Steve McNamara has spoken publicly for the first time since his exit from Catalans Dragons after almost eight years in charge.
Appointed midway through the 2017 season, during which he’d oversea a win in the Million Pound Game to secure Catalans’ Super League status, Steve McNamara was sacked back in May.
That dismissal came after a 40- loss to St Helens, ending a near-eight year reign in Perpignan for the Englishman.
Despite Joel Tomkins taking interim charge and McNamara having clearly left, confirmation from the club wouldn’t come until late June, almost six weeks after the decision had been made.
In the meantime, McNamara has been seen around Super League spectating games with Hull KR’s demolition of Catalans among those, as well as games involving his son Ben McNamara.
The 53-year-old has now spoken publicly for the first time since leaving Catalans, appearing on the Super League Raw podcast hosted by David Cain.
Steve McNamara lifts lid on Catalans Dragons’ exit
In a brilliant and wide-ranging interview with Steve McNamara, talk turned to his exit in May and whether of not the coach had expected it.
Confirming that he didn’t anticipate an axing, McNamara moved to pay tribute to president Bernard Guasch for his conduct throughout his time in Perpignan.
McNamara explained: “I’ve had constant dialogue with Bernard. He’s been awesome for me throughout the whole time I’ve been there.
“I’ve had some good moments and some not so good moments but that’s president to coach and he’s been great but it was an extremely difficult period.”
Expanding on that difficult period, McNamara noted the run of results including Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup semi-finals and that final loss to St Helens.
He said: “We’d won six from seven then lost at Magic by two points to Leigh. We stayed in England to try and prepare the best that we could for that (Challenge Cup) semi-final and at half-time were right in it, but second half we weren’t good enough.
“Then we flew home, which was my decision, we could have stayed between the semi and the Saints game but I wanted to give us the best chance to win the semi-final. We flew home pretty despondent and then had to fly back three days after to play Saints, who were probably despondent themselves.
“I remember pre-match, all the talk was about Paul Wellens and post-match it flipped to me. Then obviously the following week, Bernard informed me that my time was up.
“I didn’t have an inkling but it happens and it’s a part of being a coach and you’ve got to expect that.”
“It’s like a death in some regards” – McNamara on tough exit
Having led Catalans to a Challenge Cup win, a League Leaders Shield and two Grand Finals, it’s fair to say Steve McNamara’s tenure in the south of France was exceptional.
Turning a team facing relegation into constant contenders is no mean feat but he did it, overcoming many downturns in form, and he argued that he would have been able to overcome the final one.
McNamara explained: “Throughout the time I’ve been there, we’d been through some tough periods but come out the other side of it but obviously for him (Bernard Guasch), it was time to make that decision.
“That’s not my thing to talk about. I was confident that we would come back after that Saints game and that we’d get a response and come through but for Bernard, that wasn’t the case.”
Speaking more to the impact of losing the job, he said: “You invest your whole life into a job like this. You can’t dip your toe in, you go all in. I’ve had the best journey for a few weeks short of eight years. If you’d tell me the day I signed for them that we’d done this, achieved that and that I’d last eight years then I’d have snapped your hand off.
“When it comes to that point, it’s like a death in some regards. You’ve invested everything and worked so well together but it comes to an end. All good things come to an end at some point.”
Expanding on the sentiment of all good things coming to an end, McNamara was at pains to explain just how much he had loved his time in France as he reiterated that there were no ill feelings in a classy final message to his former club.
“Of course it’s difficult, of course you think you can go one and turn it around but that decision was made. I can’t reiterate enough that I’m so grateful for everybody and the investment they made, that’s every single player, member of staff, the supporters, the partners.”
You can listen to the full podcast with Steve McNamara from Super League Raw here.
