Shaun McRae
Encyclopedia
Shaun McRae is a rugby league
coach, who is currently the director of rugby at hull fc after a spell with the Salford City Reds
.
coaching career as an assistant for the Canberra Raiders in the early 1990s. He was later appointed Head Coach with St Helens (1996 – 1998) in the European Super League
, where he won the Coach of the Year award in 1996. He coached his team to victory in the Challenge Cup
in 1996 and in 1997 and the Super League championship in 1996.
At the end of 1998 McRae moved to the now defunct Gateshead Thunder
club. He then joined Hull in October 1999, staying there until 2004.
He returned to Australia and joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs
in 2004. He returned to the NRL with a 61.1% success rate in Super League. Under McRae South Sydney finished the 2005 NRL season level on 23 premiership points with 2004 premiers the Canterbury Bulldogs
. He was replaced at the Rabbits
by Jason Taylor after the 2006 season with a final winning success rate of exactly 25%.
The 2006 season was seen as a transitional phase for the club, with the loss of senior players such as Bryan Fletcher
, Ashley Harrison
and Scott Logan
, however with the club getting the wooden spoon for the fourth time in five seasons, he was asked to make way for outgoing Parramatta
coach Jason Taylor. Taylor had been hired to act as McRae's assistant, following the sacking of McRae's previous assistant, Arthur Kitinas
.
He moved upstairs to the position of director of rugby at the South Sydney Rabbitohs. However in late 2006 it emerged that he would be leaving his new role, feeling that he still had much to offer as a head coach.
McRae has worked on Sky Sports with Eddie Hemmings
and Mike 'Stevo' Stephenson
. In early 2007 he was installed as the favourite to succeed Brian Noble
to become the full-time coach of Great Britain
but the job went to Tony Smith.
McRae then took over from Karl Harrison
at the Salford City Reds
on 11 June 2007.
In 2008 after failing to save the Reds from relegation from the Super League, McRae led the Salford side to triple success in the National League, winning the Northern Rail Cup, the League Leaders Trophy and the Grand Final and saw his team gain a licence for re-admittance to the Super League for 2009.
Shaun McRae has been off with an undisclosed illness for most of the 2011 season and the club had announced that he will not be extending his contract after it finishes at the end of the current season. Shaun has since agreed to terminate employment, in a mutual agreement with the club. The Salford City Reds
are now looking for a new head coach to take them forward in the new stadium in the 2012 season.
SEPTEMBER 2011 He has returned to Hull FC as director of rugby after taking the role handed to him by owner Adam Pearson and has named Peter Gentle in place of Rich Agar who is leaving the club. They have also managed to bring in a host of players already, most notably eamoin ocarrol
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
coach, who is currently the director of rugby at hull fc after a spell with the Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
.
Career
Shaun McRae, nicknamed 'Bomber', was born in 1959 and began his rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
coaching career as an assistant for the Canberra Raiders in the early 1990s. He was later appointed Head Coach with St Helens (1996 – 1998) in the European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
, where he won the Coach of the Year award in 1996. He coached his team to victory in the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
in 1996 and in 1997 and the Super League championship in 1996.
At the end of 1998 McRae moved to the now defunct Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder is a professional rugby league club based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear in England. They currently play in the Championship 1 competition, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom...
club. He then joined Hull in October 1999, staying there until 2004.
He returned to Australia and joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
in 2004. He returned to the NRL with a 61.1% success rate in Super League. Under McRae South Sydney finished the 2005 NRL season level on 23 premiership points with 2004 premiers the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
. He was replaced at the Rabbits
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
by Jason Taylor after the 2006 season with a final winning success rate of exactly 25%.
The 2006 season was seen as a transitional phase for the club, with the loss of senior players such as Bryan Fletcher
Bryan Fletcher
Bryan Fletcher is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative second-row-forward, he played his club football in Australia with the Sydney Roosters then the South Sydney Rabbitohs...
, Ashley Harrison
Ashley Harrison
Ashley Harrison is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL...
and Scott Logan
Scott Logan
Scott Logan is an Australian former professional rugby league player for the Canberra Raiders. His position is prop. He has been described as, "one of the most durable props of the modern era."-Playing career:...
, however with the club getting the wooden spoon for the fourth time in five seasons, he was asked to make way for outgoing Parramatta
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
coach Jason Taylor. Taylor had been hired to act as McRae's assistant, following the sacking of McRae's previous assistant, Arthur Kitinas
Arthur Kitinas
Arthur Kitinas is a former rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League competition.A hooker, Kitinas came through the lower grades at Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club playing in just 1 top grade match in 1977 before joining the South Sydney Rabbitohs the following season...
.
He moved upstairs to the position of director of rugby at the South Sydney Rabbitohs. However in late 2006 it emerged that he would be leaving his new role, feeling that he still had much to offer as a head coach.
McRae has worked on Sky Sports with Eddie Hemmings
Eddie Hemmings (rugby league)
Eddie Leslie Bruce Hemmings presents Sky Sports rugby league coverage, and is also the channel's main commentator for the sport. Hailing from Warrington, Cheshire, England, Hemmings is usually partnered by the idiosyncratic co-commentator Mike Stephenson....
and Mike 'Stevo' Stephenson
Mike Stephenson
Michael "Mike" Stephenson, also commonly known as Stevo, is an English Rugby League World Cup winning Rugby League, and presenter/commentator on British satellite television channel Sky Sports who also represented Great Britain in the sport.Stevo, the nickname that he is commonly known as on TV...
. In early 2007 he was installed as the favourite to succeed Brian Noble
Brian Noble (rugby league)
Brian 'Nobby' D. Noble is an English former rugby league footballer. Noble is also the former coach of the Great Britain National Rugby League team. He was also the captain of the 1984 Great Britain touring team to Australia...
to become the full-time coach of Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
but the job went to Tony Smith.
McRae then took over from Karl Harrison
Karl Harrison
Karl Harrison, is an English former rugby league player and coach. He was a player for Hull and Halifax, and also represented Great Britain at prop forward. He won the last of his 14 International caps in 1994. He was the head coach of Salford City Reds rugby league team for five years, before...
at the Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
on 11 June 2007.
In 2008 after failing to save the Reds from relegation from the Super League, McRae led the Salford side to triple success in the National League, winning the Northern Rail Cup, the League Leaders Trophy and the Grand Final and saw his team gain a licence for re-admittance to the Super League for 2009.
Shaun McRae has been off with an undisclosed illness for most of the 2011 season and the club had announced that he will not be extending his contract after it finishes at the end of the current season. Shaun has since agreed to terminate employment, in a mutual agreement with the club. The Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
are now looking for a new head coach to take them forward in the new stadium in the 2012 season.
SEPTEMBER 2011 He has returned to Hull FC as director of rugby after taking the role handed to him by owner Adam Pearson and has named Peter Gentle in place of Rich Agar who is leaving the club. They have also managed to bring in a host of players already, most notably eamoin ocarrol
External links
- McRae favourite for Salford role
- McRae interested in GB coach role
- GB Captain Paul Sculthorpe backs Shaun McRae for role
- Shaun McRae quits Souths
- Sacked McRae stays at Rabbitohs
- McRae extends South Sydney stay
- BOOTS 'N' ALL: BALANCE IS THE KEY
- Hull confirm McRae exit
- RLWC 2000 - Scotland Profile
- Shaun McRae quotes
- RFL CONFIRMS NOBLE'S GB EXIT
- Coaching Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org