Great-Britain-RugbyLeague : Message: RLCM Tuesday - News, Vacancies, Ray Unsworth, RLCM Club, World Cup.

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2007 NRL Grand Final

Expression of interest are being taken for 2007 NRL Grand Final for overseas visitors.

The details of the tour will be ready soon but you can get in early by registering interest.

Click here and send your details to register for the NRL 2007 Grand final.

RLCMtv Update Click here to view a RLCMtv short of Bill Sweetnam keynote speaker at RFL Coaching Conference, Reebok Stadium Bolton.

Plan now for the World Cup in 2008

Telstra Stadium, Sydney.

2008 may seem a long time away, but it's never too early to start planning for a tour like this.

Expressions of interest are now being taken and we will keep you posted on the tour details as they are confirmed.

Click here and send your details to register for the 2008 World Cup

An Extract from the RLCM Book 'An Approach To Coaching Rugby League'

The CD-ROM is distributed to RLCM Paid Subscribers

Page 52 from 'An Approach To Coaching Rugby League'

Written by Ray Unsworth, RFL Director of Coach Education

Leadership

..... or leaders, in the context of coaching, are those who have the ability to gain consensus, command respect and, in doing so, influence others in order to achieve the team's agreed and
stated goals.

In Rugby League and in sport in general, success in this area is usually measured by goals achieved.

The ultimate measurement is in terms of results, but the result can only be obtained by the achievement of a number of other process goals that have been set in other areas.

For example: Individual player goals in skills acquisition, conditioning related goals or team goals relative to adhering to certain principles of play or discipline.

The whole, in terms of the result, is quite simply the sum of the parts and almost always it is effective leadership that is essential to any success.

There are a number of outside factors that must be present and accepted by your employers and those working in the club environment or the coach's ability to lead is a non-starter.

One of these is the power of authority that is equal to the responsibility of the position.

In other words the coach is allowed to do the job.

Being acknowledged as an effective leader by those that you (the coach) intend to influence, takes us back to our start point and your ability to gain consensus, command respect and ultimately influence those you are working with.

Effective Leadership in Coaching

Leadership, in my opinion, occurs and can be evidenced when the coach is clearly up to the task, displays the ability to teach and coach (for teaching and coaching is leading) and has gained
respect and is aware of his own strengths and weaknesses.

Secondly, through the team when the players have the necessary ability because their levels in all areas have improved and they have learned.

Thirdly, when the players have made the necessary commitment because they have been empowered and believe in what they are doing.........

Join the RLCM Club and receive 4 DVD's/CD's monthly

We can supply you with rugby league coaching information on a monthly basis.

So, maybe you, your coach or your club's coaching director might be interested in joining the RLCM Coaching Club and starting your clubs coaching library of RLCM resources.

Wayne Bennett Brisbane Broncos Head Coach 1988 - 2007 has said, "I believe all clubs and coaches at all levels should have copies of RLCM as a coaching resource."

See below for the DVD's and CD's you will receive during 2007.

Latest News

Civic reception for St Helens rugby league heroes

By Ian Morgan

St Helens Town Hall Victorious members of St Helens Rugby League Club will be honoured by St. Helens Council at a civic reception on March 6 in the Town Hall.

The quadruple champions - winners of the World Club Championships 2007 and winners of the Super League Grand Final, Challenge Cup and Super League in 2006, will be greeted by a civic delegation led by the Mayor, Councillor Teresa Sims.

Trophies will be on display and the Valley Brass Band will provide the music for the celebrations which will include tribute speeches followed by a 'championship' buffet.

The Mayor will also present a specially commissioned piece of glass artwork, made by the award winning World of Glass in St Helens, to the Club to mark their recent world class achievements.

Prior to the recent win in the World Club Championships at the Reebock Stadium the civic flag flew over the Town Hall with a good luck Saints banner over the main entrance.

St Helens stormed home in Arctic like conditions to pip Brisbane 20-18 on Friday night.

Council Leader Brian Spencer personally congratulated the club at the reception.

He said: "You are tremendous ambassadors for the Borough and your achievements have become legendary. You are an inspiration and are superb role models. We look forward to the 2007 season which, I am sure, will bring further success." 24dash.com

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If Chris Walker he plays well on Friday he's a Titan

By Pat McLeod

Elusive rugby league talent Chris Walker has been told: `Play well on Friday night and you will be a Titan by Monday'.

Walker, thrown a lifeline by the Gold Coast club after a chequered career on and off the field with four NRL clubs, faces the most crucial 80 minutes of his life in a rugby league trial on Friday night at Carrara against Penrith.

Titans managing director Michael Searle yesterday that his club would sign Walker if he passed his final test.

