Get to know the REAL Sean Long

MIGHT I direct ALL Oldham fans to an absolutely brilliant podcast – the latest in Craig White's DARE series which covers the life and times of our head coach Sean Long, said in the blurb to be 'iconic'.

He is that all right, brilliant as a player; much-changed as a man; and a coach who will always do it HIS way, mainly hands-on with little time for laptops, not much interest in meetings; certainly not a video warrior; a coach who puts a lot of store in chat, honesty, and what happens on the pitch rather than the classroom.

"You've got to be yourself," says Sean, "You can't imitate anyone else. You've got to do it your way – and my way is to use the pitch rather than the classroom or the blackboard."

It was fantastic to hear what Longy had to say in an interview lasting as long as any rugby game and almost as fascinating to listen to the man who kept it going, Craig White, whose 'Dare to be different" series concentrated on what made Sean Long the man he is today, the numerous injury setbacks, the crazy things he did as a 'young maverick', the 'ups and downs' of a marvellous career, the tough life he had as a small boy being 'dragged up' in downtown Wigan, the fights, the betting, the pranks and the many times he appeared in the papers for all the wrong reasons.

We also heard about 'shooters', knives, drugs and the tough life he experienced as a boy on the back streets of Wigan, culminating in a decision to take his own life in the garage.

"I never did it, " he said, "but I was in a dark place. They put me in a straight-jacket – it was as bad as that -- and I lost my wife and kids. I was unhinged, doing crazy things. My Mum and Dad did their best and I owe them a lot, but they were young when I was born and we lived in poverty. There was never any money around and even when I was only five or six it was all about survival in a tough world."

Sean followed his mates to the local rugby club, Wigan St Jude's, and he left a Catholic junior school in Wigan to again follow his pals to a secondary school in Horwich. They didn't play rugby there, but by this time he was showing some promise at St Jude's and his Dad took him out of school and relocated him in Wigan at rugby-mad Deanery High.

He had a short spell at Wigan and from there he went to Widnes before he thoroughly enjoyed his 12 and a half seasons at St Helens, the club that made him and the club where he was the happiest he had ever been.

"Saints suited me and I think I suited Saints, " he said – the only reference he made in a long interview to his own magnificent contribution. Back to his younger days in Wigan he even said: "There were lots of lads with more talent than me. They were bigger, stronger, faster, fitter."

Asked about career highs he did make reference to five wins at Wembley and no fewer than THREE Lance Todd awards, but it was almost as an after-thought. Most references to the "loony lads" at Knowsley Road were of the team and its achievements rather than that of individuals but he did mention Chris Joynt, his captain and fellow Wiganer, and two other members of the leadership group, hooker Kieran Cunningham and loose-forward Paul Sculthorpe.

Asked about the many coaches he had played for, he picked out Daniel Anderson as the best.

"We didn't need coaching,", he said, "just managing. I'll never know hoe Ando managed a group like us. He was brilliant at handling us. We ran the team. He looked after us. He was always honest. He always looked you in the eye and told you how it was. That's what players like. They appreciate honesty and that's what Ando always was.

He once told me that if I couldn't play like Stacey Jones I could F . . . OFF. That was Ando. He was never afraid of saying what he meant. That’s what we liked and honesty was the one thing I picked up from him, although in general terms, as I’ve already said, I don’t think you can imitate anybody.”

And what of these days? How is Longy now, as a 47-year-old, his playing days long behind him and in situ as head coach at Oldham for at least two more seasons?

He said: “I’m more settled than ever before. The club is going places and I was sold on the job as soon as I met Bill Quinn and Mike Ford. We are on a journey to the top. Whether that will be Super League or the upper reaches of the Championship, or just how long it will take, I don’t know, but we are already re-awakening this town to rugby league and involving the kids and that’s what is important.

Oldham is rugby mad. The journey is exciting. I don’t like the word ‘comfortable ‘ because it can be taken to mean something else, but I’m settled. It’s like having a family around me. I’m a lot more mature than I was in my younger days. A lot more responsible too. The money helps, obviously, but I don’t do it for the money. I would do it for nothing if I had to because I’m still addicted to rugby and still addicted to the oval-shaped ball.

Everything about Oldham is good, especially the people. Everyone here is first class especially Bill and Mike, everyone else, and the fans, The fans are something else. Brilliant.

On top of all that, I love being a head coach, I love coaching my way – mainly doing skills on the pitch with others and having a quick word with people as we pass each other -- and I have a fantastic partner who knows how to talk to me to get the best out of me. She’s always upbeat; always positive and that’s perfect for me.

We have a vision and we are working towards it. We are putting Oldham on the rugby league map again. This town is a hot-bed of rugby as we are already showing.

I’m in a good place. As far as coaching goes, I’m honest, I’m myself and I don’t have a lot of meetings. My players are at work all day long and the last thing they want is to be huddled in a classroom or to be glued to a blackboard or laptop.

I do use those, but not for long. Everything happens on the pitch. We work hard and have fun. That’s the key. There is no substitute for hard work, but we always find time for a bit of fun. That’s the key. What’s the point of all getting together and working hard if you haven’t time for fun?”

We also discovered that Longy and impressive Wigan boss Matty Peet have been mates since they were kids, both growing up in Wigan and both making names for themselves in the local community game before signing for Wigan – Peet for Wigan as a young coach in their system and Long as an apprentice player in their academy, training with the first team, but in his own words: “Mainly, cleaning boots.”

His playing career took off spectacularly when he moved to Saints, via Widnes. Recalled the man of the moment:

"Saints turned me into a scrum-half from a stand-off. Ando also turned me from a runner into an organiser. He wanted me to have the ball in my hands and make decisions, but I was allowed to do it my way.

It was a much stricter, more disciplined type of rugby at Wigan. If I did something that wasn’t in the script, I’d be in trouble. That never happened at St Helens.

Fast forward 20 years and Sean Long is loving life, loving being a head coach, loving being at Oldham and loving what the team is achieving under his tutelage and what the club is doing to establish it off the field.

HE WOULD NEVER TAKE ANY CREDIT, OF COURSE, BUT THAT’S SEAN LONG – A MAN WHO HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE HIS GREAT PLAYING DAYS AND WHO DESERVES THE BEST OUR SPORT CAN COME UP WITH.