There are few people who quite have an understanding of just what kind of coach Rohan Smith is like one of the first men that will be waiting to meet him at Leeds Rhinos' training ground later this week. Smith's time as head coach of Bradford Bulls ultimately didn't work out amidst trying circumstances, with the club ultimately liquidated at the end of Smith's first season in charge after they finished 5th in the Championship with mounting financial difficulties.
But five years on, Smith is not only back in West Yorkshire, but he is back working closely with a man who personally vouched for his credentials as Richard Agar's successor. Chev Walker was a member of Smith's coaching staff at Bradford and now an integral part of Leeds' long-term future as the club's head of academy, Walker is excited to see what kind of mark Smith can leave on a group of talented young players at Headingley.
"I remember being sat in a review at Bradford and he just made me want to get my boots on and get out and play that instant," Walker tells Rugby League Live. "I'd retired by then but the last time I felt that, it was Tony Smith. He was so clear, so decisive but so enthusiastic."
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Smith and Walker only worked together for six months at Odsal but their friendship remained intact even after the Australian returned home. They have spoke on regular occasions in the years that have followed, and Walker admits his own coaching career has largely been shaped by Smith.
"He's mentored me," Walker says. "He's forever sending stuff, sharing insights and he's an all-round good bloke." But what kind of coach is Rohan Smith? In Walker's eyes, he is unique. "He was the first person that made me realise you can coach a different way. You can coach with a bit of care, and you don't always have to be a dictator about everything.
"His big principle is making players own their careers but also having some form of leadership. Everyone has a purpose and that's what I try to instil into my young lads now and it's starting to come through. They're asking questions, demanding more and wanting more, and that's come from Rohan.
"The biggest thing is he'll always ask the question: why? Why are we doing every single thing we do? There's a reason he's doing things a certain way, and he'll always try and unearth something in you rather than look at it from a black and white perspective. When your coach is that immersed in every detail of the club, and the players, it's only going to go one way."
Leeds made no secret of their next appointment being a long-term one. With a coach that would nurture the next generation of promising talent - which has been overseen by Walker - high on their priority list, Walker is in no doubt the Rhinos have got the right man.
"Developing and trusting young players is deeply based around Rohan's philosophies," he says. "You don't want to keep referencing back to Tony but he did that here, he believed in a group of young players and built a club around them.
"We all wanted to improve because Tony trusted us, and I can honestly say that Rohan will do the same for these young lads. They will be so grateful they've had the time they're about to get with him. You don't know what all the players will react like but with what Rohan believes in, our young players are going to get an immense experience that will make them better players and better people."
Smith's time at Bradford certainly underlined to Walker how things could be done differently. He encouraged the Bulls players to read more, to think about their actions, and to take every opportunity to squeeze every ounce out of their potential. He sees the chance for a similar impact at Leeds, but without the financial insecurity and ultimate meltdown that occurred at Odsal.
"The difference he made in that short period of time.. we were robbed of seeing how that would have ended," Walker says. "I'm not talking about how his team played but how professionally, what the lads turned into.
"Nobody was late, everyone was doing extras and it wasn't forced - they started buying in because of Rohan. The same group six or seven months before.. you were banging head against a wall thinking what are we doing with them?
"The lads started reading and doing things out of the norm.. there's more to it with Rohan than turning up, training and going home. I'm not saying he's a spiritual hippy but he's lived a bit. I'm excited to get working with him again. Take the friendship side out of it, and I'm still excited. I've spoke about wanting him here before to people, and when you're wanting a culture change, he's your man to do it. It's up to the lads to buy in now. If they do, we're in for a special ride."
