Zorba's Zone: coaching battles crucial

This weekend's preliminary finals will be decided in the coaching boxes as masters go up against apprentices in both matches.

Two first-year NRL coaches in Geoff Toovey (Manly) and Michael Maguire (Souths) go up against a pair of experienced clipboarders in Craig Bellamy (Storm) and Des Hasler (Bulldogs).

A lot of people are surprised Toovey has guided the Sea Eagles to this point of the season given all the turmoil surrounding the club a little under 12 months ago.

But I'm not among the shocked.

Toovey played under one of the best of all time in Bob Fulton and also rubbed shoulders with the likes of Phil Gould at rep level.

His coaching apprenticeship was served under Hasler at Manly, ensuring a smooth transition despite the drama at the time of his appointment.

I know the players were a bit cautious about Tooves at the start but have grown to love and respect him.

They're enjoying the fact things aren't as rigid as they were during Hasler's time, who apart from being one of my great mates is also an absolute control freak.

Toovey doesn't need to know what his players are doing 24/7 and is happy for them to get away from footy and let their hair down wherever possible.

There was even beer among the bananas and Gatorade in the Manly dressing room last Friday night!

But Toovey is one very switched on coach.

His game plans are well thought out and he knows how to detect weaknesses in the opposition.

He's also happy for his team to chance their arm where they see fit.

He's up against Bellamy on Friday - two great rugby league minds going at it for 80 minutes.

Sure, the Storm mentor has three of the world's best players in Slater, Smith and Cronk but it's what he has done with the careers of some of the journeymen around the trio that sets him apart.

Melbourne are a relentless, 80-minute side that seizes on the slightest deficiency in the opposition.

The players are hungry to deliver Bellamy a premiership and would love nothing more than to beat arch-rival Manly en route to the title.

On Saturday night Hasler goes up against Maguire.

Hasler's record needs no introduction.

He missed the finals in his first year of coaching (2004) but has been there every season since.

Canterbury were a mess when he was express posted there in October but here they are, with basically the same roster, one win away from the GF.

Hasler gives his teams a blueprint for victory every week; nothing is left to chance.

Describing him as 'meticulous' doesn't begin to do him justice.

There's not an hour of his waking day (all 21 of them) that he is not thinking rugby league.

I've had phone calls from him at 4am asking if I was awake before unloading a piece of information about his team or the opposition.

It's little wonder the Bulldogs have won 14 of their last 15 matches since buying into Dessie's methods.

Maguire is the man charged with stopping the run.

I was a bit critical of Souths at the time of Madge's appointment but he has won me over.

The Bunnies are a lot more disciplined than they were in the past and the coach has them playing as a team, not individuals.

Maguire's switching of Greg Inglis from centre to fullback has been a masterstroke but I'm just as impressed with what he's done with first-year halfback Adam Reynolds and the often erratic John Sutton.

They have both been superb this year and the Rabbitohs have reaped the rewards.

But I think their run will come to an end at the weekend.