After how many years of coaching?
Suity
Not only that, but if you look at the statistics for grand final winners and losers this century there is a striking lack of overlap between the two groups.
Winners
Bennett x 3
Hasler x 2
Bellamy x 2 (stripped)
Hagan
Stuart
Lang
Folkes
Sheens
Losers
Murray x 2
Smith x 2
Anderson x 2
Stuart x 2
Bellamy x 2 (umm, stripped?)
Hasler
Cleary
So even though Hasler, Bellamy and Stuart both won and lost grand finals in that period, there are another four blokes who appeared in multiple grand finals but had the same result in each of them; Bennett who won all three of his, and Murray, Smith and Anderson who lost all of theirs.
Statistically that is very significant - four coaches out of seven to have appeared in multiple grand finals in a sample period, had either all wins or all losses in that period.
It lends some credence to the idea that some blokes just can't win the big game, while others (one actually) just can't lose.
There are other factors of course - Bennett has only ever coached at clubs who enjoy sustained minor success (i.e. regularly make the finals) while Murray, Smith and Anderson have only ever coached at yo-yo clubs. Interestingly, the three coaches to have both won and lost grand finals this century also all coached at clubs that had sustained minor success (in Stuart's case only with the Roosters).