"If Chris plays well I will be on the phone to his manager Saturday morning to talk it through," said Searle.

"We always said we wanted to watch him play three trial games. He has acquitted himself well (in the Titans opening trials against Melbourne and Parramatta).

"He has his confidence back. He looks sharp. So as long as he plays well on Friday night he will be a contracted NRL player before the weekend is out."

The rugby league gods have smiled on Walker since he returned to the Gold Coast after splitting with the Storm midway through last year, disillusioned and with few prospects for 2007.

As the quicksilver flanker considered his future the Titans struck their own problems in securing outside back Steve Turner, also from Melbourne.

As Turner became a no-show, Walker's options rose.

But of concern to the Titans was Walker's reputation for off-field indiscretions which have landed him in trouble in the past.

"It (a contract) was probably more about his approach to training and his lifestyle off the paddock," confirmed Searle yesterday.

"But since joining us in the pre-season we have been very happy with both.

"If he continues his approach to training and his overall attitude I have no reason to doubt he will figure in our side on a regular basis.

"There is also a waiver on that. He also has got to maintain his intensity, which he is displaying now."

Searle said he had every confidence that Walker would continue to impress.

"We have a great squad of footballers here and Chris has got incredible support with his family up here," he said.

"I think it is fair to say that it is the support of his family that has got him this far.

"That won't change, the family support of his Mum and Dad and brothers. It has been something he never had in Sydney or Melbourne.

"I have told him of the club's requirements off-field, as we have told every player. We have a strict code of conduct and a high expectation of our players. If they stray from those expectations then they face the consequences.

"He has complied with everything we have asked for.

"This is his one really good shot at becoming the footballer that we all thought he could become."
Gold Coast Bulletin

Click John Monie to view a RLCMtv short with John talking about a Flat Attack on the Short Side.

NQ Cowboys one of the 'top three' forward packs in NRL

By Craig Baxter

Former Test firebrand Mark Geyer believes the North Queensland Cowboys boast one of the 'top three' forward packs in the National Rugby League and are poised to return to finals football in 2007.

In Townsville for yesterday's announcement that the Glen Alpine Properties Group would be North Queensland's sleeve sponsor for the next three seasons, Geyer, pictured, said anything other than a top-eight finish this season would be 'unacceptable' for the Cowboys.

"I think the Cowboys have made some very shrewd buys in the off-season, none more so than Sione Faumuina and Jason Smith, I think they're two players who can add enormous variation to the side and I think that's what they've been lacking of late," Geyer said.

"I think that's one thing you've got to address as a coach and I think 'Muzz' (Graham Murray) has done it well."

Geyer offered an enthusiastic endorsement of the Cowboys forward pack. He rated Test back-rower Luke O'Donnell Australia's premier forward.

"Luke O'Donnell is probably one of the most improved, not forwards but rugby league players in the competition over the last two years," Geyer said.

"I always saw potential in him at Wests Tigers but after a couple of dubious suspensions he lost a lot of confidence," Geyer said.

"I think since he came up here he's just blossomed and he'd be the first forward picked in the Australian team at the moment." Geyer tipped a big season from hulking prop Shane Tronc.

"The word bandied about young Tronc a lot is 'potentially', well he's now an established first-grader so he's got to get rid of the 'potential' and have consistency next to his name," Geyer said.

"I think 'Bluey' (Steve) Southern is in for a big year, Carl Webb . . . they've got a great forward pack, sensational.

"If you've got Tronc and Webb and (Aaron) Payne, O'Donnell, Faumuina, (Jacob) Lillyman, (Matt) Scott, that's probably top three in the competition in forward packs, no doubt about it."

Cowboys chief executive officer Peter Parr hailed a 'marvellous' association between the club and Glen Alpine.

"The Glen Alpine Group and the Cowboys have formed a great partnership over the past year and I am delighted that they have upgraded their sponsorship to sleeve status," Parr said.
Townsville Bulletin

Click here for RLCMtv short with Steve Folkes Canterbury Bulldogs coach.

Unhappy run continues for Hull FC

As Harlequins continue to confound their critics, last year's Grand Final runners-up have yet to collect their first win.

Hull squandered a 12-0 lead against Warrington and were denied a share of the spoils in a dramatic finish at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

When Hull winger Matt Sing touched down for his third try in as many matches for his new club and the returning Paul Cooke added the conversion, the scores were locked at 24-24.

But man of the match Lee Briers landed a drop goal three minutes from time to secure a 25-24 victory for the Wolves.

After being held to a home draw by Catalans and then well beaten at Leeds, at least Hull coach Peter Sharp was able to take some consolation from his side's latest defeat.

"It was a great game of rugby league and a vast improvement by us," said Sharp, who gave a debut to former Castleford second rower Willie Manu.

