This week’s guest on Behind the Roar is Western Suburbs Magpies NSW Cup coach, Wayne ‘chops’ Lambkin.
Episode 18 of Behind The Roar is available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
With the NRL team taking a bye-weekend break, and ahead of Saturday’s double-header at Lidcombe Oval, we talk about the processes, challenges and rewards of elite player development through Wests Tigers pathways.
Lambkin is one of the most experienced development coaches in the game, having coached lower grades at several clubs including North Sydney, Canterbury, Penrith, Manly and of course Wests Tigers.
He was also head of the rugby league program at the renowned Westfield Sports High, the same school which has produced some of the biggest names in Australian sport, like former test cricket captain Michael Clarke, current test cricketer Usman Khawaja, Socceroos' goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, and others.
Lambkin’s former place of employment has very close ties with Wests Tigers. Former stars Pat Richards, Bryce Gibbs, Dene Halatau, and Liam Fulton all attended WSH, as did current Wests Tigers players Tommy Talau, David Klemmer, Stefano Utoikamanu, Brandon Wakeham and Tallyn Da Silva.
Coaching Wests Tigers reserve grade team has its challenges but as Lambkin explains, it’s part and parcel of the gig.
“It’s tricky at times when your team is chopping and changing from week to week, but that’s how it is,” says Lambkin.
“There are broadly three groups of players in NSW Cup.
"The NRL players who come back from injury or a dip in form, and part of my job is getting them back into the NRL team.
“There are others who are very capable players but who might never play NRL.
“And then there is the player who has shown tremendous promise in our system, and is making his way through the grades.”
Tallyn Da Silva, who made his NRL debut last weekend, falls into the later category.
Lambkin first sighted Da Silva when he was a 12-year-old in Year 7 at Westfields Sports.
“I said at the time to other coaches we had there, I think we’ve got something special here,” he said.
Even though he was a very young player, he was always destined to be a hooker.
Wayne Lambkin
“He picked things up so quickly, playing straight out of dummy half, engaging the markers, the talent was evident early on.”
Not all young players bounce through junior rep teams like Da Silva, but Lambkin believes many talented teens give up too soon.
“I’ve seen plenty of kids play Harold Matts and SG Ball who do not go on to play first grade,” said Lambkin.
“As I always say to parents if their child does not get selected, it’s only my opinion.
“If you love the game enough, and you want it that much, then keep on trying.
I think a lot of kids these days give up too early.
Wayne Lambkin
Jahream Bula is another NRL rookie who has passed through teams coached by Lambkin.
“I must admit I did not think Jahream would make such an impact so soon,” said Lambkin.
“He was raw, you could definitely see he had the talent, but I thought it might be a bit of a shock to the system for him.
“Boy, how I was wrong.”
Lamkin also shares some coaching advice on how little things in the modern game can make a big difference.
“Over the 80 minutes you can make the game easier for you and your teammates through a lot of smaller efforts in certain areas,” he says.
“Once your players understand that, and feel the benefits of those efforts, then they’re moving in the right direction.”
He also talks about his first-grade debut, playing against the Tim Sheens coached Panthers.
Royce Simmons was the captain of that Penrith team which included the likes of Greg Alexander, John Cartwright and Darryl ‘big marn’ Brohman.
“I remember the Tuesday night when they named the teams, and no one had spoken to me,” said the former Magpies forward.
We had no mobile phones in those days, so I remember rushing home to tell my parents.
Wayne Lambkin
“They hey had done so much for me taking me to games and driving me around, and they were so proud.”
And as for the nickname, “chops”?
His late father Barry Lambkin was a butcher. Makes perfect sense.
