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Who are the NRL's longest-serving, most incompetent coaches?

Fire

Fire

First Grade
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9,669
After the Dragons got thrashed by the Eels 36-0 in round 10, 2014, Paul 'Mary' McGregor took over as head coach of the Dragons and his first game as coach was against the Rabbitohs in round 12, 2014, which the Dragons lost 29-10 (they had a bye in round 11).

As such, in 2019, Mary will be going into his sixth consecutive season without delivering a Premiership.

Off the top of my head I can only think of Ricky Stuart (who began coaching the Raiders in 2014, too) without delivering a Premiership.

So my question is: Has there been any other coaches with poorer records who also kept their job for so long?
 
Fire

Fire

First Grade
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9,669
2018 NRL coaches consecutive years under their current tenures (when I have some time I might do further research on all NRL-era coaches)

- Trent Robinson - began with the Roosters in 2013 (two Premierships in 2013 and 2018). Reigning Premiership coach.
- Craig Bellamy - "..." Storm in 2003 (two Premierships in 2012 and 2017; two stripped Premierships in 2007 and 2009). One year since last Premiership.
- Anthony Seibold - Rabbitohs in 2018 (zero Premierships). One year and no Premiership.
- Shane Flanagan - Sharks in 2014 (one Premiership in 2016). Two years since last Premiership.
- Cameron Ciraldo - Panthers in 2018 - (zero Premierships). One year and no Premiership.
- Wayne Bennett - Broncos in 2015 - (zero Premierships). Four years and no Premiership.
- Paul McGregor - Dragons in 2014 (zero Premierships). Five years and no Premiership.
- Stephen Kearney - Warriors in 2017 (zero Premierships). Two years and no Premiership.
- Ivan Cleary - Tigers in 2017 (zero Premierships). Two years and no Premiership.
- Ricky Stuart - Raiders in 2014 (zero Premierships). Five years and no Premiership.
- Nathan Brown - Knights in 2016 (zero Premierships). Three years and no Premiership.
- Dean Pay - Bulldogs in 2018 (zero Premierships). One year and no Premiership.
- Paul Green - Cowboys in 2014 (one Premiership in 2015). Three years since last Premiership.
- Garth Brennan - Titans in 2018 (zero Premierships). One year and no Premiership.
- Trent Barrett - Sea Eagles in 2016 (zero Premierships). Three years and no Premiership.
- Brad Arthur - Eels in 2014 (zero Premierships). Five years and no Premiership.

So it looks like it's a four-way tie between McGregor, Stuart, and Arthur.

Firstly, I think we can remove Stuart from that group because he is a Premiership-winning coach (although not in his current tenure).

Interestingly of the current coaches Cleary (Warriors 2006-11) and Brown (Brown 2003-8) each had a six year tenure without winning the Premiership.

So that leaves us with McGregor and Arthur as the two most incompetent (current) coaches, each heading into their sixth consecutive year of their current tenure without winning the Premiership.

Has there been a coach who has gone seven consecutive years without winning the competition and kept their job?

Edit: f**k me I said "Premiership" and "tenure" a lot in that post.
 
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Springs09

Springs09

Juniors
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1,903
Brian Smith went 10 years at Parra and 25 years total

Cartwright 8 years at Titans

Lang 8 years at Sharks

Simmons 8 years at Panthers

Bellamy went 9 years without winning a premiership at Storm

Wayne Pearce 7 years at Tigers without even making the finals
 
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Fire

Fire

First Grade
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9,669
Pete Cash said:
We have made the finals once since Stuart has got here. That’s pretty terrible
Click to expand...
Mary two final appearances but no chocolates. Stuart one finals appearance but has winning a comp on his CV (albeit a long time ago).

Hard to separate who is shitter?
 
Prometheus

Prometheus

Juniors
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1,103
Paul McGregor isn't even the longest serving coach at the Dragons not to have won a premiership. He has only coached us for four and a half seasons. Nathan Brown coached us for six years before being replaced by Bennett. Not only that, but Brown had talent like Barrett, Gasnier, Bailey, Cooper and Ryles to work with.

Graham Murray coached the Cowboys for seven years.
 
Danish

Danish

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Strange as it may sound, at 6 seasons Trent Robinson is the roosters’ longest continuously serving coach in our 110 year history.


I’d be interested to know who is the shittest coach to keep getting more gigs - not necessarily as a head coach but at least on the staff - despite their rep. Jason Taylor keeps getting work somehow for example, as does Kearney.
 
Fire

Fire

First Grade
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9,669
Danish said:
Strange as it may sound, at 6 seasons Trent Robinson is the roosters’ longest continuously serving coach in our 110 year history.


I’d be interested to know who is the shittest coach to keep getting more gigs - not necessarily as a head coach but at least on the staff - despite their rep. Jason Taylor keeps getting work somehow for example, as does Kearney.
Click to expand...
Damn re: Robbo - that's quite amazing.

Yeah Taylor is a strange one, I think Barrett's 'coaching' career will mirror Taylor's, too.
 
Fire

Fire

First Grade
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9,669
I guess it is safe to say there are (at least) two categories of incompetent coaches:

1. Coaches who stay on at the same club despite not winning the comp (i.e., Mary, Arthur, etc. And in the past Smith, Cartwright, etc); and

2. Coaches who do not win the comp but are continually given a chance at other clubs (i.e., Kearney, Bennett, Cleary, etc. Although I wouldn't consider Bennett or Cleary strictly incompetent per se).
 
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