Dave Craven: Will Noble become the first victim of his own honest advice?

There is no room for favouritism, nepotism, ageism or any ‘ism’, for that matter, to prevent the role going to the most suitable and best-qualified applicant.

Brian Noble’s complaint that he would not “even be tempted to try” setting out as a young British coach nowadays due to the desire of Super League clubs to appoint little-known Australian assistants has caused a stir.

He attacked the Rugby Football League as well for letting a 20-strong production line of young coaches, which he helped educate, seep predominantly away from the game over the last decade. The likes of Graham Steadman, Mike Ford, Neil Kelly and David Lyon are no longer around to compete for vacancies when they do rarely arrive.

Has Noble – the last British coach to win a Super League Grand Final with Bradford Bulls in 2005 – got a point?

His reaction came after Salford City Reds overlooked domestic candidates to appoint the relatively obscure Matt Parish, a former North Queensland Cowboys assistant who has been helping New South Wales chief Ricky Stuart.

Parish perhaps infuriated the likes of Noble even more when he admitted during his inaugural press conference that he only sought a Super League post in order to better himself for a swift return to the NRL.

The ambitious 42-year-old pulled no punches with his stark honesty.

However, maybe Salford have seen the success champions Wigan have enjoyed and opted to follow their rewarding tactic.

Warriors’ chairman Ian Lenaghan was questioned by many when he opted for the untested Michael Maguire nearly two years ago, the assistant coach at Melbourne Storm.

It was a case of ‘Michael who?’

Yet, the orderly and meticulous young Australian conspired to transform a Wigan side that had stalled under Noble into Grand Final victors within just 12 revolutionary months.

Maguire may not have won countless fans for his mechanical style but the efficiency with which his side operated – and still do as they looks for a league and cup double before he heads home as South Sydney chief at the end of the season – cannot be faulted.

No-one is saying Parish will have such instant success – so much more work needs to be undertaken at Salford than Wigan – but it is clear some employers believe a right-hand man from Down Under is better qualified than some of this country’s experienced head coaches.

Noble was never shy in looking overseas for top players when he was in charge at Odsal.

Indeed, in reaching that fifth successive Grand Final six years ago, he signed little-known Australians Ben Harris and Ian Henderson mid-season to help arrest a slump.

He was also criticised for not blooding enough of Wigan’s young British talent – namely Sam Tomkins – who have since flourished to form the bedrock of that champion side.

Salford may also have seen how one of Britain’s leading young coaches, Brian McDermott, has struggled since taking over the top job from Kiwi Brian McClennan at Leeds and thought better of it. Regardless, it will be interesting to see who will get the next big head coach position in Super League at Castleford Tigers.

Undoubtedly, Noble will be a front-runner and it would be a welcome sight to see him taking charge of their burgeoning young side after a year out since leaving Crusaders.

Likewise, it would be a fairytale finish for John Kear if he could take over at his home-town club.

The irony would be, though, if Castleford actually took Noble’s advice and overlooked such vaunted veterans for one of those young British assistants he hails – Bradford’s Francis Cummins or Huddersfield’s Paul Anderson perhaps.

Unlikely, but who knows?