The role Wigan Warriors chief Kris Radlinski played in Brian McDermott's England appointment
Wigan Warriors chief executive Kris Radlinski has revealed how he became part of the panel that led to the appointment of Brian McDermott as England’s new head coach ahead of the Rugby League World Cup this autumn.
Last week, the Rugby Football League confirmed that four-time Super League Grand Final-winning coach Brian McDermott will lead his country as head coach this autumn at the World Cup, which is held in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
McDermott, who is currently an assistant coach in the NRL with Gold Coast Titans, is the most successful coach in Super League history, having won eight major trophies with Leeds Rhinos between 2011 and 2018.
The 56-year-old was selected by a four-person panel including RFL chair Nigel Wood, RFL non-executive director Sara Symington, ex-England captain Kevin Sinfield and former Great Britain international Radlinski, who stepped in late in proceedings following the departure of Abi Ekoku, who left his role as interim CEO of the RFL to take up the CEO position at St Helens.
"I became involved two days before,” Radlinski told Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
"Abi Ekoku was on the panel, but he got a new role at St Helens, which meant he was conflicted as his head coach was one of the candidates, so I stepped up at the last minute. There was Kevin Sinfield, Nigel Wood, Sara Symington and Marc Lovering (RFL’s director of participation and development). It was a pretty thorough process – every candidate had to do a presentation, and then we had probably 40 or 50 minutes asking questions to everybody.”
"I have to say, there were five people (McDermott, Brad Arthur, Paul Rowley, Sam Burgess and Steve McNamara) interviewed and every one of them could have got the job.
"Brian is a serial winner, an incredible CV, and he has gone about his business in quite an unassuming way in the NRL – he’s got a real strong reputation for his delivery, his methods, he is a bit out there, everybody knows that, but he interviewed very well and is a proud Englishman.
"The challenge we’ve got is that we’ve got six months to turn this around before the World Cup, and one thing he spoke about was being the best prepared team, so he’s got six months to get his team around him and get to work, but he was good.”
McDermott, who represented England and Great Britain during a decorated playing career, takes over from former Wigan Warriors boss Shaun Wane, who stepped aside in January.
"It literally was just get the World Cup and see what happens,” Radlinski continued. “Everybody knew it was a short-term thing, but if he goes on and wins the World Cup, it’d be difficult (not to have him longer term)."
The World Cup is now less than six months away, with England facing Tonga in Perth in their first game at the tournament on October 17.
“I actually like the fact that our players will get on the plane going over there, and he’ll not have many relationships with any of them,” Radlinski added. “There’ll be a little bit of fear, not knowing what to expect, and there will be a bit of mystery about it, and that’s something different, so I think he’ll be good.”