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'I came to win the World Cup': NRL coach leaves club to join Michael Cheika's Los Pumas

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Just weeks into his new role as Los Pumas head coach, Michael Cheika has sprung a recruitment surprise, hiring an NRL coach as one of his assistants.

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Former Kiwis boss David Kidwell has left his post as assistant coach at the Parramatta Eels to join Cheika’s coaching set-up in Argentina with immediate effect.

“I came to win the World Cup, that’s my mentality,” Kidwell told Argentine media via a Zoom call with Cheika and newly-appointed Los Pumas backs coach Felipe Contepomi on Monday.

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“I told Michael, I’m very excited. I spoke with my family, it was a very big decision. I am very happy.”

A former rugby league star who turned to coaching following a playing career that saw him win the 2002 NRL Premiership with the Sydney Roosters and 2008 World Cup with the Kiwis, Kidwell’s comments echoes those made by Cheika earlier this month.

Speaking to Argentine press for the first time since confirmation of his appointment as Los Pumas boss, Cheika said he believes that Argentina are capable of winning next year’s World Cup in France.

That’s in spite of the fact that the South American powerhouse rugby nation endured a torrid test campaign last year, winning just three of their 12 matches, leading to the resignation of former head coach Mario Ledesma.

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In his place comes Cheika, who was Ledesma’s boss at the Wallabies between 2015 and 2017 before the pair reversed roles when the former joined Los Pumas as a technical advisor two years ago.

Now acting as Ledesma’s successor, Cheika has looked beyond rugby union in a bid to help Argentina realise the world-beating potential he has envisaged for Los Pumas, resulting in the arrival of Kidwell from the NRL.

Kidwell’s role as an assistant to Cheika is his first official position as a rugby union coach, although he revealed that he helped Japan boss Jamie Joseph in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup.

Since his playing retirement in 2009, Kidwell has been an assistant coach for numerous NRL clubs, including the Eels, Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers.

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His most notable rugby league coaching role, though, came when he was appointed head coach of New Zealand in 2016 after having earlier served as an assistant coach to Stephen Kearney in the two preceding years.

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Kidwell’s tenure at the helm of the Kiwis was disastrous, with the lowest point coming during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, when New Zealand were bundled out of their home tournament by Fiji in the quarter-finals.

Prior to that match, which proved to be Kidwell’s last in charge of the Kiwis, New Zealand had lost to Tonga in the pool stages.

Under Kidwell’s stewardship, the Kiwis also suffered a shock draw with Scotland at the 2016 Four Nations, failed to register a single win over Australia and lost the international allegiance of key players such as Tonga star Jason Taumalolo.

Kidwell’s only other head coaching roles have come with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, where he led the club’s U20 side to a Toyota Cup grand final appearance in 2010, and the Maori All-Stars.

The former 25-test rugby league international is reportedly eager to keep his role as Maori All-Stars boss after enjoying an unbeaten run since taking charge of the exhibition side two years ago.

The acquisition of Kidwell adds to the rugby league coaching experience within the Argentine coaching group, as Cheika worked as an advisor for the Roosters two years ago and will coach Lebanon at this year’s Rugby League World Cup in England.

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

8 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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