The Leeds Rhinos head coaching role will probably be one of chief executive Gary Hetherington’s toughest choice of his career.
With the West Yorkshire club in the doldrums, sitting in the bottom two of Super League with just two wins from seven games and crashed out of the Challenge Cup at the first time of asking, the task in front of the new appointed coach is a daunting one.
The expectation at a club like Leeds is huge and, coupled with the disgruntlement amongst supporters, the new boss will be in the firing line from day one.
A long list of names have been presented in recent weeks, linking every Tom, Dick and Harry to the vacant role but a number of those have also distanced themselves from the role.
Danny McGuire, Tony Smith and Danny Ward are such three whilst names like Ryan Carr and Shane Flanagan continue to be touted.
However, for former Leeds, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves fullback Richard Mathers, he does not want to see Flanagan given the job considering his past.
Mathers tweeted: “Not for me… engulfed in 2 doping performance enhancing doping scandals, cheating. That in itself should be enough to not even have his name considered. Nope from me.”
Not for me… engulfed in 2 doping performance enhancing doping scandals, cheating. That in itself should be enough to not even have his name considered. Nope from me ❌❌
— Richard Mathers (@RichardMathers) April 7, 2022
Mathers also went on to tweet: “But he’s a proven 2 times performance enhancing complicate and banned coach who oversaw Cronulla Sharks when it was rife. He absolutely isn’t the one we need/want/deserve equally he doesn’t deserve biggest job in game for that reason. We’re a better club than that.”
But he’s a proven 2 times performance enhancing complicate and banned coach who oversaw Cronulla Sharks when it was rife. He absolutely isn’t the one we need/want/deserve equally he doesn’t deserve biggest job in game for that reason. We’re a better club than that.
— Richard Mathers (@RichardMathers) April 7, 2022
