Official Bulldogs sign former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen

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NRL 2020: Bulldogs sign former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen
Legendary All Blacks mentor Steve Hansen is joining the Canterbury Bulldogsin a huge coup for new coach Trent Barrett in his Belmore rebuild.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Hansen has agreed to come on board with the title of high-performance consultant to work alongside Barrett and his coaching staff, the leadership group and even senior management at the Bulldogs.

“Everyone from the boardroom to the playing group, all our leaders and all our coaches will benefit from having Steve at the club,” Barrett said.

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After leaving the Manly Sea Eagles in 2018, Barrett was able to spend time with Hansen in New Zealand with the All Blacks to get first-hand experience of their culture and coaching methods.

“We’ve stayed in touch and we’ve been talking about this role for a few months,” Barrett said, “This is really big for us.

“When I got the job at Canterbury I just thought he’d be ideal and he was keen to help out and try something new. The aura that he carries and all the experience he’s had…

Steve Hansen will join Canterbury as a consultant.
Steve Hansen will join Canterbury as a consultant.
“It’s fantastic for us from a leadership position and to help make sure we get off on the right foot in areas around culture.

“It’s well known that the All Blacks are the benchmark in that regard.”

Barrett says Hansen will offer advice in all areas of football operations and management.

“It will be a broad role and it’s important for me to have someone of his stature to lean on,” he said.

“There are not too many things he hasn’t seen or done in sport.

“He’s knockabout but there’s no bullshit. Everything’s straight down the line.”

Champion All Blacks coach Steve Hansen will be helping out Trent Barrett and the Bulldogs next season. Picture: AFP
Champion All Blacks coach Steve Hansen will be helping out Trent Barrett and the Bulldogs next season. Picture: AFP
The hours he spends at Belmore will be determined by COVID and the travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand.

There are hopes he will be hands on from the start of next season.

“There’s a lot of things we can do over zoom,” Barrett said, “Ideally when he have our camps and when we’re doing our preparation it would be beneficial for him to be here with us.

“That’s something we’ll work out.”

Hansen, 61, coached the All Blacks for seven years and is also seen as a potential magnate for new players.

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Not just with NRL players but from his knowledge of junior pathways in both codes in New Zealand.

“We absolutely see Steve as a great attraction for players outside of our club,” said chief executive Andrew Hill.

“To have someone like Steve involved will help recruit more quality to our club, no question about it.

“Who wouldn’t want to learn from Steve?”

Canterbury bound Steve Hansen is very tight with Sonny Bill Williams. Picture: AFP/Michael Bradley
Canterbury bound Steve Hansen is very tight with Sonny Bill Williams. Picture: AFP/Michael Bradley
Hansen’s signing could also raise questions about the possibility of the great Sonny Bill Williams having a farewell season at the Bulldogs, depending on the future of Toronto Wolfpack.

Hansen recently said SBW was a “freak of nature”.

“Sonny would be the best athlete I’ve ever coached from a pure athlete sense,” Hansen said.

The Bulldogs have always been open minded about bringing in expertise from rugby union at the highest levels.

Earlier this year there was even talk of recruiting super coach Eddie Jones as Hill and senior figures at Belmore discussed ways to lift the Bulldogs into a competitive outfit.

The club has finished no higher than 11th in the last four years.

To get Hansen is one of their greatest coups in the modern era.

“He was responsible for being a major driving force behind one of the most successful sporting brands in history,” Hill said, “his knowledge and thoughts on areas such as leadership, high performance, preparation and team ethic will be invaluable to our club as we look to create the right environment for success, on and off the field.”
 
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In an amazing coup for the Bulldogs, former All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen has agreed to work with the club as a High Performance Consultant.

Hansen has had an incredible coaching career that started with the Crusaders in New Zealand, before moving on to the Head Coaching role with the Welsh National side between 2002-04. During his time in charge of Wales, Hansen took them to the quarter-final of the 2003 World Cup, before taking on the role of Assistant Coach of the All Blacks under Graham Henry.


The All Blacks experienced extended success during this period, culminating in winning the 2011 World Cup against France on home soil at Eden Park in Auckland.

With Henry departing after the World Cup, Hansen took on the Head Coaching role and New Zealand entered a period of unprecedented success that included going unbeaten throughout 2013, before retaining the World Cup in 2015, after defeating Australia at Twickenham in London.

Hansen continued to coach with outstanding success all the way through to the 2019 World Cup, which saw New Zealand bow out in the semi-finals.

Bulldogs Chief Executive Andrew Hill was delighted that the club would be able to learn from someone of Steve Hansen's pedigree and background :

'Being able to bring Steve Hansen on board as a High Performance Consultant with the club is tremendous news for everyone associated with the Bulldogs as he is one of the most highly respected figures throughout all of sports.

Steve will work closely with our Coaching and Management staff, in addition to our Players Leadership Group.

To be able to have someone with Steve's record and background work with our staff and players will be a great asset to our club.

He was responsible for being a major driving force behind one of the most successful sporting brands in history and his knowledge and thoughts on areas such as leadership, high performance, preparation and team ethic will be invaluable to our club as we look to create the right environment for success, on and off the field.


Steve has already developed a relationship with Trent Barrett, after Trent spent some time with the All Blacks in recent seasons and we believe that his knowledge and insights will be of tremendous benefit moving forward."

www.bulldogs.com.au

Former All Blacks Coach Steve Hansen announced Bulldogs High Performance Consultant

In an amazing coup for the Bulldogs, former All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen has agreed to work with the club as a High Performance Consultant.
www.bulldogs.com.au www.bulldogs.com.au
 
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