WITH just over half the season gone, Stanley Gene can look back at the start of his coaching career at Gateshead Thunder knowing the foundations of a good campaign have been laid.
Sitting one place and one point outside the Championship One play-off places, there is plenty to play for as Gene continues his coaching career in Oxford tomorrow.
Whilst he is still part of Craig Sandercock's backroom staff at Rovers, his first priority is now making sure Gateshead do well.
Although Gene is used to playing and coaching at the highest level of the game, his first role as a head coach at club level has still been a real eye-opener.
The 40-year-old played in three World Cups for his native Papua New Guinea and coached the Kumuls in the 2010 Four Nations against England, Australia and New Zealand. But the KR fans' favourite is happy to be starting at the bottom of the ladder, before beginning what he hopes will be an eventual rise up it.
"I'm enjoying coaching Gateshead but it is more stressful than playing," Gene told the Mail.
"I'm getting used to it despite the early starts.
"At times as a coach, you see the rewards in games when the players do something you've told them to do.
"But sometimes it doesn't come off and that adds to the stress.
"I took the Gateshead job because it was something I always wanted to do and Rovers have been good to me.
"Sandy has been great to let me do it and I've learned heaps from Chris Chester too. We beat Hemel Stags last Sunday but on the coach on the way home I found out Rovers had lost at Castleford.
"Unfortunately, that took the shine off our win at Hemel for me."
Now in his third coaching role, it's a far cry from when he first dipped his toe into the water.
After being thrust into coaching the PNG team in the 2010 Four Nations, he has been coaching Hull KR's under-19s in recent seasons, alongside Kev Deighton.
If he had a choice, he'd have done things the other way round, but he knows circumstances don't dictate when opportunities come around.
"I wish I could have coached Gateshead before coaching my country," he reflected.
"At the time when I coached PNG, I had just finished playing and I thought I knew how to coach.
"But it's not just about coaching, it's about the day-to-day preparation and planning.
"There is a lot to do, including video sessions and watching the next opposition.
"I'm a proud PNG native and I always wanted to coach the national side.
"I took the chance then and if the chance comes around again, I'll be ready because of the coaching I've done in recent years.
"We only had two months to prepare for the Four Nations but you only have three games to play.
"Now I have weekly, monthly and yearly plans to make.
"I'm not involved with the salary cap this year, but maybe next year I will be if I'm still there.
"If the opportunity arises, I'd certainly like to do that."
Making the transition from player to coach is tough for many people.
Gene has found it difficult at times, but admits he is on a journey of personal discovery.
"I'm finding out more about myself, especially in the tougher times," he said. "You can't play the game anymore but then you realise you're the coach.
"It's very different sitting back looking at the team from the sidelines and in my office.
"I was never any good with laptops and computers but now I'm an expert. Working with the team every week is rewarding, though, especially when you see how things click.
"I'm learning quickly."
The thing Gene has learned most of all is how to deal with players differently. Some need a kick up the backside, others need a comforting arm around them.
And he is aware that getting the balance right could be the difference between winning and losing.
"When I first started coaching the young players at Rovers, I realised it was not about how I played or how I coached," Gene said.
"It's about how to get the message across to the players, that's the things I've learned the most.
"Sometimes I get really frustrated and I go into the changing rooms and try to tell them where they are going wrong.
"It's tough because you can't be too nice to the players at half-time because you fear they may be too relaxed at the start of the second half and they might not perform properly.
"But you can't be too hard on them either because players are different. Some need an arm around them, others need something stronger.
"I've learned to go around the team individually and talk to them about what I want from them.
"When I look back at the end of the year, I'll also ask myself where I need to improve. I know I'm a better coach now than I was last year, but I know there is still plenty more to learn."
