Steve McNamara and Adrian Lam linked with moves to the NRL

Two of Super League’s leading coaches, Steve McNamara and Adrian Lam, are being touted for a move to the NRL according to reports in Australia, with several sides down under keen on their services.

McNamara has worked in the NRL in the past with Sydney Roosters, moving to the other side of the world after building a strong reputation during his time in charge of Bradford Bulls and the England national team.

It was whilst he was England coach that he moved over to the NRL under Trent Robinson, where the duo would have huge success at Sydney Roosters, finishing top three years in a row from 2013-15, and winning the 2013 NRL Grand Final.

McNamara would eventually replicate the brilliant work of Robinson when he left to take charge of the Catalans Dragons, but first had to steer the Perpignan-based side away from relegation in 2017 – winning the Million Pound Game against Leigh.

A year later he was winning the Challenge Cup Final with the Dragons, becoming the first man to lead the French club to a major trophy. He has since led them to two Grand Finals and a League Leaders’ Shield, but is yet to win the Super League title but he and the club so desperately crave.

This is why he is now being chased by NRL clubs, as is Adrian Lam, after the former Wigan boss, who led the Warriors to the 2020 Grand Final and League Leaders’ Shield, guided Leigh Leopards to Challenge Cup glory in 2023, as well as a fifth place finish – the greatest achievement of a newly-promoted club since Super League began.

Both have been tipped to make the move with Zero Tackle reporting that the duo could make the move down under together. If Super League were to lose McNamara and Lam it would be a big blow to the competition, as NRL clubs now begin to target the best British coaches in the game in a similar fashion to players.

For now though it remains just rumours with both coaches unlikely to want to leave two of Super League’s most successful and well-run clubs at present, that unless they were presented with an opportunity to become a head coach in Australia, which could be, depending on circumstances, too good of an opportunity to refuse.