As a horror season finally came to an end on Friday night, Darren Coleman sat in his final press conference as Waratahs coach in the bowels of Allianz Stadium, reflecting on another agonizing loss, this time to the Reds by a single point.
The emotional toll of the year was written on Coleman's face as he sat alongside his young son Jake and Waratahs captain Jake Gordon to face the press for the final time. The manager was rightly proud of his side's fightback, but also remembered how at times he came close to turning around a team he led with such passion.
Coleman spoke of his pride in leading his home state and his desire to ensure the right person leads the Waratahs next season. Coleman has finished his official coaching duties and will spend the next period working on a full season review.
“You definitely want him to be concerned about the state of the sport in the state and Australia,” Coleman said of his successor. “We've had a tough run over the last few years, so he has to worry about that.
“But I think maybe what I did wrong at different times was that I was a bit too concerned with the big picture and not enough with the team and getting results. It's not that I didn't care about results, but I think before nothing has to get the roster and the roster organized the way it wants, and we'll all be rooting for it.”
Regardless of the Waratahs' last place finish, the NSW coaching ticket remains attractive in rugby circles, not just in Australia but internationally. Success at the Waratahs doesn't mean automatic promotion to the Wallabies job, but it doesn't hurt either, with Joe Schmidt only contracted until the end of the British and Irish Lions series in 2025.
Jack Bowen celebrates scoring a try against the Reds and gives Waratahs fans a glimpse of what could be in the future.Credit: Getty
The Waratahs will be in the market for a new coach in the coming weeks, while also looking for candidates for the equivalent of a general manager. After a year that brought just two wins and a last-place finish, the pressure is on the next manager to immediately improve Australian rugby's biggest market.
Who are the first candidates?
