Steve Folkes enjoying West Indies role
December 12th 2008 07:29
The man who lived and bled for the Bulldogs for more than three decades as a player and then coach, quietly slipped into his new gig as head conditioner for the West Indies Cricket team yesterday.
Former Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes has begun his tenure as part of the Calypso Kings, who are hardly known for their professionalism or dedication to training.
It's quite possible that Folkes has taken on one of the toughest roles in world cricket.
Although Folkes still harbours a desire to return to rugby league when a coaching position becomes available in Australia or England's Super League, the former Bulldogs coach admits the West Indies job is a terrific learning experience.
The man himself could not have sounded happier when he picked up the phone in Dunedin for his first interview in his new role.
The Windies are taking on New Zealand in a two-Test series dubbed a battle of world cricket's cellar-dwellers.
Training the West Indies was "certainly different" from the Bulldogs in the NRL, Folkes admitted.
"The culture of the West Indies is different to what I'm used to I guess.
"It is a bit of a challenge, but they say a change is as good as a holiday. I'm working my way into the role and I am working them out. It is trial and error ... but everything is going all right."
Folkes coached the Bulldogs for the final time this year, ending a career at Belmore that started as a tough second-rower back in 1978.
During his tenure at the Bulldogs, he was one of few players to win a Grand Final as both a player and a coach for the same club.
Season 2008 however saw Folkes leave the club in controversy, after fallouts with Willie Mason and Sonny Bill Williams led to the side finishing up with the wooden spoon at year's end.
A strict disciplinarian with a no-nonsense approach, many questioned how Folkes would react to the laid-back style of Caribbean cricket.
"There is some of that (laid back attitude)," Folkes admitted.
"But there is a combination of older blokes and younger blokes. They come from different eras. But they have been reasonably receptive to me. I certainly think we are moving in the right direction."
Folkes claimed the training techniques varied significantly between cricket and rugby league.
"Cricket's obviously not a contact sport so the players don't need muscle bulk," he said.
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