: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:03 pm  

DILLIGAF wrote:

Precisely. He's not going to walk, and nobody in his position would do. Whether it's "the right thing" for the club, the players, the fans etc. is entirely irrelevant. It would be the wrong thing for him, and at the end of the day, you look after Number 1 first and foremost.

He's also probably got some professional pride and an attitude of 'I'm not going to be seen to fail and I can make this right'. The strong backing the board have given him as the right man is likely to reinforce this attitude.

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:06 pm  

Ewwenorfolk wrote:

Steve McNamara.

This is what he should get in return




AND

Are you a yes or no voter these days?
I think you should get off the fence.

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:10 pm  

debaser wrote:

Are you a yes or no voter these days?
I think you should get off the fence.

I'll try.

[Bullseye]

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:13 pm  

af wrote:

The question is, what to do about it? Make the head coach carry the can is the obvious answer and not necessarily the wrong one. I just don't have any confidence that it won't prove to be counter-productive. In the mean time, the long term plan goes out of the window for... what? A new long term plan? Another five years? Or do we keep chopping coaches who can't get the job done inside three?

When do you decide enough is enough? End of next year? Or would you give McNamara an extended deal just so he can see through the long term plan? Is it really McNamara or bust? Is there no possibility that a new coach wouldn't continue with the good work done in building for the future but also take care of the first team now?

A lot of questions there but life is like that. There are no easy answers. You just have to make the call on the information you have at the time. I personally think it's time for a change. We run the risk of jeopardising the future if the present isn't taken care of. If I were the chairman I'd be sounding out various agents to see which coaches might be available or be interested in the job. If there's a decent candidate or two interested I'd take the plunge.

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:14 pm  

Duckman wrote:

Not convinced that would happen in the real world. The only thing I could see is McNamara agreeing to return to the assistants role with special duties for bringing through juniors, with a new coach brought in. But that would be at the boards insitance and would not come from McNamara.

If Mr. Hood can't see any of this then maybe it's time for him to step down? As much as I wouldn't like to see this happen maybe Mr. Coulby would have less faith in the man that has sent this club backwards?

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:42 pm  

Ewwenorfolk wrote:

If Mr. Hood can't see any of this then maybe it's time for him to step down?...

In favour of whom?

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:44 pm  

I'm prepared to be ripped apart for this, but I don't necessarily see how sacking him is going to resolve anything.

When you consider yesterdays game, we bombed some try-scoring opportunities and we turned the ball over too cheaply with silly knock-ons and ill discipline. Should those things be attributed to McNamara, or the players themselves? I'd hope Macca doesn't teach the players to knock on, so I'd be more inclined to look at blaming the playing roster rather than the coach.

Also, would anyone else better be interested in taking this job? Don't forget, Macca's on Tony Smiths England coaching staff, and he's had nothing but good things said about him by many players in the game. Lynch might have signed his new contract because of Macca, and the ideas he has for the club. I'm pretty sure reading when Sam signed his new contract that he attributed a large part of re-signing down to Steve Mac. Personally, I think the answer would be looking at an older, wiser head to help Macca out.

One mistake Macca has made during his tenure was giving the captain to a limping, quiet scrum-half. He doesn't communicate behind the sticks, and I don't see any leadership characteristics from him.

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:52 pm  

AaronBull wrote:

I'm prepared to be ripped apart for this, but I don't necessarily see how sacking him is going to resolve anything.

I agree that the present playing staff have shown, to me at least, that they would as a group be worse than average whoever coached them.

AaronBull wrote:

I'd be more inclined to look at blaming the playing roster rather than the coach.

I'd say "more than" the coach, he can't wash his hands of his share of the blame. Though i don't think you were suggesting that. But yes I mainly blame the players.

AaronBull wrote:

Also, would anyone else better be interested in taking this job?

Oh yes, it's a dream job; the easier of the world's 2 top RL leagues, a club "with money", a better salary than an NRL club would pay, people like Menzies, Morrison and Burgess to work with and - given 2009 - an absolutely can't-lose situation. The better question would be, who wouldn't want the chance to revive the fortunes of very recently the leading Eglish club, in these circumstances?

AaronBull wrote:

One mistake Macca has made during his tenure was giving the captain to a limping, quiet scrum-half. He doesn't communicate behind the sticks,..

He does, but nowadays to save his voicebox they just play a tape.

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:55 pm  

AaronBull wrote:

Personally, I think the answer would be looking at an older, wiser head to help Macca out.

I think there's some mileage in this.
The two factors against would be cost and availability of the right man.

The situation from the outside looking in smacks of a divide or unrest in the camp.
This may be wide of the mark, but it certainly seems the case.

[Bullseye]

: Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:13 pm  

McNamara's had 3 years as head coach, bringing in a more experienced man to help him further will be like admitting that appointing him in the first place was a bad decision, that'd entail a alot of humble pie eating for Hood and and McNamara

Perhaps McNamara is best suited to a job as a number 2. He's had plenty of praise for putting in place systems to bring you players thorugh. Perhaps he's better sticking to this area? There's no shame in sticking to what you're good at. He's had a dig at being a head coach and I'm sure given it his all but it hasn't worked out.