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Ultimate underdog coach Kear’s rugby league passion shone throughImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Hull FC’s win over Leeds in Cardiff in 2005 was the second time John Kear lifted the Challenge Cup as a coach ByDave Woods
“It’s good night Vienna for Sheffield in Paris,” was always one of John Kear’s favourite commentary lines.
The ground-breaking French side Paris St-Germain had just scored the winning try against Sheffield Eagles in the first ever Super League match in the French capital in 1996, in front of a roaring crowd.
Delivered with a rising excitement and trademark chuckle, it captured his passion and excitement for rugby league.
Those who were there will remember that was a night when an incredible optimism came to rugby league. It was a night of unbounded joy for those who wanted to see the game flourish and John was always at the vanguard of that movement.
Rugby league’s boundaries had been opened up, a huge French crowd had come to watch and John, part of the BBC radio commentary team, was loving it.
Sadly, PSG RL proved to be a passing phenomenon, but John’s passion for rugby league was a constant throughout his entire life, as a player, an incredible coach, and a much loved commentator.
JK – as most knew him – was such a positive force. You were always delighted to be in his company. Along the way he collected so many friends and so many wonderful rugby league memories.
He was a man without ego, who loved hearing about the success of others. His positivity and joyfulness glowed.
Born and raised literally round the corner from Castleford’s Wheldon Road, the game was in his soul from the beginning and he went on to play for his hometown team. ‘Classy Cas’ was always his first love.
He trained as a teacher before joining the Rugby Football League in a player development role.
But it was as a coach that he left his indelible mark. And what an incredible career that was.
He was the ultimate underdog’s coach.
With Sheffield Eagles – two years after that night in Paris – he inspired the most famous of all Wembley wins against the mighty Wigan in 1998.
It will always be labelled the greatest Challenge Cup final upset of all time.
JK would tell you that he sensed his team would do something incredible that year, even before the cup competition began.
Image source, Getty ImagesSheffield Eagles’ victory over Wigan at Wembley in 1998 was the first and only time the club have appeared in the Challenge Cup final
In 2005 he oversaw an unfancied Hull FC victory in the cup final in Cardiff, scoring a pre-match psychological victory over opponents Leeds.
In the build-up to the game rumours swirled that the Rhinos’ strike centre Keith Senior would feature despite an injury. JK suspected mind games were at play.
“If Keith’s playing, I’ll bring my boots as well,” he laughed in a pre-final press conference.
Senior did play, ineffectively because of the injury, and Hull scored a late and dramatic victory in another great final.
Just over 12 months later he was parachuted in as coach of Wakefield Trinity with just several weeks of the season remaining, and with relegation looking certain.
He turned around their fortunes and it came down to a last-day battle with bitter local rivals Castleford to decide who would go down.
It was a night of intense emotion at Belle Vue. The ground, packed to bursting point, crackled with nervous excitement and JK inspired his side to a famous win to condemn his beloved Cas to the drop and earn himself legendary status at Trinity.
In the post-match mayhem, he was asked how nervous he had been before the game.
“Not at all,” he answered, “I spent the morning ironing.”
It was typical of his down-to-earth humour.
In addition, Kear also served as an assistant coach at Wigan, and a head coach at Huddersfield, after their merger with Sheffield. He also had spells in charge of Bradford, Widnes, and even briefly at Paris St-Germain, while he once turned down an approach from St Helens.
He coached England in the 2000 World Cup, had a short sojourn as the French number one and led Wales into two World Cups in 2017 and again in 2022 after the tournament was postponed for a year in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. The role with the Welsh team was one he especially relished.
His one regret would have been that he never got to coach Castleford.
But probably the one club that was closest to his heart, apart from Cas, was the Championship club Batley.
He spent six years at one of the game’s most rooted and traditional clubs. It was a place that reflected so many of his values, from boardroom to playing field.
He would often speak of his admiration of the part-time players there who would balance hard labouring jobs throughout the week, commit to training on week nights and then play the toughest of sports on a Sunday afternoon.
He loved that honesty and commitment. He had both qualities in huge quantities.
Image source, Getty ImagesJohn Kear was a regular voice on the BBC’s coverage of rugby league as both a pundit and a coach
For more than 30 years he was a cherished member of the BBC radio and TV commentary team. His knowledge was unsurpassed, his humour never diminished.
We gave him the tag of ‘Tight Yorkshireman’ – always the last to get to the bar to buy a drink, we’d joke, and he’d play up to that role.
But, that was a myth. He was the most generous fella you could meet.
And, he was certainly always the last to leave the bar once the drinks were in because he loved the stories, the memories and the opinions we’d all share about our great game.
“Of course I love calling games with him because he’s so enthusiastic,” stated BBC rugby league commentator Matt Newsum, my former colleague.
“But away from the mic I love hearing his life stories, getting him carried away on his favourite Led Zeppelin songs, and introducing him to the delights of halloumi after his initial scepticism. I can’t publish what he stated at first.
“The biggest compliment I can give is that when my dad died last year, John became the next best thing to me – he was much, much more than a colleague.”
We sat beside each other for so many memorable matches – from Paris to Sydney, from Castleford to Catalans. He was such a cherished friend.
JK loved being part of the game, whatever the role. So, it is consolation, though barely, that one of his greatest thrills was being part of the BBC’s Challenge Cup final team.
That’s a role he once again fulfilled the day before his unexpected and devastating passing.
He had one passion greater than rugby league and that was his family.
Anyone who met JK knew how much his wife Dawn and all their kids meant to him. As much as we are hurting that he’s gone, their pain will be infinitely greater and they are so much in our thoughts.
Good night Keary, from Paris and Sheffield, and all those other places you left your lasting legacy.
You were the best of us.
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