Ian Millward

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Ian Millward (born August 22, 1960), is an Australian-born rugby league coach and is currently coaching co-ordinator at Leigh Centurions. He is the former head coach of Wigan Warriors, St Helens RLFC and Leigh Centurions. He is one of the most successful, controversial and colourful figures involved in English Rugby league. He was in charge at Wigan from May 2005, his appointment coming just two weeks after an acrimonious departure from the club's fiercest rivals, St Helens. He was sacked by Wigan on April 11, 2006 for their poor start to the Super League XI season - having won just one of eight league games. In October 2006 he returned to his native Australia.

[edit] Biography

Millward hails from Wollongong, New South Wales, and played rugby league for Illawarra Steelers in his youth, after impressing for the state's schoolboys team. His hopes of a successful playing career were ended, however, when he was forced to retire in 1983 after suffering a serious neck injury.

He turned to coaching, taking up a position with Illawarra Western Suburbs. He also had spells with Wollongong University and as an assistant coach with the Steelers. His first senior appointment came in 1998 when he took charge of struggling English side Leigh Centurions, who had then come close to relegation to the game's third tier. He soon transformed the Centurions from relegation candidates to promotion contenders, catching the eye of a number of Super League clubs in the process. He was linked with Leeds Rhinos in 1999 but it was champions St Helens who were to give him Super League chance after the sacking of Ellery Hanley in 2000.

Under Millward, St Helens quickly became the most exciting team in the competition, playing expansive, attacking rugby. They retained their Super League title in 2000 and won it again in 2002. They also won the Challenge Cup in 2001 and 2004 and the World Club Challenge in 2001.

His time there was not without controversy, however. His decision to field an under-strength side, due, he said, to injuries, in a Super League match against Bradford Bulls, just a week before the Challenge Cup final backfired badly. The move incurred the wrath of the game's authorities and St Helens were beaten in the final, when all the injured players returned, by Wigan.

He repeated the trick in another match against Bradford over Easter 2004, claiming a heavy fixture burden had taken its toll. St Helens were well beaten in the game at Odsal and the fall-out overshadowed the rest of the club's season. It later emerged that two St Helens players, Sean Long and Martin Gleeson, had bet on their side to lose before the team was announced. Both were later banned and the Rugby Football League (RFL) tightened up rules by insisting squads had to be named 72 hours in advance.

Millward's St Helens career also ended controversially after he was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing in May 2005. He was sacked for gross misconduct a week later, his offences including three incidences of foul and abusive language: to a club employee, the Warrington Wolves' press officer and a fourth official at a match against Bradford. St Helens also claimed that Millward lied to an RFL disciplinary hearing and distorted the truth about the club's sale of Gleeson to Warrington in 2004.

Millward did not rest on his laurels long, as within a fortnight, Wigan had created a post for him, bringing him in as head coach above Denis Betts. He had a difficult start with the Warriors, losing a Super League match 70-0 to Leeds and, more humiliatingly, a Challenge Cup tie at St Helens 75-0. Wigan ended the season seventh in the Super League, missing out on the play-offs for the first time in the competition's history.

After a disastrous start to the 2006 Super League, Ian Millward was relieved of his duties as head coach of Wigan Warriors on 11th April 2006. During this time, a combination of poor performances and injuries to key players had seen the Wigan Warriors slump to bottom of the engage Super League. The Warriors had won just one of eight league games. The club issued this statement:

"Following a meeting of the board of directors the Wigan club can confirm that head coach Ian Millward has been dismissed with immediate effect. Ian will be leaving the club and team affairs will be managed in the short term by the assistant coaches Stuart Wilkinson and Andrew Farrar." He was replaced the following week by then Bradford Bulls coach, Brian Noble.

Ian Millward enjoyed some time away from Rugby League after being sacked by Wigan but later in 2006 he returned to the club were he started his English coaching career to become coaching co-ordinator at National League 1 side Leigh Centurions. Millward sometimes works as a co-presenter on rugby league matches shown on Sky Sports or BBC. As for 2007 Millward will be the assistant coach at NRL side North Queensland Cowboys.

Preceded by: Denis Betts

Coach Wigan Warriors 2005-2006

Succeeded by: Brian Noble

Preceded by: Ellery Hanley

Coach St Helens RFC 2000-2005

Succeeded by: Daniel Anderson