After Manly put Cronulla to the sword in a 35-18 win over the weekend, Phil Gould has backed Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett to become the next 'super coach' in rugby league.
MORE: The Lurker: Meehan bringing the legal firepower over NRL return
With his side currently fourth, Barrett has defied expectations to steer Manly to the top-four after 16 rounds in just his second season as a head coach.
As a former representative player who incidentally lined up for both the Sharks and Dragons, Barrett has all the hallmarks of a great coach according to Gould.
"Manly Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett will be the next super coach in rugby league," the former NSW coach wrote in a column for Wide World of Sports.
"He is that good.
"Trent Barrett is destined for great things in our game.
"His experience as a Test class footballer and outstanding club player, along with his wonderful knowledge of the game, is a huge asset to his coaching aspirations.
"His calm demeanor and tremendous communication skills, allow him to deliver his messages to players of all ages and abilities.
"I had the privilege of watching him mentor a young team of teenagers with the Panthers a few years ago.
"I never had any doubt he could make the transition to dealing with NRL players of all stages in their careers."
While quickly earning Gould's admiration, it's been a testing start to Barrett's coaching career with his current win percentage at Manly sitting at 44.7 percent with 17 wins and 21 losses to date.
To put that in perspective, Wayne Bennett's overall win percentage in the NRL sits at 61.7 while Craig Bellamy is sitting pretty at 67.
