Gluttons for punishment Michael Hagan and Brad Fittler have enjoyed their time in coaching.

Coaching offers high rewards, high pressure and can be highly addictive, writes Adrian Proszenko.

f you go into coaching for job security,'' says Tim Sheens, the man who has coached more NRL games than anybody else, ''you're probably going to go out very quickly.''

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Which is why, when Michael Hagan took over the reins from Warren Ryan at Newcastle in 2001, he asked the great clipboard holder for a tip. Wok responded with just one word: ''Rent.''

So, we are led to believe that, if you're looking for stable employment, you don't want to be an NRL coach. That the space between being hired and fired could be just a handful of losses. Right? Wrong.

Here's a statistic that busts the myth - the average lifespan of an NRL coach is 93 games. That's almost four seasons in the big time to prove you're up to it. The surprising statistic will come as welcome news to Steve Price, Michael Maguire, Geoff Toovey and Brian McClennan, the men taking up the NRL clipboard for the first time this year.

The figure, which is calculated from the beginning of the NRL era in 1998, is slightly bloated by the contribution of veteran coaches Sheens, Wayne Bennett and Brian Smith. If you take out the contributions of the ''Three Kings'' during that period, the number drops to 80 games. Surprisingly, of all the coaches during that time, only one - South Sydney's Steve Martin in 1998 - was punted before seeing out his first season.

While it may still be prudent to rent rather than buy, the numbers suggest most coaches will get a fair crack despite the pressure for immediate results. To put that into perspective, most coaches are likely to enjoy a shelf life almost 18 months longer than the players they are mentoring.

''I understand the difference between why some go and why some don't,'' said Sheens, who has four premierships to go with his record 646 appearances in the coach's box and on the sidelines.

Read more from the original source:
Busting the myth: coaching not so cutthroat after all