When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to shut down the 2020 NRL season, Brad Donald was only to happy to ditch his clipboard and whistle for a thermometer and sanitising wipes.
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The Australian Jillaroos coach spent most of this year working as a biosecurity protocol compliance officer at NRL matches, ensuring players and staff are meeting guidelines.
Donald has put his hand up again to help out for the NRLW season, but in a more traditional capacity.
The 2017 World Cup-winning mentor is caretaker coach of the Warriors' NRLW team for their 2020 campaign after Slade Griffin was unable to commit to a move to Australia for the competition.
Since his appointment in late August, Donald has patched together a squad boasting just five New Zealand-based players and including Jillaroos five-eighth Kirra Dibb, Olympic gold-medal winning rugby sevens star Ellia Green and a variety of others from NSW and Queensland.
The squad had its first full opposed session on Saturday when the New Zealanders' quarantine period ended, just seven days before facing defending premiers Brisbane in Canberra.
Despite the obstacles, Donald has relished the opportunity to get back into coaching.
"Taking people's temperature and wiping people's shoes on game day ... I've been really fortunate enough to be involved in this game for a long time and I wanted to be an example of somebody who would do anything to get the game going again," Donald said.
"But my true passion is coaching and getting around people and preparing footy sides.
"I might be away from my wife and kids for seven or eight weeks but they could see the spark in the eye.
"Let me tell you that we've relished every opportunity to get on the field and and train a team and be involved in that team."
Broncos and Jillaroos star Ali Brigginshaw is one who is nervous about facing a team coached by Donald, given his knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of Australia's top female players.
Donald is also promising there'll be no going easy on his international charges when his Warriors team - which will feature six NRLW debutants - takes to the field.
"When this opportunity came up we had a Zoom call with the girls and said look, myself and Simon Buxton, who is our performance manager, we can jump in here and we can help out," Donald said.
"We basically spoke about the positives and some of those positives are being able to exploit some of the weaknesses of those players in the Jillaroos side.
"Hopefully, she's (Brigginshaw) got good reason to be nervous."
Australian Associated Press
