The direction of Parramatta has been questioned after it was revealed that twice-sacked NRL coach Trent Barrett is among the frontrunners to replace Brad Arthur as the club’s next head coach.
Barrett was axed at both the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs, but he’s currently the Eels’ interim coach after stepping up from his assistant role when Arthur was fired last month.
Barrett has coached 110 NRL games with a winning record of 32 per cent. The former champion player’s record at his most recent club, Canterbury, was just 14.7 per cent.
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Despite those unimpressive numbers, Barrett has reportedly firmed as the equal favourite to be announced as Parramatta’s next head coach.
Eels star Reagan Campbell-Gillard said the club “just need to make a decision… the sooner the better” but there are still four names in the race.
“The mail I’m getting is that Trent Barrett is the equal frontrunner,” Dean Ritchie said on NRL 360.
“I don’t think he’s ahead of the field, which includes (Jason) Ryles, (Justin) Holbrook and Josh Hannay, but I don’t think he’s behind it either.
“I think it’s a deadset four-way bob of the head at the moment.”
But NRL great James Graham believes the only reason Barrett is being considered is because he happens to be the assistant at a club where the coach has been sacked.
“Trent Barrett is an interesting one for me, nothing against him but look at his previous record,” Graham said.
“He coached first grade at Manly and the Bulldogs, the only thing he’s got going for him is the fact that he’s there. If he’s the assistant coach somewhere else, I don’t think he’s in the conversation.”
“How many other coaches that have had one or two chances would be in this conversation?”
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James Hooper said Barrett would have “learned from his mistakes” and pointed out that Manly hired Anthony Seibold following his wooden spoon finish at Brisbane.
Ritchie said Barrett had the overwhelming support of the playing group before Barrett’s former NSW teammate Braith Anasta interjected.
“How many players don’t like an assistant coach?” Anasta asked rhetorically.
“I’m not discrediting Baz, he’s got potential to be a great coach, he’s had a few opportunities that haven’t worked out.”
Barrett emphasised that he has developed significantly as a coach since his first two stints in the NRL.
“There’s a completely different feel for me with Parramatta than my previous appointments,” Barrett told The SMH.
“From the experiences I’ve been through, I’m a hell of a lot calmer, more patient and have greater clarity on who I am as a person and the coach I want to be.
“I know I can coach. That’s never been the issue. It’s handling the emotion of it. I was too emotional in those last two jobs. I feel I’m a lot more in control of myself to make clear decisions.
Barrett was criticised in his previous head coaching roles for allegedly socialising too much with his players.
“That was blown out of proportion – but I understand the perception,” he said.
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“I was 36 when I took over at Manly and I played with three or four of the players in that side. I know through lessons learned, and the hard way, that perception carries a fair bit of weight.
“Not putting yourself in those situations, is really important. I understand that. It was naive of me to think back then that you can live a normal life as a coach. Even if you have two or three beers at a local pub, you have to be careful who sees you.
“We’re all on the same page (at Parramatta) in terms of how we think about our footy.
“We can have honest conversations. I can have honest conversations with all the players. They know what’s coming, and I’m comfortable saying it to them.
“That was something I wasn’t great at before. Only experience can make you better at that. You need to be in the job to work it out. I’ve gone about it the hard way and made errors and put myself in difficult situations. But I wouldn’t be in this position now without going through all that.”