Matt Wyles is the new head coach of the Toronto Wolfpack

Toronto Wolfpack fans during Round 16 of the Betfred Championship game at Allan A. Lamport Stadium against the London Broncos

Matt Wyles is officially the third-ever head coach in the Toronto Wolfpack’s short history. He will also be the first Wolfpack head coach in the NARL. It also means the possibility of the Canada Cup against the Ottawa Aces XIII could very well happen this year.

Toronto Wolfpack’s third head coach is Matt Wyles

The Toronto Wolfpack confirmed on Twitter on Tuesday that Matt Wyles is the new head coach.

It is unclear if Brian McDermott is still with the team or not. However, since Wyles was named head coach of the team, it is a possibility that McDermott has left the team. McDermott did a lot for the team and stayed loyal to the team in the darkest days the young club had ever experienced.

Wyles, the new head coach of the Toronto Wolfpack said this according to Callum Walker of Serious About RL: “It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to coach the Toronto Wolfpack.”

Wyles is also the first Canadian head coach in Wolfpack history. Most notably, he was the captain of the Canada Wolverines (the men’s national rugby league team in Canada). He has extensive experience in both rugby league and union in Canada.

According to gobadgers.ca in 2016, he has an honours graduate in Recreation and Leisure. He earned two OUA bronze medals and a gold medal with the Brock Badgers Rugby team. He also coaches at a high school and club level with the Toronto Centurions. Lastly, he played rugby union with the Ajax Wanderers rugby union side.

Possibility of the Canada Cup happening this year

It seems that the Canada Cup is happening this year. Wyles, of the Wolfpack, said this according to Callum Walker of Serious About RL:

“The Canada Cup happening this summer is the perfect opportunity for domestic players to get high-level competition while trying to secure a contract for the 2022 season when the league will operate across North America in the NARL.”

Views on the Matt Wyles head coach signing

It is important to note that the Rugby League World Cup will likely not take place in North America in 2021 or 2025, although 2029 is still a possibility according to Michael Pavitt of Inside the Games.

More importantly, what this video shows is that Wyles is a well-known Canadian rugby league player that knows the sport of rugby league in Canada very well. Being a captain of a national team shows that the player has leadership qualities, which are also needed as a head coach of a professional sports team.

He may not be a high-profile head coach like McDermott, but he will be a domestic head coach from Canada. Developing head coaches are just as important as developing players in the sport of rugby league in Canada.

It is also the first significant announcement made by Toronto since announcing they were a founding member of the NARL on March 31. This should be seen as a massive positive of the stability of the organization at present.

It is also important to be cautious. The NARL did cancel their Western Conference and later the 2021 NARL season this year. However, there is also a reason for Wolfpack to be optimistic that the games could take place this year. The fact that the new head coach of the Wolfpack sees it as happening this year is very positive for rugby league in Canada.

 

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