Coaches' rivalry not personal

COACHES Michael Hagan and Brian Smith agree on one thing.
The clash between their rival sides Parramatta and Newcastle on Monday night means little more to them than the vital two competition points.

Nothing personal, they both claim. Yeah, right.

Believe that and you're easily led.

It's the first meeting of the pair in their new roles since they traded coaching jobs in a blaze of publicity last year.

Smith was told in late 2005 that the following season, his 10th at Parramatta, would be his last.
Around about the same time, Knights officials were plotting to rid themselves of Hagan after six years at the helm in Newcastle.

Painted into a corner, Hagan could see the writing on the wall. When the Eels came knocking, he ushered them in.

It took a little longer for Smith to complete the coaching swap.

He'd pulled the pin at the Eels mid-season and spent some time in England to clear his head after getting the call from the Knights.

He'd been down the coaching pecking order as far as the Knights were concerned but was the last coach standing when the likes of Craig Bellamy, Matthew Elliott and Tim Sheens said no.
Their coaching styles are about as similar as night and day.

Smith is more hard-nose, a noted disciplinarian, likes things done his way and is considered one of the great teachers of the game.

Hagan is mild-mannered, less structured and happy to allow input from a lot of areas.
Some would argue they are the perfect fit to follow one another at a club.

Newcastle officials privately claim that after six years of Hagan, the club needed someone like Smith to come in and shake up the place a little.

"Brian's noted for his discipline and that was probably what was needed but the other big thing is his teaching skills," one source said.

"He has also had to make some big decisions regarding personnel and oversee everything with Joey not being around. That would have been tough for Hages given he had been here for a long period."

Likewise at Parramatta, the suggestion is that after a decade of Smith, the club needed a fresh approach.

A more relaxed approach even, from a coach who while still successful, was a little more laid back.

Talk to Eels players and they will tell you they have never enjoyed themselves more. And it's reflected in their footy with the side currently holding down third spot without a lot of fanfare.

On the other side of the coin, talk to Knights players and they will tell you that despite the recent unheavals brought on by the broom sweeping through the player ranks, they have never learned so much about the game.

There is no lack of spirit either from a side which has been decimated by injuries and the loss of the game's most influential player in Andrew Johns.

Hagan even acknowledges Knights players would be learning things under Smith they may not have come across before.

"No doubt – every coach has his own style and his own methods," Hagan said. "We all know different things. I'm certainly not the be-all and end-all of coaching. I didn't put the air in the ball.

"As far as Parra is concerned, I'd like to think everything is going pretty well. The players seem to be enjoying themselves and that's reflected in the way we are playing at the moment."

Hagan says he has well and truly moved on from the disappointment of having to leave the Knights.

On Monday's game he says: "It might feel a little strange but at the end of the day it really does only amount to two competition points that we need to secure."

Smith said a return to Parramatta Stadium won't affect him at all, pointing out he has done this sort of thing a number of times in his coaching career.

"It really doesn't mean too much and even if it did, you can't afford to let anything get in the way of the objective which is winning the game," he said.

"It's funny but there have been plenty of times this season where I have found myself watching games and actually cheering for Parramatta. It might be hard for some people to understand that but a lot of the same players I coached for a long while are still there."

But there will be none of that on Monday night.

There are two competition points at stake and that's all that matters.

Yeah, right.