance that at some stage, somewhere down the line someone will be considered surplus to requirements and cut loose. But what a curse to bear aye?

 

[Iafeta]

To borrow a lyric line from Beverly Hills Cop, the heat is on. He's inherited an outstanding platform to build from.

I'm not trying to condemn him, I'm probably playing a bit of devils advocate since Ivan at times was public whipping boy # 1. But IMO Ivan will leave here with his head held high, he inherited an absolute shambles from the end of the Anderson era, the high turnover of players, the absolute disregard by players to want to come to Auckland, and the short lived Kemp tenure, he tried to pull the club through from a further salary cap rort and was probably on a hiding to nothing in '09 with the loss of Sonny. Given how badly that affected Penrith for a few seasons (the death of Ben Alexander) I think the club did well to turn it around as quickly as they did. There was a lot of coaches who talked up the vision of delivering a team out of our own backyard, sure, Ivan has benefited in delivering that vision massively with the Vulcans and NYC teams, but it seems to me he was prepared to almost flush any fringe Australian away from the club in a death-wish of getting Kiwis into the first grade team. And he did it by almost religiously getting us to the finals.

I don't know if the bloke had it in him to get us a premiership. And for that I still believe it was the right move for all involved for Ivan to go to Penrith. That said, the true test of Bluey IMO is to take a bloody good foundations, add some creativity to it, and watch the team explode. A good coach would take this and deliver some titles. The heat is on.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Now I have 'The Heat is on' stuck in my mind. Not happy.

 

[ozbash]

I think Bluey is used to a bit of heat. He reminds me of a kiwi version of Wayne Bennett, his players would die trying for him.

He will have that team absolutely watertight, ther big question now is who will be in that team..

 

[_addict]

I think Bluey is used to a bit of heat. He reminds me of a kiwi version of Wayne Bennett, his players would die trying for him.

He will have that team absolutely watertight, ther big question now is who will be in that team..

Slightly OT, but did you see in the post match interview how happy with his boys Bennett was when he thought they didn't die trying for him, the feeling was not good:lol:

 

[mean]

I'm not trying to condemn him, I'm probably playing a bit of devils advocate since Ivan at times was public whipping boy # 1.

I'll put it out there now, the Warriors will finish in a better position this year than they do next year, but that'll be acceptable for most.

 

[shiznit]

great choice...

congrats bluey... congrats warriors.

lets just hope the club and the fans gives him a fair go.

 

[Dr Crane]

yay

 

[One Warrior]

We have the coach we wanted, now for the title, I hope.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

He reminds me of a kiwi version of Wayne Bennett, his players would die trying for him.

He will have that team absolutely watertight, ther big question now is who will be in that team..

I said this a few years back that he was NZ's Wayne Bennett

I know its a bit OT but man this is great news and a great coupe for the Warriors

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

Great signing. Like his comments in the herald about aiming for the top straight away

However Cleary has been our longest serving coach and doesn't deserve all the critism he gets. A dream scenario would be Panthers V Warriors final next year

 

[VodafoneWarriors1995]

Sweet, we got what we wanted. I am impressed with what he achieved during his time at Leeds. He won 2 premierships with them and had a winning percentage of 72%.