24 Mar 2023

Waterhead's Ciaran Dean on balancing nursing, coaching and playing in the NCL

Waterhead Warriors Ciaran Dean is a busy man. A qualified Nurse in Nottingham, not only does he combine his day job with coaching the University of Nottingham Rugby League side, he also plays and kicks goals for Waterhead Warriors in the National Conference League.

He takes up the story...

"I grew up in Oldham, so I played for Waterhead and St Anne's growing up and went to Hopwood Hall College which is known for its rugby league, and going to university doing nursing. So I spent four years down here at the university playing rugby. In the first year, we actually won the Trophy final down in Bath. That was the last time we ever got to it before this week's final against UCLAN. So it's been a good six years since then. It shows how far the club's had to rebuild from COVID and stuff."

He continued, "So I still work down here.

"That's why I've got the coaching job off Adam Cunliffe, who is now at Leeds Rhinos working as their analyst. I really enjoy it.

"I still manage to play up at Waterhead, which is a good trip for me. But I play up there because Rugby League is a community game and my family lives 200 yards away from Waterhead clubhouse. It's just like going back home and a lot of lads I play with, I've known for a long time. Recently we've played through some tough times.

"We've got a few ex-professionals which people can say what they want about but they're all ex-Waterhead players. We've got them all back and a few of us, we've been through quite a lot especially Mitchell Birch and Kegan Brennan. We played when we were 16 years old with twelve men in games, so now having a really good side, it's just a really good incentive for them to come and get back involved."

"It's great, especially for John Perks who's also chairman and Keith Brennan who are coaching us.

I just really enjoy the environment and the travelling I'm doing to play in that good side."

"I'm quite lucky, my work is agency, so all my jobs are flexible, I work when I want and then obviously as far as the lads down here, train three times a week as well as play, so that's four times a week. But John is really good, he knows that I'll train and I join in with our lads (at Nottingham) and teach them.

"I've been at Waterhead for so long, they're really good with me saying come training when you can and obviously I'll go travelling for the games.

"I think we've got Normananton this week, so I'll go up after Friday training in Nottingham and spend the night there (in Oldham) and play on Saturday.

"But after the University season is finished I'll start going back a bit more, training and playing. The lads are that welcoming back at Waterhead, you just gel back in because everyone speaks to you and it's just a really good environment to be in."

Waterhead have made a fine start to life in Division Two, winning both of their opening games and take on a Normanton Knights side that Ciaran feels will pose a stern test.

"We know they played Sadlerworth the other week and got turned over by them in a really close game, and we know Sadlerworth and our games are normally close, so it will be a very tough front up battle.

"They have got a couple of big lads I remember. We played last year in the National Cup and we managed to turn them over on a bit of a boggy pitch.

"Our pitch is a bit drier. We'll hopefully get a win but you never know who turns up on the day.

"I know we've got a couple of lads missing but if we turn up and play the rugby we're used to playing, the result takes care of itself, especially with the effort we normally put in on our defensive side."

Missing players creates an opportunity for others to come in, and Warriors have already confirmed that Harrison Dodd, who starred for England Community Lions Under 16s last year, will make his National Conference League debut.

The game kicks off at 2:30pm at Waterhead and forms part of a full programme of fixtures. Here are all the games to look forward to:

NCL Fixtures - Saturday 25 March

Premier Division