[2] His coaching philosophy was based on an aggressive, dominant forward pack that was brutal at the ruck and scrum in combination with an accurate kicker at five-eighth.
Brockhoff was known for firing-up his players with stirring verbal imagery of what the team needed to do such as "make every line-out a dockyard brawl", and use the "famous Vickers machine-gun tripod defence".
Brockhoff had a sometimes testy relationship with other Australian rugby administrators due to his confrontational style and as a result of coaching his sides to be abrasive and aggressive.
[7] The ARFU had made it a priority to ensure the tour was an off-field success after media recriminations and accusations of unsavoury play following the England series in Australia.
[11][12] The final match of his tenure came in memorable circumstances when Australia beat New Zealand 12–6 in a one-off Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground to regain the Bledisloe Cup.
The vision of Brockhoff grabbing the Bledisloe Cup and running around the perimeter of the SCG is one of the lasting images in Australian rugby history.
He frequently attended training sessions for both sides, and when the teams travelled on tour he would often go to Sydney Airport to wish them well on departure and welcome them home on return.