Not 'boring' - Newcastle boss' pledge to fans as club embarks on new era

Dan McFarland is honest enough to admit he doesn’t know what his new-look Newcastle Red Bulls squad, with 23 new signings, can achieve this season.

McFarland arrived in the North East this summer after winning the Japanese Top League title with Kobelco Steelers and is trying to mould a squad that he hopes will be able to climb off the foot of the Gallagher PREM table.

The Red Bulls have won only four PREM games in three seasons, so the task is huge, but at least McFarland is honest enough not to set unrealistic goals for his side, saying it has all the feel of a start-up project.

“It is basically a start-up project, isn’t it? When the game first went professional, that was a start-up project. So it’s awesome. It’s a huge, huge challenge in the sport that relies on cohesion to pull together so many new people,” he said.

“I can’t think of it happening too many times. Maybe Moana Pasifika?

“To see us progressing on the pitch, and the way that we play, and how efficient we are within that. What are we capable of achieving in terms of number of wins in the league, I don’t know.

“I don’t think anybody knows. But for sure is hell we’re gonna find out,” he added.

“All I can do is just try and answer the most important questions when we get in, and the connection and cohesion is one of them, so we’ve got to get going on that pretty fast, but now it’s a complex game.

“I think you’ve got to build the foundations first. That’s difficult for coaches, coaching to be in the weeds, and they love the real detail of stuff. We’ll be starting simple with key ideas.

“That doesn’t mean that the rugby looks boring. Far, far from it, but it does mean that you have to start with the basics and get those right so that you can build a relationship. Foundational level.

“The bottom line is that in the four years, Newcastle’s not won many games. It’s a very ambitious group of young men but we don’t know what we can achieve.”