Peter Sharp is one of rugby league's most respected and longest-serving coaching minds — over 40 years in the game, and the man widely credited with discovering and shaping a young Andrew and Matthew Johns at the Newcastle Knights.
From playing days at Maitland in the 1970s and a colourful path through Central Charlestown, England and Newcastle's junior system, Sharp went on to become an NRL head coach at Manly, an assistant to Craig Bellamy at Melbourne, and later took Hull FC on a 13-game winning streak in England before switching codes entirely to coach Ulster in rugby union.
These days he's back in the NRL working alongside Phil Gould at the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Sharp opens up on discovering a teenage Joey Johns, the night out that nearly cost the Jersey Flegg side a game, getting sacked and picked straight back up by Craig Bellamy, and the toughest and funniest moments from four decades on the sideline — plus a candid word on mental health and the Black Dog Institute.
In this episode of Chiming In, Peter shares stories from a career that's taken him from suburban rugby league grounds to Belfast, and reflects on what's changed in the game he's given his life to.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Start
01:01 - Rugby league royalty: introducing Peter Sharp
01:35 - Phil Gould's tribute and the Gus friendship
07:29 - The Brian Smith interview and the \"beef and pickle sandwich\" job
08:35 - Growing up in Maitland, playing on the weight
13:11 - The 1977 grand final and a 30,000-strong crowd
14:06 - Injury, and backpacking to England
17:15 - Meeting Andrew and Matthew Johns at Newcastle
19:28 - The infamous night out before a Balmain game
21:21 - Rising to reserve grade and a premiership
23:39 - Becoming Manly head coach after Bob Fulton's shock resignation
26:22 - The Northern Eagles \"messy flop\"
28:13 - Forgetting his wife at Gosford
29:03 - Learning under Craig Bellamy at Melbourne
30:34 - Hull FC and a 13-game winning streak in England
31:51 - Switching codes: coaching Ulster rugby union in Belfast
41:19 - Greatest coach debate and rugby league heroes
45:00 - Media scrutiny then vs now
49:40 - Mental health advocacy and the Black Dog Institute
51:02 - Wrap-up: 32 years in rugby league
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