Ged Stokes should be National League One's coach of the year
Last updated 12:36, Friday, 19 September 2008
Standing on the Shay turf after Whitehaven’s astonishing play-off win on Sunday, I told Ged Stokes that the result would ensure he was named NL1 coach of the year. I was mistaken. Spectacularly so.
I was forced in to a double take when surveying the award nominations this week. Haven’s Kiwi coach was not even shortlisted for the honour.
There’s no way I would decry the efforts of any on the list. I’m sure Salford’s Shaun McRae, Celtic’s John Dixon and Matt Calland of Halifax are all highly-competent. Their results this season certainly suggest so.
Dixon has steered Celtic in to the Grand Final, McCrae’s team lifted the League Leaders’ Shield and the Northern Rail Cup, while Calland has overseen an improvement at Fax, who appeared to buy wisely this year, and produced some fantastic performances on their way to a third-place finish in League One.
But let’s look at Stokes’ achievements. Haven had lost their opening three League One matches before he took over, including a home game against Batley. It was to be their only defeat of the year at the Recre.
Despite losing two of his top players, John Duffy and Richard Fletcher, he oversaw an amazing turnaround in the team’s fortunes. On a budget that was surely a fraction of that of full-timers Salford and Celtic.
They also of course knocked Fax out of the play-offs on their own turf. On that basis alone, how could he not even be nominated for honours? It beggars belief.
The RFL snub is even more surprising given that their award nominations are generally spot-on.
Mark Aston was coach of the year last term, in recognition of steering promoted Sheffield Eagles in to the play-offs, in their first year in NL1.
The previous year it was the turn of Batley boss Gary Thornton, who not only managed to secure a play-off place for the Bulldogs, but also a victory in the opening round at Leigh.
In 2005 it was Steve McCormack, who guided Haven to the top of the table, ahead of full-time Castleford.
Haven also bafflingly miss out in the young player category. I was convinced it would a contest between Gregg McNally and Salford’s Richard Myler. Yet the Haven scrum-half is not even shortlisted.
Few have burst on to the scene quite like McNally over recent years, and he has proved the player for the big occasion, popping up with hat-tricks on his debut against Salford and again at the Shay at the weekend.
He missed five NL1 matches late in the campaign as he was representing his country in Academy action in Australia. Incidentally, the only NL youngster to turn out, as Myler preferred to stay at home and focus on Salford, where he has enjoyed a terrific campaign.
West Cumbrian league fans often complain of a sense of isolation, over 100 miles from the sport’s heartland. And that feeling will only grow after this week’s nominations.
