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Los Pumas coach Michael Cheika a 'shock candidate' for NRL gig
By Ben Smith
Former Wallabies head coach and current Los Pumas head coach Michael Cheika has reportedly been thrown into the mix for an NRL switch.
Currently preparing Argentina for the Rugby World Cup, Cheika has been labelled a 'shock candidate' for the coaching role at St George Illawarra Dragons.
Cheika has ties to the other code having coached Lebanon at last year's Rugby League World Cup and spent part of 2020 with the Sydney Roosters as an assistant.
The Dragons are reportedly looking for replacement candidates for next season with current coach Anthony Griffin out of favour.
“A third party, someone very close to Michael Cheika, rang Ryan Webb, the St George chief executive, during the week and said he just wanted to put his name in the mix,” News Corp reporter Phil Rothfield told Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.
“Cheika is still overseas, so he hasn’t had the chance to do an interview. At the moment, he’s coaching Argentina through the Rugby World Cup, which starts in September and finishes in October, so he could get back here if he got the job and oversee pre-season.
“I think it’s highly unlikely to happen. I think Ben Hornby is ahead of him, as is Jason Ryles.
"But it’s interesting that he’s got this passion, Michael Cheika, to one day coach an NRL side.”
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Latest Comments
I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.
Go to commentsDon't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
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