The NRL coaching circus continued with Cowboys coach Paul Green becoming latest NRL coach to be sacked. Green is the third coach to be sacked since the competition restart, joining Stephen Kearney and Dean Pay on the sidelines. The well-respected mentor isn’t expected without a job for long, with Green immediately firming as the man most likely to take the Brisbane Broncos jobs, should they decide to part ways with current boss Anthony Seibold.
Green is the longest-serving coach in Cowboys history, boasting a premiership and two Grand Final appearances for the club in seven years. The Cowboys had slumped to a 3-7 record this season, and the club’s hierarchy informed Green that they would be taking a new direction in 2021.
Green was informed of the decision midweek, rather than immediately walk the Cowboys boss coached the side for the final time on the weekend against the Panthers. “I was pretty adamant about coaching Sunday,” Green said. “I was glad I did, I was proud of the way the boys played even though we lost yesterday. In saying that I think the club is well placed given some of the young talent coming through. Hopefully, by making this decision now it will allow those guys to get on with it and improve.”
The former Cowboys boss told media that he was adamant that his coaching career was far from over. “I will use this next period to freshen up, spend some time with my family and assess options before moving on to my next coaching role. While my time as a Cowboys coach has come to an end, my time as a head coach has not,” Green said.
The 2017 Grand Finalists have underperformed this season, hampered by injuries to key players. Former NFL recruit Valentine Holmes and skipper Michael Morgan have both been on the sidelines.
The Cowboys will be led by Assistant Coach Josh Hannay for the remainder of the 2020 season, with David Tangata-Toa keeping his role on the backroom team.
And they face a tough fortnight, with games against competition heavyweights the Sea Eagles and Raiders.
