Mal Meninga: Why is the coach always the pawn? SACKING the coach - it is the get out of jail free card for a rugby league club and its failings. It is the annual ritual where, about halfway through the season if a club is not performing, whispers begin and linger and regrettably it is often the coach who is the last to officially hear about it. It's been the same old story for a long as the game has been played - and it is an issue. Where is the fairness in this process? How does the coach protect his integrity and his future? Unfortunately, it is a one-way street. Among all the wonderful advancements and best practise methods that continue rugby league's growth into a fully professional sport, one thing has remained the same: the coach is the pawn. Not the players, not the administration, not the board. Only the coach. If there is a problem, removing him will fix the problem. They are the sacrificial lambs for those who think coach sackings are the only way to drive change, a divisive decision that fabricates a public perception that leadership has been exhibited by the club. Clubs are entitled to make their own decision of course, and North Queensland did that last week by sacking Neil Henry. But here is where it gets interesting: Neil is a terrific coach. I know he is. Anyone who has been within a metre of him knows he is. Maroons coach Mal Meninga has a laugh with the media. He did a great job in Canberra, he did a great job as assistant coach with Queensland. He is very astute in every technical and tactical application of the game. That hasn't changed. So why would the Cowboys throw away such a valuable asset? Because that is the way it has always been done in rugby league. If the results aren't there, sack the coach. Perhaps the smarter option would have been not replacing a coach, but engaging more of them. The coach lives and dies on the strength of his team's results, but what about the officials? Where are their checks and measures? A truly high-performing club administration would change the coaching structure to help the coach they have, instead of taking the easy way and sacking him and hoping for the best with someone new.Instead of going to the coach and saying "what else can you do?," why doesn't a forward-thinking administration go to the coach and asking "what else can we do to help?" There is some great but unproven coaching talent out there with their hands up for a position as head coach. Why not bring them in to support rather than to substitute? Spend the dollars, because on field success leads to increased returns. These days the coaching role is evolving more into that of a manager - literally a manager of the football department. The head coach is the football manager. The management style has been employed for a long time in the super-professional sports like Premier League soccer and American football and baseball. That thinking is slowly filtering through to the NRL, where you will see most clubs now employing specialist staff who are empowered with the responsibility of their area of expertise. The ARLC and its officers are going through this very process now. When I first became coach of Queensland, I studied what was successful in coaching set-ups around the world. What worked best was employing a team of specialist people who are reliable and could focus on specific roles to ensure every aspect of the team's performance was at its peak and contributing at the top of its potential. At the top sat a manager, not only to coordinate that team of coaches, but also to handle the man management aspect of communicating technicalities, empowering the players, motivating them, and involving them in the planning process so they can feel like their opinions and actions are validated. I copped plenty of criticism about Queensland's coaching structure from people that don't understand it and aren't flexible enough to change attitudes. But the people that mattered most understood, and bought in immediately - the players, the staff and most importantly the Queensland Rugby League, who embraced a shift from the way things had always previously been done. Eight Origin series wins in a row would probably suggest the idea has some merit. Coaching structures in the NRL are due for an overhaul, and this management approach with a team of specialists - already being slowly adopted by a number of clubs - will be the end result. Mark my words!