“He’s the tailored suit ready to be put on.” – An unanimous verdict from Paul Cooke and Ged Corcoran.
Steve McNamara is expected to become the new Hull FC head coach. (Image: SW PIX)
Paul Cooke believes Steve McNamara will be a popular appointment at Hull FC. The 54-year-old is expected to become the Black and Whites’ new head coach from 2027, replacing John Cartwright, who the club have confirmed will leave his role at the end of the current season.
A Hull-born coach and former FC player and Premiership winner, it’s believed that McNamara has wanted the Hull job for a long time, and now after stints at Bradford Bulls, Catalans Dragons, Sydney Roosters, and New Zealand Warriors, not to mention a spell as England head coach and one currently at Warrington Wolves, Cooke believes he is perfectly poised to make a strong fist of it.
Speaking on All Out Rugby League’s Back 10 podcast, Cooke also outlined the impact Cartwright has had in a short space of time, with the side now more robust and gritty as a result of his coaching.
The former half-back said: “There’s been calls for Steve to come back (to Hull FC) at numerous times over the last decade. Steve’s been around this game a hell of a long time and he’s been a quality coach for a hell of a long time.
“To bring him back home is a big thing for Hull, and with all due respect, Hull people love Hull people; they love the people that are from there and that get the city and the culture and the rugby league, particularly.
“It will be a popular appointment; of that there’s no question, but you can’t please everyone either, and there’ll be some that are disappointed, as always.
“It’s also difficult for John because I think John’s done a really good job in terms of coming in and stabilising the club to a club which was not heavily beaten every week, which is something we saw previously. He’s come in there and really given the club some stability and direction in terms of being difficult to beat. I think he’s done a magnificent job and people should applaud that as well as the appointment of Steve McNamara.”
Cooke appeared on Back 10 alongside special guest Ged Corcoran, who coaches the Ireland international side and appeared in a World Club as a player alongside Hull CEO Richie Myler.
“I think one thing for sure, knowing Richie Myler as well as I know him, is there’s a plan in place there,” Corcoran said. “He has a vision – he knows what he wants, he knows what the club are about, and he knows where they’re going.
“There’ll be some big things to come and going back to the coaching side of things, I’d love to see Steve Mac go there. I’d love to see an English coach, a Hull lad born and bred, rather than looking overseas and bringing another import in, not that I have anything against them, but I think Mac is the fit.
“He’s the tailored suit ready to be put on. He’s the mist that they’ve been missing for a while. They’ve done a great job in this transition period gaining stability, but I think Mac is the man. He’s got the suit ready to line up. He’s ready just to jump in it and I think he’ll take the club and elevate them going forward.”
McNamara would follow an interesting pattern of local coaches taking over from Australian counterparts, with Lee Radford following Peter Gentle and John Kear taking over from Shaun McRea. Both coaches ended up winning silverware.
Asked if history could repeat itself, Cooke said: “It’s a coincidence, isn’t it? There are some parallels to be made with the stability of the club from McRae to Kear and from Gentle to Lee Radford and from John Cartwright to, if it should be, Steve McNamara, and I think it will be. It’s just going to be a case of when people announce it now.”