Matt Elliott to coach the Tomahawks

[***MH***]

Tomahawks get help from big name coaches

Posted in: Rugby League
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Sep 21, 2007 - 6:20:42 AM
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The USA Tomahawks squad is expected to be announced in early October in the lead up to the Rugby League World Cup qualifying match against the Pacific island nation of Samoa.
In an exciting development, Matt Elliott, head coach of the Penrith Panthers in the Australian National Rugby League will be co-head coach of the Tomahawks along with Terry Matterson, who is the current head coach of the Castleford Tigers in England. Long-time Tomahawks coaches Shane Millard and Bill Hansbury will be the assistants.

Elliott won a number of titles as head coach of the Bradford Bulls in Super League Europe before returning to Australia to coach the Canberra Raiders, and again will link up with Matterson who was his assistant at the Bulls and Raiders. Along with a super coaching staff, a number of exciting foreign based professionals are set to join the Tomahawks and will present the strongest ever USA lineup as the American National Rugby League strives to qualify for the Rugby League World Cup in Australia in October 2008.
Players from the local AMNRL competition will be evaluated in a final selection process over the course of the next few weeks, after which the final tour squad will be announced.
Available players based outside of the US are:
Matt Petersen - Gold Coast Titans (Australian NRL)
Shane Millard - Wigan Warriors (Super League Europe)
Clint Newton - Melbourne Storm (Australian NRL)
Mark O'Halloran - Penrith Panthers (Australian NRL)
Brandon Costin - Souths Logan (Brisbane, Australia)
Mark Cantoni - Easts Tigers (Brisbane, Australia)
Tyrone Coppedge - Souths Logan (Brisbane, Australia)
Jon Wells - London Harlequins (Super League Europe)
David Myles - Gold Coast Titans (Australian NRL)
Nathan De Bartolo - Sydney Bulls (Australia)
Ryan McGoldrick - Castleford Tigers (England)
Ashley Lanfranchi - Byron Bay (Australia)

From AmericanRugbyNews.com

 

[langpark]

Good news, you could make a great squad from those players if they all choose to play.

And Sheens is in Russia's corner again this off season isn't he? I hope more coaches start doing this.

 

[Sam_the_man]

I hope they limit the players they choose from that list, a local American player will benefit a lot more than from involvement in that set up than a NRL player. The local will take the lessons he has learnt from those coaches back to his club set up and the other blokes will try and emulate him or learn off him.

 

[Raider_69]

:lol: Smelliott an international coach?!
Wow...

 

[roughyedspud]

I hope they limit the players they choose from that list, a local American player will benefit a lot more than from involvement in that set up than a NRL player. The local will take the lessons he has learnt from those coaches back to his club set up and the other blokes will try and emulate him or learn off him.

the usa only have to pick 6 AMNRL players......


i'm sure they'll pick a damn sight more than 6 though..

 

[roopy]

Samoa didn't show up for the games against Fiji and Tonga - so we can hope they take USA too lightly as well.
Samoa can put the better squad together - but USA making the top 10 would be a brilliant result.

 

[Sam_the_man]

Is that an Australian Samoan team or the Samoan national team in Total Roopy?

 

[roopy]

Is that an Australian Samoan team or the Samoan national team in Total Roopy?

Lot's of people say they don't even play the game in Samoa proper - and the best Samoan ancestry players are running around for NZ - but anyway - the guys who showed up for the qualifiers led by Georgy Carmont last year managed to start favourites and let Fiji and Tonga qualify ahead of them.
They can name a much stronger side - but they could have last year too.

 

[Gibbo]

Good gear

Interesting to read about the Elliot/Matterson connection-maybe Penrith and Cas can teem something up ala Leeds and Souths

I wonder if Cartwright will have anything to do with the 'hawks again?

 

[Play some footy]

I wonder how many of the 6 from the AMNRL comp will be Americans as well.

 

[***MH***]

Samoa didn't show up for the games against Fiji and Tonga - so we can hope they take USA too lightly as well.
Samoa can put the better squad together - but USA making the top 10 would be a brilliant result.

If USA beats Samoa, don't they still have to verse 2nd place european group of Ireland/Lebanon/Russia to make the repecharge spot?

 

[brendothejet]

yeah the usa have to win the 2 games to get.

I'd love them to get there.

Would just give the game such a boost in profile and be a big reward to the efforts of those in the states.

Not to discredit the effort of those in other countries.

Maybe next time we will see 12 teams.

 

[HAL]

hello

feel sorry for usa and their qualifing match against samoa have to play against a few nrl first graders thats not fair seen these players played for nz last year

any one know if the yanks have any up and coming falous or inglis coming through the ranks lol.
Gee i hope the yanks win they put in so much hard work into developing the game without much help from our pathetic administration

RUSSELL CROWE FOR NRL CEO !!!

 

[spinnerhowland]

After talking to RC for a day and hearing some of his ideas I was encouraged by what we have done with the Axemen and I am looking at ways to implement some of this ideas here on a smaller scale. He really has taken a long hard look at the future of Souths and their future looks very bright.