"We need to keep improving and eliminate the errors. Paul Cooke gave us plenty on attack and is a quality player.

"Three or four players made their first appearance of the season and will be better for the run."

Harlequins, who were tipped to struggle this season, maintained their unbeaten record with a 26-10 win at new boys Hull Kingston Rovers.

Tries from Jon Grayshon, Paul Sykes, Chris Melling and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook put the Londoners in control at 22-4 at half-time and meant there was no way back for Rovers, who lost for the first time this season.

Harlequins coach Brian McDermott was delighted with his side's display, especially after illness had disrupted their preparation.

"We have had a lot of illness in the camp and that has meant a shortage of time to train together," he said. "In fact we only managed two full days.

"If we had been chasing the game, I don't know if we would have had enough gas in the tank to last out."

Harlequins are just a point behind leaders Bradford, with Wakefield occupying third place after following up their shock win over St Helens by beating Salford 36-24 at Belle Vue. Sporting Life

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NRL to take slice of sports betting

Rugby league's traditional opposition to gambling - "we get all of the pain and none of the gain" - is about to be redressed, with two major betting agencies set to sign lucrative deals with the NRL.

The NRL is on the verge of completing a long-form agreement with Tabcorp, the merged entity of the NSW and Victorian TABs, to become a sponsor, while Betfair, a joint venture between the booming London online exchange and PBL, expects to make a similar arrangement.

Under the surface of the deals lies intense competition between Tabcorp and Betfair as each seeks to prove its integrity to football codes anxious to stop players gambling on matches.

A meeting next month of NRL club chief executives will vote on a possible three-strikes drug code but, unless similar sanctions apply to NRL players caught gambling on matches, the code faces the same criticism directed at the AFL when it named four players who had placed bets, but kept the identity of drug-takers secret.

A spokeswoman for Tabcorp refused to comment on the forthcoming sponsorship, saying the giant wagering agency did not confirm deals until contracts were signed.

However, a Betfair spokesman conceded an offer for use of intellectual property and allowing access to gambling records had been tabled to the NRL, but the more lucrative Tabcorp deal was expected to be announced first.

League's reluctant acceptance of the gambling dollar comes as the sport adjusts to the opposing philosophies of its two main commercial partners: the pro-gambling Packer dynasty, which is also the code's free-to-air telecaster, and the traditionally anti-gambling Murdoch empire, which owns half the NRL.

Tabcorp and Betfair already have deals with the AFL, with the Melbourne-based totalisator paying $600,000 a year and the betting exchange $450,000.

Tabcorp's TAB Sportsbet holds $140 million nationally on NRL matches, while $120m is bet across the country on AFL matches.

Although the AFL has teams in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the really heavy wagers are on rugby league.

Betfair concedes TAB Sportsbet is the market leader, with perhaps 80 per cent of all sports gambling, but the online exchange estimates overseas betting on NRL games will increase exponentially.

"We have 500,000 registered punters in the United Kingdom and some of them already bet on the one or two live NRL games they get per week," a spokesman said.

"The first year of our operation - to February this year - we had 50,000 overseas customers betting on Australian events."

Betfair points out its anticipated payment to the NRL is not a sponsorship because advertising restrictions in NSW mean it can't promote its investment via signage, branding or hospitality. Under NSW law, only wagering operators licensed in NSW are allowed to advertise in the state.

Tabcorp's insistence that its new deal with the NRL be called a sponsorship, rather than a product fee, is consistent with its reluctance to concede sports are entitled to a fee for use of intellectual property.

However, Betfair, keen to legitimise a business in which punters can back a team to lose, seeks strong relationships with sports via the product fee, even though it can still take bets without the sport's endorsement.

Betfair points out it has no-charge information-sharing arrangements with the International Cricket Council, Premier League football and English rugby league and rugby union, yet has no commercial arrangements with these sports.

On the other hand, it has information-sharing and product-fee agreements with Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia, the PGA Tour and AFL. Both Betfair and Tabcorp are keen to promote their integrity, with Betfair being the first to name AFL player Simon Goodwin in an audit last November and Tabcorp revealing another three players three months later.

Betfair boasts that it has a staff of nine checking records to determine if athletes are gambling on their sports, while Tabcorp says: "No organisation takes integrity more seriously than Tabcorp. We have the right level of resources and excellent processes in place to monitor betting patterns for account holders."

Tabcorp concedes it has no access to information on bets laid with TABs in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

The forthcoming deals with Tabcorp and Betfair are independent of the NRL's membership of the Coalition of Major Professional Sports, which has been lobbying the states for a fixed return on betting on sporting events.

