We have a number of top coaches in Super League with the likes of Rohan Smith at Leeds Rhinos, Daryl Powell at Warrington Wolves, Paul Rowley at Salford Red Devils, Ian Watson at Huddersfield Giants as well as up and coming coaches like Paul Wellens at St Helens and of course Matt Peet at Wigan Warriors.
But perhaps the best coach in Super League history is Tony Smith. Currently at Hull FC, he started his career at Huddersfield but really made his name at Leeds ending their 32 year wait for a title in 2004.
He won a second Grand Final in 2007 after he won the 2005 World Club Challenge.
He then turned Warrington into genuine contenders winning the Challenge Cup in 2009, 2010 and 2012 as well as Grand Final appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
Smith went on to join Hull KR before crossing the city to Hull FC.
Some questioned if he was passed it as he arrived at the MKM Stadium in 2023 but he has got the Black and whites well in the mix for the play-offs and his former player Jamie Jones-Buchanan was full of praise for him saying on Sky Sports:
“I am infatuated with him as a coach. The way he carries himself, his body language it reminds of how he was when he coached me at Leeds Rhinos and he gave us confidence and the belief to back up our teammates.
“He is like a coaching guru. He really does remind me of his days at Leeds.”
He went on to say that he’s like a Jedi too:
“He’s like a Jedi isn’t he? He has some Jedi mind tricks. The way he feels calm and he passes that onto his players.
“That seven game losing run, the players will have been burning up inside but he remained cool and passed it onto them.”
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