Steve McNamara names “the smartest coach” he has seen

Yesterday Rohan Smith masterminded Catalans Dragons’ first defeat of the season.

His Leeds Rhinos side trailed 22-8 at halftime but five second half tries saw the Rhinos run out 32-22 winners over the French side as Blake Austin and Jarrod O’Connor shone.

After the game Catalans coach Steve McNamara conceded that his side were second best to the Rhinos in the second half but before the game he was full of praise for “the smartest coach” he had seen in his career but it wasn’t Rohan Smith.

It was of course Rohan’s father Brian Smith, last seen in Super League with Wakefield Trinity in 2015.

Brian Smith gave McNamara his first contract and before the game the Catalans coach was very grateful as he reminisced on Channel 4:

“I owe a hell of late, Rohan’s dad Brian gave me my first professional contract, he was my first professional coach, he was the smartest coach I have had all my career, he taught me so much.

“I was a young seventeen year old and running around there was a young seven year old son of Brian running round the training ground learning his stuff and it’s no surprise that he has gone on to coaching with a dad like Brian.”

Rohan Smith added:

“I remember Steve playing, he also played at Bradford. I knew him as a kid but now we’re rivals.”