tigertot wrote:
Whilst I agree with you, anyone you could afford from Aus wont have "done anything" on the coaching front.
I DON'T THINK SO
I DON'T THINK SO
That's not what I'm talking about, though. We've done well as have others with rookie Aus coaches (Matty Elliott, anyone?) and who was his young assistant at Bradford? It is not so much the proven coaching ability that I was talking about as Australian player knowledge and contacts, and I mentioned in only in context that we couldn't afford any of the top Aus halfbacks either who aren't in a Bird-like situation. These guys know players that English coaches can't know. I remember us bringing in people almost unknown over here like Danny Peacock and Jeremy Donougher who were outstanding successes (not youngsters but you see my point) who we would never have got except because of the Aus connection.
We can bring in as many of our youngsters as we like, and I hope we do, but we do look as if this season we are at sixes and sevens at 6 and 7 and the 'signing' of Bird suggests we know it too. I'd bet some of Iestyn's biggest past detractors would pay to have him back in the team just now. As Joni Mitchell sang, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.
Still, if we don't get anybody, today was a huge improvement attack-wise on what we've done in the previous 3 games, and people's form can improve. Jeffries was considerably improved, and it is only a short time ago that Deacon was playing very well for us so maybe he's just in a bad patch and maybe he'll get back to somewhere near the form which has served us so well over the years.