Darren Coleman, The ‘romantic’ Waratahs coach who knows he’s on the clock

Entering the final year of his contract, Waratahs coach Darren Coleman is all too aware his back is against the wall, understanding NSW must get results early if he’s to remain at Daceyville beyond 2024.

And, while it may not be his personality, he is ready to tone down the romanticism if it will help him stay there.

The pressure is mounting on Coleman after his side failed to match the hype last year and build on an impressive 2022 season. Just last week, a Sydney Morning Herald report suggested he had he’s just four rounds to turn results around and earn a contract extension.

Taking over the Tahs in 2022 after the side failed to win a single game a year earlier, Coleman oversaw a resurgence, finishing the season with eight wins, including a victory over the Crusaders, home games played in front of a near capacity Leichhardt Oval. But he admits his side went backwards last year, winning just six matches and limping into the quarterfinals against the Blues in Auckland.

“It’s interesting, if you look at it, if maybe I’d have had the 2023 season in 2022 and the 2022 season in 2023 there would have been progression,” Coleman told ESPN. “But for me personally, there’s no doubt we didn’t progress forward as a team, our record showed that.

“In my own career I want to make sure I’m taking every team forward. I didn’t do that last year, so I want to make sure I make amends there. It’s a professional sport you’ve got to win, you’ve got to be successful, that’s how it is. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.

“If we play with heart and with passion and are well directed, the results will look after themselves.

“The pressure is certainly on.”

Battling both external and internal pressure, it’s a make-or-break season for Coleman, not just to improve results but also to reinvigorate the club’s disengaged supporter base.

“Where does the pressure come from? It’s probably more internal. I can’t hide from the fact that you set up here in Sydney, you make certain financial commitments based on where you are in life and your kids are in school and all that sort of stuff, so I probably feel a little bit more pressure in that aspect,” Coleman said.

“If I don’t perform and I lose this job, the prestige of it doesn’t worry me, I’ll go on and coach and I love coaching, but I’d love to be able to provide a stable environment and future for my family. That’s where it does probably hit me a little bit.

“I love the progress we made in year one and I love looking up at the hill at Leichhardt and seeing it full. Everyone loves accolades, but I loved people saying to me that they were enjoying their rugby again and…