It is almost unheard of for a coach to publicly yearn for his time in the job to come to an end but, given the convoluted nature of the Super 8s, that is the position the Hull KR coach, James Webster, finds himself in this weekend as the Qualifiers reach a thrilling conclusion.
As the west side of Hull hopes for at least two more games this year courtesy of Hull FC’s push for the Super League Grand Final, those on the other side of the river will, like Webster, be willing their season to end on Saturday.
The Robins face Huddersfield in the final round of the regular season in a game dubbed the “Half Million Pound Game”; for the winners, Super League survival courtesy of a third-placed finish and an automatic return to the top flight – for the losers, the drama of next week’s sudden-death Million Pound Game.
Webster will step aside as head coach when Hull KR’s season ends, be it this week or next, to be replaced by the former Australia head coach Tim Sheens. Webster will remain at the club as Sheens’ assistant, but admits it would be ideal if this Saturday was his final game in charge of the Robins with the stakes so high.
“That’s right, I can sack myself after Saturday if we win, can’t I,” said Webster. “But it would be good to get it done. This is the last time we have a chance to finish third, which would be a good achievement for us. The aim is to finish it this week – but if we have to go the harder, longer route, we’re confident we can do that too. It’s a big game for the club and it’s enjoyable. I’m looking forward to it and the players are too.”
Like Hull KR, Huddersfield know their fate is in their own hands once again after victory last week. But while Webster has experienced the drama of both promotion and relegation as a player and a coach earlier in his career, his opposite number is alien to it all.
Rick Stone arrived at Huddersfield in July already knowing he would be attempting to guide the club through the Qualifiers, but coming from the NRL – a competition without promotion and relegation – he finds himself in a new position: coaching a group of players fighting for their livelihoods.
“It’s a different situation to be in as far as the competition but you’ve still got to prepare to win games and be consistent,” he said. “Even though the format is a bit different, the formula is not too different. I didn’t know what to expect when I got here; looking from afar I didn’t know what position the club was in.”
The Huddersfield forward Tom Symonds – who also joined from the NRL midway through this year – is another who is new to the drama. “It’s rather stressful this, isn’t it?” he said. “It’s certainly a situation I’ve never found myself in and there’s a lot of guys under some stress. It is probably exciting for the fans and the competition but for the people in the firing line and having to deal with the consequences, it’s certainly not easy.”
Defeat is not the be-all and end-all for either side on Saturday but, with Leigh’s promotion to Super League, at least one top-tier side will be relegated this year. With both sides 80 minutes away from the tumultuous Million Pound Game, this is an opportunity neither side wants to let slip.
“It will be huge,” Symonds said. “There’s no point shying away from it; everyone knows what’s at stake – nobody wants to play the following week, believe me.”
