EXCLUSIVE: Peacock believes Bulls chief is right for England

The RFL are due to announce a successor to Tony Smith as England chief next week and his assistant for the last three years has emerged as the clear favourite.

Peacock is in no doubt McNamara will be ideal for the role having worked with him at both club and country.

"Steve would be brilliant for the job," the Leeds Rhinos star told Yorkshire Post last night.

"He's a great technical coach but also a really good man-manager.

"He cares a lot about the people he's coaching and is a deep thinker about the game.

"Nowadays, there's so much data and knowledge around for coaches but it's important they are also receptive to new ideas from different places and different people.

"I know Steve is and he'll give us as good a chance as anyone to lead us to victory over the Aussies in the next few years and the best chance of winning the World Cup in 2013."

Some critics doubt whether McNamara, 38, is up to the task given his lack of club success during four years in the hot-seat at Odsal.

He succeeded Brian Noble there in 2006 with the Bulls having featured in each of the last five Grand Finals, Peacock lifting the Super League trophy in his last game for Bradford at the end of 2005.

However, the Yorkshire club has not reached Old Trafford since and failed to make the play-offs for the first time last season.

Peacock, though, insists that is not a stain on McNamara's coaching credentials given the scale of problems he inherited at the Bulls who are riding well again this year.

"Things haven't been easy for Steve but Bradford haven't been spending as much on players as when I was there," said the 32-year-old, who has worked under John Kear, Australian David Waite, Noble and Smith on the international scene, leading as captain for the last three years.

"It's very different to what it was like when I was a Bulls player but he's learned so much from being at Bradford these last few years.

"You just have to look at some of the young lads coming through – Steve's brought on some great young players – and anyone who's ever worked with him speaks very highly.

"When we went on to win the Grand Final in 2005 he was still the assistant but was an integral part of our success that year.

"Steve brought fresh ideas and fresh impetus to the season for us and, since I moved to Leeds, I've worked with him again at England.

"I've seen him improve each year and just get better and better and I know the other senior international players all rate him.

"This next appointment is massive building towards the 2013 World Cup but Steve's one of the best coaches I've ever worked with and what we need as England coach."

Few people care more about England's international game than Peacock who made his international debut in the 2000 World Cup, current Wakefield coach Kear the man who handed him his first cap.

The Trojan forward will not be around for the next one and is still contemplating whether to make himself available for the forthcoming Four Nations this autumn and, more immediately, the mid-season Test with France in June which will be the new coach's first fixture.

"I'll see how I'm going then and at the end of the year as well," said Peacock, who led his country imperiously to the Four Nations final against Australia in November before suffering another defeat at the hands of their old enemies.

"If I'm playing well enough, I'll keep playing international football.

"Too many people can hang on too long. I'm never going to be one of those. We'll just see how the body is later in the year."

Peacock has missed the last four games for the reigning champions since limping out of the Hull KR defeat with an ankle injury last month.

However, the inspirational forward is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and could make a return against Hull FC in Saturday's huge Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round tie at the KC Stadium.

"I've done some running this week and I'll have to see how I go," revealed Peacock, who is desperate to finally fulfil one of his last big ambitions this season – playing his first-ever Wembley final.

"I could be fit for Saturday or, if not, then St Helens the week after."