Ian Watson hopes to add something to the very best players in Great Britain role
Salford boss will be an assistant on the Lions' tour but believes he can show top players a thing or two
IAN Watson believes he can show the very best a thing or two after landing a job with Great Britain.
The Salford boss landed an assistant’s job with the reborn Lions after being interviewed by national boss Wayne Bennett.
Now after getting the best out of Jackson Hastings, discovering Joey Lussick and rejuvenating the careers of the likes of Greg Burke and Gil Dudson, he will work with the likes of Sam Burgess, James Graham and Gareth Widdop.
And he hopes to add something that even the top stars have not yet unlocked.
Watson said after sitting on the opposite side of a table to Bennett at a hotel in Leeds: “You can work with big names but one of the biggest things you have as a coach is the chance to help them be the best they can be.
“They’re the elite players in the NRL and I always hear good things about them from coaches. It will be a great experience for my development but hopefully I can add a few things in there.
“It’s credit to our backroom team and the playing group, who’ve worked hard as well over the last four or five years to change the environment here at Salford, to make sure it was a committed group.
“Now a few of us are getting a bit of recognition on the back of that.
“I’d met Wayne a couple of times before. Brisbane Broncos once trained at Salford and when he became England coach, he met all the Super League coaches.
“He was quite informal. We had a little chat about a few things rugby and he asked me about myself – he wanted to know me as a person and whether I could work with him and how I’d deal with certain situations.
“You’re always nervous. I’d not really done many interviews but it was a good experience. I was honoured to be even asked for an interview and I thought, ‘It’s an opportunity to experience something different.’”
Salford could go fourth with a win tonight but Super League’s squash means they are still looking over their shoulders at the drop zone, which opponents Huddersfield are firmly in.
Much focus will be on Hastings, who SunSport revealed has signed a two-year deal with Wigan from 2020.
But Watson is adamant there will be no easing off until the job is done at the Red Devils.
He added: “Jackson’s good. He’s a different character from some people – he’s very driven and very committed. He just wants to compete.”
Meanwhile, Castleford have landed Cronulla Sharks winger Sosaia Feki on a three-year deal from 2020.
