Trent Barrett believes he is ready to handle head coaching at the Parramatta Eels
In a revealing interview with DEAN RITCHIE, Trent Barrett talks about the errors he made as an up-and-coming NRL coach and why those lessons have prepared him to take over the Parramatta Eels.
Parramatta’s powerful senior playing group – led by stars Mitch Moses, Clint Gutherson and Shaun Lane – have publicly endorsed Trent Barrett to be appointed Eels head coach.
It is a significant development as Parramatta continue interviewing Barrett, Michael Cheika, Jason Demetriou, Jason Ryles and Josh Hannay for their long-term head coaching position.
But as the race heats up, Barrett has declared: “This feels like the right club for me now. I just feel like I’m ready to be successful.”
Parramatta could announce their new coach within the next three weeks. Since Brad Arthur was sacked, interim coach Barrett has won one from three games – a memorable win over frontrunners Cronulla, a late loss to Canterbury last weekend and a round 12 defeat to Souths.
Barrett believes previous coaching stints at Manly and Canterbury – where results were largely lamentable – has steeled him for future success his current players believe he can attain.
KING GUTHO’S PRAISE
That includes the Eels captain.
“It’s not going to be my decision, that’s up to the club, but he has my full support as a player and captain of the club,” Gutherson said.
“If he got the role, he would take it with both hands and do the club, himself and players proud. He would definitely have the playing group on his side if he was the man to take over.
“Everyone believes in what he is trying to do and where he wants to take the club and playing group. Trent would bring experience.
Gutherson praised Barrett’s calmness, football intelligence, and knowing first-hand how to handle the rollercoaster life of the NRL.
“He is direct, in a polite way, and has footy smarts,” he said.
“Baz pretty much had the buy-in from players straight away. He has been through a lot as a head coach and has had some challenging times.
“But over the past 18 months with us he’s proven to a lot of people how much he’s learned over those times.”
BAZ’S DESIRE
Barrett spoke passionately about why he wants to coach Parramatta.
“I just feel like I’m ready to be successful and it’s a club I really want to coach. This feels like the right club for me now. I feel I can help the club and players,” he said.
“The lessons I’ve learned, I think I can add value to the club.
“I know it will be different, it’s already different. I am a lot clearer in what’s needed to win, who I am and what I want out of the team.”
He’s adamant he’s emerged from his previous stops as a more patient and confident coach, vowing not to repeat the mistakes of his past.
“I love coaching and have had my time back as an assistant. I get on really well with the players but you don’t have to be liked to be respected. The squad is a little older,” he said.
“They are men and I don’t have to baby them, I can be upfront.”
Barrett compared the current Eels to the Panthers before their dynasty.
“We have a good team so I can get in the car confidently knowing that we can win every week. I haven’t had that feeling for a while,” he said.
“This team can beat anyone on their day.
“It’s a well set-up club, well resourced, good players, it has a lot going for it and I don’t think there’s a hell of a lot wrong with what they’re doing.”
MOSES SPEAKS
Star halfback Mitchell Moses also threw his support behind Barrett.
“I love him, he would be outstanding and I’d love him to get the job. I have learned that much off him, it’s not funny,” he said.
“The calming influence he has, how he addresses the boys and how he goes about his business, I think he’s ready to go and I think he would do a great job.
“Trent has helped my game immensely and knows how to get the best out of certain players.”
COACH LEARNINGS
Barrett is open and honest about what he learned from his tenures at Brookvale and Belmore.
“I was previously guilty of over-coaching and trying to get the whole squad to understand what was going on in my head when they didn’t need to know and letting them know how smart I thought I was. I was guilty of thinking all players were the same,” he said.
“I haven’t been flustered in the last three weeks (since replacing Arthur). I am a lot calmer and a more rounded person to handle the pressure of the job this time around.
“There were things at my last appointments that I could have done better. I could have been more patient and was too emotional in some of the decisions I made.”
He admits he initially wasn’t always open to outside advice.
“I probably didn’t listen to some of the people that I should have at certain times. That all comes with experience,” he said.
“Being emotional in this job doesn’t help you. You make emotional decisions and they’re generally wrong. I made emotional decisions, statements and looked emotional.
“All that does is drain you. I would overthink a lot of things.
Barrett had a very difficult time at the Bulldogs.
BATTLING BULLDOGS
Barrett endured a difficult period at Belmore, winning just five wins in 34 games in 2021-22 for a strike rate of 15 per cent.
“I didn’t listen. Gus (Gould, before he joined Canterbury) told me not to go there in the first place because it was a three-year rebuild,” Barrett said.
“He said it wasn’t the right job for me at the time.
“We were having a go, they were trying and it was a really good bunch of blokes, but that squad has been turned over. The 30 that I had there, none remain.
“We turned over 14 and then Gus and Cameron (Ciraldo) came and turned over another 14.”
He acknowledged the slow rebuild under Ciraldo’s watch.
“The results in my first year were the same as ‘Ciro’ got in the second year so it wasn’t going to improve in a hurry for me,” he said.
“I was probably impatient and unrealistic about how long that was going to take.
“The amount of losses certainly didn’t help. It was naive of me to think I could go and change it straight away.
“It wasn’t going to happen, it didn’t happen, and unfortunately I have to wear the win-losses on my record. History has shown it’s taken another 18 months for them to turn.
“I was guilty of trying to make them play a style of play that didn’t really suit them.
“Being a little pig-headed, I didn’t want to change my way of thinking quick enough and by the time I did, it was too late. You think you can solve the problems of the world.”
BROOKVALE BARRETT
Barrett experienced reasonable success when coaching Manly between 2016 and 2018, driving the Sea Eagles into the 2017 finals.
“We had some good times and good wins at Manly,” he said.
“In 2017, Blake Green ended up going back to the Warriors. There were a few things we could have handled better around keeping him because I think he was really good for ‘Cherry’ (Daly Cherry-Evans).
“We had some challenges from a club point of view that we could have handled better.
“I could have listened to ‘Bozo’ (then Manly director of football Bob Fulton) a bit more. He was always trying to help.
Some of our styles in how we approached things differed. ‘Bozo’ was a unique individual, a genius at recruiting and he could be really charming and funny.
“I learnt a hell of a lot from him. We had the nuts and bolts of a good side. I got a few things wrong. That comes with maturity. I was 36 at Manly, I’m 46 now.
“I am a lot more measured now and am very confident I can get the job done if given an opportunity.”
