Quote Hull-Neutral="Hull-Neutral"Who knows how Peter Gentle will turn out?
For every Michael Maguire, there is a Dean Lance or John Harvey.
All I can say is that Gentle has been the beneficiary of some very astute PR from his UK representative David Howes (who had never even heard of Gentle six months ago!). Howesy did a very good job of circulating his client's name in revered tones when, by all accounts, he is not held in particularly high regard in his homeland!
Howes did particularly well to squeeze plenty of mileage out of Gentle being 'Australia's assistant coach'. The reality is that Tim Sheens simply turned to his trusty lieutenant when Royce Simmons stood down at short notice prior to last year's Four Nations. Gentle was actually one THREE assistants.
Darryl Powell and James Lowes are assistants to Steve McNamara. Does it really mean that much?
At Wests (who have largely underachieved in recent seasons), Gentle is regarded as a defensive coach. Prior to that, he was assistant coach at Cronulla during a dreadful two-year period in their history.
We know that he was interviewed for the Salford job earlier in the year but wasn't first choice. Kurt Wrigley was, only to turn the position down. Next we hear Matt Parish gets the gig when everyone was expecting Gentle. Was it really because 'Gentle couldn't committ to this year', or was that more Howes' spin?
Castleford interviewed Gentle for the coaching position weeks ago (along with Justin Morgan), but never actually went as far as offering him the job before Hull FC took the bait and swooped without interviewing any other candidate, just days after another of Howes' old muckers Shaun McRae landed up as Football Manager!
Has Howes simply exploited Adam Pearson's RL naivety? Or will it prove an inspired appointment?
Only time will tell.'"
Peter Gentle has an interview with Gwillam on SportsTalk tomorrow night; a pre-recorded one mind, it goes like this:-
GL: Hello Peter. So you've got the Hull FC job - tell me how that came about?
PG: Well me and Shaun Mcrea have the same agent, so Howesy had a word and that was it!
GL: Oh right, bye!
