Steve McNamara says he would not swap his job at Catalans Dragons for any other with the Leeds Rhinos head coaching position currently vacant. Headingley supremo Gary Hetherington is currently in Australia searching for a new head coach after Richard Agar stepped down last month following the club’s disastrous start to the season.
A number of NRL-based coaches have been linked with the role and other British-based counterparts such as Danny Ward have also featured prominently on the bookies’ shortlist. McNamara was asked today whether he was surprised not to have seen his name associated with the job at one of the biggest clubs in the game.
McNamara said: “Not at all, but I wouldn’t swap this job for any job at the minute. For me, this is the best job in the competition – it’s the best job in Super League. It’s different, it’s challenging, and I’m completely happy where I am right now.”
McNamara took over at Catalans midway through the 2017 season and narrowly kept the club in Super League after they won at Leigh Centurions in the Million Pound Game later that year. The following season, he guided the French club to Challenge Cup glory with a stirring win over Warrington Wolves at Wembley.
The 2018 success saw the Dragons become the first non-English team to win rugby league’s oldest and most famous trophy. Last season, Catalans finished top of Super League for the first time and also reached a maiden Grand Final, losing narrowly to St Helens.
They face Saints in Perpignan on Saturday in the quarter-final of the Challenge Cup. McNamara will check on the fitness of the Samisoni Langi, who was forced off during the first half of last Friday’s defeat at Huddersfield Giants with a knee injury.
McNamara said: “It’s not a serious injury, but we’re not quite sure whether Sami will be alright for this week. We’ll give him a bit of time and then see how he is.”
