Not sure the club would be concerned, his team missed the play offs last year, and they still assessed that he was a good appointment. This year, despite the free fall, is more successful than last given the cup run.
As fans go, I think pressure will build on Powell, as I’ve said previously. From the end of the Smith era, there has been frustration re: recruitment and who was ultimately responsible for that. Smith had credit in the bank, but suffered from a poor recruitment pattern and frustrated fans blamed their choice of Agar, Fitzpatrick and Smith. Price has had similar stuttering signings, but has been saved by the ambiguity of signings to keep pressure off his back. I think it’s pretty widely accepted that Latu wasn’t wanted by Price, Sita has stuck around despite not being fancied by the coach, even BMM didn’t seem to fit in to his plans really, had the feel of a square peg.
But Powell has gone on record to say he is solely responsible for recruitment, he’s bringing his own men with him, coaches and players, he’s got Williams in, kept King and has been backed by showing a few big names the door who don’t fit in his plans (Austin & Mamo, plus Hill and Lineham if you believe the rumours). Expectation will build, quickly. The buck stops with him, he has a team that is 3rd or 4th best at the moment and demand to move up, and he has been backed to do that. We don’t need a ‘project’ coach, we need someone to get us over the line. Is he the man?
He basically set the foundations for Leeds golden SL period.
He turned Featherstone into a SL standard side. Only RL politics stopped it happening.
He turned Cas from a bottom end SL side into a consistent credible trophy challenger, playing great RL while doing so.
So, in summary, he's improved every side he has ever been in charge of. If he improves us, then it's likely we finally win things on a consistent, dominant basis, as its pretty much the next step from where we are right now, which is that we are presently a frustrating, under achieving outfit, with all the attributes of a great side, but have no consistency.
Look back at Leeds. His signings weren’t great, it was the kids that got the job done for Smith. I think it’s absolutely fair and accurate to say that Smith should be credited with the job done at Leeds, although Powell did a decent job of improving a sleeping giant, Smith woke the giant up and crushed the competition.
Featherstone, good job done. Although Paul Cullen did a great job with Widnes in the championship but nobody really looks at that when it comes to his career. It’s a second tier job, much different to managing at the top of the elite league.
Cas, you could argue, have systematically regressed since 2017. After a decent 2018 (3rd and a play off semi, which is just OK for a club who wants to be a big club) they’ve gone to 5th, 8th and currently 8th on the verge of missing the play offs again. That’s a significant slide.
I don’t want to come across anti-Powell, but I just don’t see the super coach that he’s being made out to be. Even with management of star players, Hardaker cost him a title, Chase was Chase, Clark walked, Carney walked, Solomona walked, Gale walked, Eden went from top try scorer to reserves.
Look back at Leeds. His signings weren’t great, it was the kids that got the job done for Smith. I think it’s absolutely fair and accurate to say that Smith should be credited with the job done at Leeds, although Powell did a decent job of improving a sleeping giant, Smith woke the giant up and crushed the competition.
Featherstone, good job done. Although Paul Cullen did a great job with Widnes in the championship but nobody really looks at that when it comes to his career. It’s a second tier job, much different to managing at the top of the elite league.
Cas, you could argue, have systematically regressed since 2017. After a decent 2018 (3rd and a play off semi, which is just OK for a club who wants to be a big club) they’ve gone to 5th, 8th and currently 8th on the verge of missing the play offs again. That’s a significant slide.
I don’t want to come across anti-Powell, but I just don’t see the super coach that he’s being made out to be. Even with management of star players, Hardaker cost him a title, Chase was Chase, Clark walked, Carney walked, Solomona walked, Gale walked, Eden went from top try scorer to reserves.
Players do move on for whatever reason..seeing as it's prices last season who would you have liked to be our coach..
Look back at Leeds. His signings weren’t great, it was the kids that got the job done for Smith. I think it’s absolutely fair and accurate to say that Smith should be credited with the job done at Leeds, although Powell did a decent job of improving a sleeping giant, Smith woke the giant up and crushed the competition.
Featherstone, good job done. Although Paul Cullen did a great job with Widnes in the championship but nobody really looks at that when it comes to his career. It’s a second tier job, much different to managing at the top of the elite league.
