The 2019 NRL season is set to be a “make or break” time for some coaches, with a number under pressure on the back of a poor season.

It’s also going to be a huge year for coaches looking to prove a point in their first season at their new club.

Here are five coaches who need to get their sides firing in 2019.

Brad Arthur (Parramatta Eels)

No coach will be under the microscope more than Arthur if their team is in poor form.

Arthur will be certainly feeling the heat after receiving his first wooden spoon as a coach and Parramatta’s 14th, especially after guiding the side to an impressive semi-finals berth the previous year.

The Eels’ once potent attack whimpered last year without their Fijian flyer Semi Radradra, scoring fewer points than any other team in the comp.

Into his sixth year at the helm, ‘BA’ needs to rectify their old razzle-dazzling ways to get the Eels faithful back on their feet again in their brand new stadium.

Anthony Seibold (Brisbane Broncos)

Seibold endured a brilliant breakout season in 2018, leading South Sydney to a Preliminary Final appearance and overseeing the rise of one of the best hookers in the game, Damien Cook.

As a result, it may be harsh to include him on this list, however, Seibold made the controversial move to Red Hill at the end of 2018 for his family and is tasked with leading one of the most successful clubs in history back to glory.

Paul McGregor (St George Illawarra Dragons)

You most likely won’t find any Dragons fan getting ahead of themselves this year if their team gets off to an absolute flyer in the opening rounds.

The Dragons have become known for their late-season fades in recent seasons and ‘Mary’ will be on red alert to make sure that the Red V can maintain consistently good form throughout the entire season.

Although a strong start to 2018 culminated in an appearance in Finals week two, it was a disappointing end to a campaign that promised so much.

Ricky Stuart (Canberra Raiders)

Just like Brad Arthur at the Eels, Ricky Stuart is in his sixth season as coach at the Raiders and has only made the finals once in his past five.

After an outstanding 2016 that exceeded expectations, Canberra has had a habit of letting multiple games slip from their fingers after leading, which resulted in two consecutive 10th place finishes.

One of the Green Machine’s favourite sons, Stuart has always had the Raiders playing positive, free-flowing football but defence, and a game-winning mentality is the key to success this year.

Paul Green (North Queensland Cowboys)

The former Cowboys halfback has been in charge of the Townsville side since 2014 and made the finals in each of his first four seasons (including a maiden premiership in 2015).

After a difficult and testing 2018 though, which was the last for their long-serving halfback Johnathan Thurston, Green is suddenly under a lot more pressure than he was 12 months ago.

Green will be undoubtedly judged on how he handles the Ben Barba controversy and subsequent sacking as he searches for a replacement, while he waits to see if Te Maire Martin can fill the heavy shoes of ‘JT.’