Simon Parker column

The overseas domination when it comes to Super League coaches is a thorny issue in the game.

Decent English candidates, like Bulls assistant Francis Cummins, are routinely overlooked for their counterparts from Down Under.

Hull KR’s appointment of Craig Sandercock, the number two at Newcastle Knights, this week was the latest example. He topped a short-list of three – all from Australia.

Brian Noble was the last home-grown coach to win the Grand Final, when the Bulls beat Leeds 15-6 in the 2005 showpiece. At least the Premier League is dominated by a Scot.

You can understand why many feel there is a glass ceiling developing to block the local lads while Aussies, often with identical playing and coaching CVs, are so keenly coveted.

But there is one particular Antipodean that Super League should welcome back with open arms.

Ian Millward is not everyone’s cup of tea. Forget a fight in a phone box, he could start a war.

But one thing the spiky 51-year-old will guarantee is attention – and lots of it. Forget the media-trained say nothings that drive reporters to distraction. You can be sure his barbs and blasts will fill back pages.

Millward says what he thinks; there are no subtle asides or innuendoes.

Just ask a former Bulls reporter of this parish who was regularly harangued as “that *** big mouth” whenever Saints came to town.

Millward’s relationship with the Bradford media has always been chippy since he famously left out 11 first-teamers for a game at Odsal which took place the week before St Helens were due to play the Challenge Cup final.

He was later fired by Saints for speaking his mind a bit too openly. The club took exception to his “verbal abuse” of two media officers and swearing at a rugby league official.

Millward then picked up the reins of arch-rivals Wigan – and got another bullet within a year as the Warriors came within a whisker of being relegated.

That looked like the end of the Super League road for its brashest boss.

But having rebuilt his reputation with Leigh, Millward is back in business again at Castleford Tigers. It’s a suitable match.

Get too close to a tiger and beware the sharp claws. I doubt Millward’s roar has quietened down in any way.