Cas, you could argue, have systematically regressed since 2017. After a decent 2018 (3rd and a play off semi, which is just OK for a club who wants to be a big club) they’ve gone to 5th, 8th and currently 8th on the verge of missing the play offs again. That’s a significant slide.
I don’t want to come across anti-Powell, but I just don’t see the super coach that he’s being made out to be. Even with management of star players, Hardaker cost him a title, Chase was Chase, Clark walked, Carney walked, Solomona walked, Gale walked, Eden went from top try scorer to reserves.
Are you seriously suggesting that he hadn't improved each of those 3 clubs from the positions they were in when he initially took over?
He's coming. The team will be different. Get behind him and stop stirring up absolute negative rubbish.
Absolutely this.
Give him a chance, I don't care if cas sack him now, I'm not interested in what he does at cas this season to be honest. He has made cas a team that has punched above its weight numerous times over his reign. Sometimes these appointments don't work out for whatever reason but we will have to wait and see if that's the case, not just assume that he will fail at wire because cas have had an awful run with lack of player availability (and yet still got to the cup final at our expense).
Last edited by CW8 on Thu Aug 05, 2021 6:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Look back at Leeds. His signings weren’t great, it was the kids that got the job done for Smith. I think it’s absolutely fair and accurate to say that Smith should be credited with the job done at Leeds, although Powell did a decent job of improving a sleeping giant, Smith woke the giant up and crushed the competition.
And who was it who brought those kids through as first teamers?
When Powell took over he had Mullins, Harris, Sheridan, Clyde, Mears, Fleary, Mathiou.
Powell replaced them with Mathers, McGuire, Burrow, JJB, Diskin, Bailey, Ward.
Also he brought in some good senior players: Connelly, Dunemann, McKenna, Adamson, Furner, Poching
Look back at Leeds. His signings weren’t great, it was the kids that got the job done for Smith. I think it’s absolutely fair and accurate to say that Smith should be credited with the job done at Leeds, although Powell did a decent job of improving a sleeping giant, Smith woke the giant up and crushed the competition.
I don’t want to come across anti-Powell, but I just don’t see the super coach that he’s being made out to be. Even with management of star players, Hardaker cost him a title, Chase was Chase, Clark walked, Carney walked, Solomona walked, Gale walked, Eden went from top try scorer to reserves.
Powell has had to work in an environment where resources have been very tight at Cas. and he will be used to making hard decisions on which players to retain and those to release. Considering the success he has had I would say he has done an excellent job over there so you would think he will flourish at Wire. But anyway I want to pick up the point about Daz Clark 'walking away' from Cas. Wire had protracted discussions with Cas over 2013-2014. Their directors needed the cash, but demanded a high price. At the same time Clark played his junior rugby at Fryston Warriors, was a boyhood supporter of the club, and didn't want to leave - a problem we also encountered when we tried to buy John Bateman when Bradford ran into financial difficulties. But in the end a deal was done and we paid a reported £185K. In retrospect I would say he has been worth every penny of that sum, but Powell must have been cursing the loss of such a good young player.
I don't think you can claim Clark walked away from his club, unless of course you have an alternative background to his recruitment ?
Powell has had to work in an environment where resources have been very tight at Cas. and he will be used to making hard decisions on which players to retain and those to release. Considering the success he has had I would say he has done an excellent job over there so you would think he will flourish at Wire. But anyway I want to pick up the point about Daz Clark 'walking away' from Cas. Wire had protracted discussions with Cas over 2013-2014. Their directors needed the cash, but demanded a high price. At the same time Clark played his junior rugby at Fryston Warriors, was a boyhood supporter of the club, and didn't want to leave - a problem we also encountered when we tried to buy John Bateman when Bradford ran into financial difficulties. But in the end a deal was done and we paid a reported £185K. In retrospect I would say he has been worth every penny of that sum, but Powell must have been cursing the loss of such a good young player.
I don't think you can claim Clark walked away from his club, unless of course you have an alternative background to his recruitment ?
I’m not sure why he is blaming Powell for Solomona’s leaving. As for Chase and Hardaker it could be argued he did well to get as much out of them as he did.