Newcastle Boss McFarland Prefers Mondays to Winning Saturdays

Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Dan McFarland would rather be on the training pitch on a Monday than in the thick of a match on a Saturday. He says that stays true whether his team has won or lost the weekend before.

McFarland, 54, took charge in Newcastle in the summer of 2026. His coaching path has taken him through Ireland, Scotland and Japan, according to BBC Sport. As a player, he won the French Championship with Stade Francais before moving to Connacht. Newcastle say he arrived after winning the Japanese Top League title Newcastle Red Bulls.

He has walked into a full rebuild. Newcastle finished bottom of the league in each of the past four seasons. This season they have brought in 25 new players, almost a whole matchday squad and replacements over again.

The new Prem season, England's top flight in rugby union, has started with three defeats from three. They have lost every game. But they have not left empty-handed.

Each of those losses has carried something. Newcastle have picked up four bonus points so far. In union, those are extra league points awarded for scoring four or more tries in a match, or for losing by seven points or fewer. They reward attacking ambition and staying close under pressure.

That haul matters for the table. Newcastle sit ninth, two points ahead of bottom side Harlequins, according to BBC Sport. It is a small cushion. It keeps them out of last place while the new group learns to play together.

McFarland's Monday comment explains how he wants to get them higher. He says a professional sportsperson's purpose cannot be winning. He says winning cannot be the main thing that drives you every week.

His point is about control. Coaches and players cannot guarantee a result on Saturday. They can control preparation, fitness, skills and clarity of plan from Monday to Friday. Get that right often enough, and results have a better chance to follow.

What makes this stand out is the calm around it. Coaches under pressure often sound short-term. McFarland sounds set on building habits first, even with a fanbase that has waited four years to climb off the bottom.

For supporters, this means watching for steady steps rather than a sudden turnaround. Fewer penalties. Stronger carries. A lineout (the restart where the ball is thrown back in from touch) that fires. If Newcastle keep banking bonus points while the wins come, that ninth place could become a platform.