Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:59 am  

Always been impressed when seeing / hearing Hendo interviewed. Thought Powell might keep him on. My frustration with Briers is I don't really understand what he does and thus cannot say one way or another

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:03 am  

The Railwayman wrote:

Always been impressed when seeing / hearing Hendo interviewed. Thought Powell might keep him on. My frustration with Briers is I don't really understand what he does and thus cannot say one way or another

How do you know what Henderson does?

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:29 am  

I think we're judging based off what they have done previously, Henderson was a coach I was pleased we brought in, as he had his London team playing some good stuff. Conversely Richard Agar had been sacked from Hull FC & Wakey and you couldn't find many fans that had a good word to say about him, so that impression was carried over to us.

Truth is, we don't really know what assistant coaches do day to day, and we don't know what influence they are having in the backroom, Henderson went from a head coach to an assistant, Agar went from Assistant to head coach of Leeds and a challenge cup winners medal - he can't be that bad?

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:48 am  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

How do you know what Henderson does?

I was about to say the same thing.

Yes Henderson comes across as a decent bloke but lets remember he and Briers are there every day in training, they are the ones coaching the players, instructing them what to do, relaying information and discussing tactics. They are also part of the problem.

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:49 am  

The constant problem with criticising assistant coaches is that no one knows what their input is and how much the coach listens to, and implements their ideas. I see criticism of assistants as a way of venting frustration.

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:58 am  

Maybe they’re all great coaches in their own right. One thing is clear though - it’s not working for us, and hasn’t really delivered for 3 years (in terms of a consistently high standard). Maybe it’s just not clicking despite what happens in training. It’s quicker to refresh the coaching team than the playing team - although I’m sure we’ll see some stalwarts move on too - so let Powell bring in his own back room team and style and see what happens.

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:02 pm  

It seems positive for you lot that these changes are being made. Henderson seems to have a good reputation in the game, but perhaps needs to be a head coach somewhere now. Briers is more of a surprise as he seemed part of the furniture like Paul Wellens at Saints. I'm not sure which direction he'll go in now if this is true, whether he'll stay in coaching at another SL club or look for a head coach role further down the ladder.

I wonder if there will be more changes. Your youth recruitment isn't good enough, at the last two age groups now you've completely missed the best players in Warrington. Last year too many went to Saints/Wigan, this year because of covid a couple have just been missed completely. Several incredibly average players have been given scholarships, including some playing in the lower divisions, yet a couple of the best players in the top league in the age group are sat unsigned waiting for the first club to come along and take them. If you can't even put the effort in to get your own town looked at properly it's not good.

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:15 pm  

Imagine if Briers took over from Woolf as the next Saints coach, the atmosphere on Merseyside would be electric, it would help right the anomaly that probably Saints greatest ever home grown player only managed a handful of games in the red vee, but now he'd have the chance to coach the team. It would be like us appointing Bobby Fulton.

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:19 pm  

Captain Hook wrote:

The constant problem with criticising assistant coaches is that no one knows what their input is and how much the coach listens to, and implements their ideas. I see criticism of assistants as a way of venting frustration.

If you were an assistant coach under pressure (like Briers and Henderson) and the coach hadn't listened to your ideas for three years, would you still be at the club or would you have left a long time ago?

Re: Assistant Coaches : Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:23 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

Imagine if Briers took over from Woolf as the next Saints coach, the atmosphere on Merseyside would be electric, it would help right the anomaly that probably Saints greatest ever home grown player only managed a handful of games in the red vee, but now he'd have the chance to coach the team. It would be like us appointing Bobby Fulton.

James Roby?