The AFL intended to join COMPS but signed with Tabcorp and Betfair. NRL chief executive David Gallop expects the Victorian Government to introduce legislation soon which would set a mandatory percentage return for all sports on money gambled on their events. SMH

RLCMtv Update Click here to view a RLCMtv short of Bill Sweetnam keynote speaker at RFL Coaching Conference, Reebok Stadium Bolton.

Lockyer wants a change to club challenge

Darren Lockyer has questioned the scheduling of the World Club Challenge, believing the annual decider would be better staged a fortnight after the NRL grand final.

Lockyer made the comments after returning to Brisbane following the Broncos' 18-14 WCC loss to English champions St Helens in Bolton.

It was the sixth time in seven seasons the visiting NRL premiers have fallen to the Super League champions in the February play-off.

The timing, conditions and venue give the English a major advantage with the travelling Australians arriving cold after their off-season.

The Kangaroos and Brisbane skipper said he'd would prefer to see the game played in October - a fairer time as both sides should retain the same squads that took them to their domestic title.

"From the teams that played in the grand final last year, we are missing three players and they were missing a few," Lockyer said.

"And it was first game off the grass for us.

"The conditions suited them more than it did us and we had a lot of blokes who hadn't been there before."

While complimentary of the concept in general, Lockyer felt the event would be bolstered immeasurably with an October date.

"I think there would be a lot more profile if it was two weeks after the season finished," he said.

"It's a good concept, (but) I think the scheduling could be better.

"Back here it needs to be more profiled and if you could do it a couple of weeks after the grand final when everyone is still talking footy."

International duties, with Tri-Nations and World Cup tournaments scheduled for October-November, stand as the major obstacle.

The Broncos showed as much desire as any NRL premier of recent times to win the WCC title.

A near full strength Brisbane travelled to the United Kingdom two weeks in advance and played a trial against Welsh side, the Celtic Crusaders.

But they were unable to show the chemistry of the Saints who had already enjoyed three Super League games in their new season.

Lockyer, though, sent a warning to the Broncos NRL rivals by stating they were now in far better position than this time last year.

"First game of the season your execution is always down a bit," he said.

"But I think where we are at this stage this year, compared to last year, we are streets ahead.

"I think the fact that our combinations seem to be more fluent because we have the same personnel in key positions.

"I think we will start the season on a good note." Yahoo Sport

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Broncos stars rested

By Karl Dekroo

Brisbane is set to bubble-wrap a number of its backline stars with the club convinced they are ready for NRL action and not in need of another trial hitout.

Skipper Darren Lockyer and fellow Tri Nations stars Karmichael Hunt, Justin Hodges and Brent Tate are likely to be among those rested from the Broncos' final pre-season match against 2006 grand final opponent Melbourne in Victoria on Saturday night.

The move is set to provide several exciting youngsters, including in-form teenage five-eighth Joel Moon, with a final opportunity to convince coach Wayne Bennett they are viable options for the opening rounds of the competition proper.

The Broncos returned to Brisbane yesterday, disappointed but also encouraged by their 18-14 World Club Challenge loss to St Helens in England.

"We'd have loved to have won it but we prepared as well as we could have and came up just short," Lockyer said yesterday. "From a big picture perspective there was a lot to like about the performance.

"It was the first game back for a lot us and our execution was down a bit, and the conditions didn't help that. But if you look at where we are at this stage, compared to the same time last year, we're streets ahead."

Coach Wayne Bennett will review the performances of the Broncos' fringe first graders, including those who led a Redcliffe/Brisbane composite side to a stunning upset over NRL rival Canberra, before naming a team for the Melbourne trial today.

Bennett has indicated his top 17 for the round 1 blockbuster against North Queensland at Suncorp Stadium on March 16 is unlikely to contain many surprises, with the nucleus of the premiership team still in place.

"We haven't lost too many players and our combinations are more fluent than they were early last season," Lockyer said.

"Hopefully that will mean we get out of the blocks a bit better than last year."

Moon rejected a massive offer to join Melbourne at the end of last season, with Storm targeting the 18-year-old as a possible replacement for veteran five-eighth Scott Hill.

"I have seen plenty of Joel at training but not so much of him playing," Lockyer said.

"He is obviously a talent and if I am rested this week he'll probably get a chance against Melbourne."

Canberra received some good news yesterday with halfback Todd Carney unlikely to miss any game time despite suffering a index finger fracture against Redcliffe.

The Raiders feared Carney had suffered a broken thumb, an injury which would have forced him out for a couple of weeks, but he is now expected to play against Wests Tigers at Davies Park on Saturday.

Cronulla's State of Origin lock Paul Gallen will miss up to six weeks after MRI scans yesterday showed ligament damage to his right ankle.

Gallen suffered the injury during the second half of last Saturday's NRL trial win against South Sydney. Courier Mail