Difficult Decisions : Sun May 12, 2013 5:25 pm  

It is with regret that I am using this forum to get my point across however the decisions currently being taken by Rugby League are too important to ignore.

Building a successful club cannot be achieved with unsuccessful results. You need to act NOW and change the coach I understand how difficult this is to do but you have to make these decisions as chairman.

We had a very difficult decision to make that started Cougarmania that was to sack Tony Fisher after only one game he was a top chap but that decision defined our future. Gary you are faced with a similar decision today. Do you stick with Paul March or bring in a new coach. Paul has been given a fair crack but has not produced results and I do not believe he can turn things around.

Now is the time to appoint a new coach, there have never been more coaches available with SL getting rid of their reserves. We would have no trouble attracting an ambitious coach particularly with the plans announced this week. It would give the new coach time to save the team from relegation and evaluate the players needed to be brought in next season to attain Super League 2 in 2015.

Now that Sky have lost Rugby Union to BT vision in 2015 they will be prepared to fund Super League 2 with serious money along with the current ground improvements you are planning we will be in a great position. Failure to maintain our status in the Championship this season would be a criminal waste after all the efforts of JD and yourselves.

Gary I know you are committed to achieving the best for Cougars but if you do not act now we will be relegated and be in Championship 1 for at least 2 years. Believe me your dreams will only come true if you are brave.

Re: Difficult Decisions : Sun May 12, 2013 5:44 pm  

I agree 100%.

Nobody come back with 'give him time ' and the like as it has gone too far ,things have to
change now and change quickly as relegation is looming .

I havn't mentioned this for a few weeks but now it's time to change the coach.
Sorry Marchy , you are a top bloke but have just not done enough...

Re: Difficult Decisions : Sun May 12, 2013 6:29 pm  

Cougarmikesmith wrote:

Now is the time to appoint a new coach, there have never been more coaches available with SL getting rid of their reserves. We would have no trouble attracting an ambitious coach particularly with the plans announced this week.

Mr Smith,

If the position of Head Coach were advertised now, who in your opinion would be the top 6 people who would be keen?

Would Paul Cullen be one of them, based on the opportunity presented by the plans announced by the rugby league this week?

Re: Difficult Decisions : Sun May 12, 2013 7:09 pm  

Hi Mr Churchill

Currently there are more coaches available than ever with SL clubs not running reserve teams. Cougars is a great club with lots of potential and would be an ideal job for an ambitious coach. This has been further enhanced by the reports this week regarding the changes to the structure of the game.

My personal preference would be someone who has proven leadership qualities who could play a pivotal role on the field organising our current players who I believe are better than the current position we find ourselves in. However you can never prejudge the potential applicants until you know who would be interested. One thing is for certain selecting the right person could have a massive effect on the future of our club which is a very exciting prospect.

Re: Difficult Decisions : Mon May 13, 2013 8:36 am  

Paul March has a lot to contribute this season. If it is to be just as a player, a case could be made for that. As Paul said after the Dewsbury game, he just did not know why there was a sudden apparent lack of desire amongst the players when the second half started.

Sometimes, however experienced the coach, the players just need a new voice to motivate them to produce at 100% all the match (Man City/Mancini...)

It's a bit too soon for some of the ideal candidates to consider starting a coaching, player/coaching role at Cougar Park - Lee Briers, Eorl Crabtree, Stuart Fielden, etc.

If it's decided an immediate change is needed, what's the merit in sombody new just for the remaining games this season? If the directors got on the phone to say Phil Larder, Ian Milward, Keith Senior would anyone help out for the rest of this season without needing big money?

Re: Difficult Decisions : Mon May 13, 2013 8:57 am  

I've supported the "give Paul March time" principle but now agree after the poor and unexplainable second half showings at Doncaster and Dewsbury that something needs to be done.

Re: Difficult Decisions : Mon May 13, 2013 11:47 am  

Mike, I think you are right in what you are saying. But I think that the current board of directors are more the sort that have the club at heart rather than pots of cash to throw around.
Have you ever thought of coming back onto the board with old and new ideas, you did it once would it not work for you again?
I too was at the match yesterday and the team played the best 40 mins of rugby this season in the first half and came out in the second as if they had been told they would not be getting paid win, lose or draw.
As a coach I don't know how you change this player mentality but I do think last years experience in key positions prove if them type of players want to play for you there worth there weight in gold.
If we have any ambition to kick on from here maybe a change in coach and bring in a experienced scrum half would be the answer but im not saying what should be done as all I do is pay to support the team and others in the same position should give some thought to what they say before shouting about sacking him, dropping him, spend this spend that.
Magic wands and lottery winners spring to mind but until we find either we have to go with the decisions the board make.

Re: Difficult Decisions : Mon May 13, 2013 12:03 pm  

Difficult Decisions, great headline?? but with everything that is going on in this RL, its not just about the coach, team etc, its more to do with the actual Rugby League itself IMO. With most of the teams in Kingstone Press Championship its slowly dying away, and Professionalism has ruined the real Game and its the same in other sports. Its all about chasing the TV buck now to pay the silly wages. Yet perversely the talent pool seems to be getting shallower..

This Post is something that I come across, and a time where he played rugby back in the day!
"it used to be a grass roots game, working class, accessible to anyone of any standard. we were only talking about how John Pitts saved Keighley when he got a bunch of local lads to fill in one year! That is team spirit, that is what the game is about, working for each other. Compare that to the modern super league that is only about money, they have forgotten about the grass roots game all together! whilst I am in awe of the talent of some super league players. I don't have much respect for the emerging super stars who feel that they are much better than those that have gone before. If I have the likes of Tony Fisher, Peter Roe, John Pitts, Kevin Whitely, Roger Millward, Jimmy Thomson, Les Sellers, Karl Fairbank, Mark Fairbank and a few others that I could name by my side I would pull my boots back on now and line up against any super league side. It would not be pretty but I would do it for nothing! would they?"

Super league has been crap this season so far, dual-reg isnt working for some clubs and however we havent used any castleford players for a while a plus point for Marchy and keeping our boys playing, different rules for Super league n championships regarding comp points, no tv money from premier sports.
With Dual Reg :- Swinton for one has a new coach, with VERY GOOD links with Warrington, in fact played for them! so they do have a PLUS side does swinton but it does take out the main players for Swinton if they use a lot of warrington players, which they have done in Chambo's first game! so instead of 5 players why not just use up to limit of 2. But a pat on the back for Marchy not using any Cas players for a good while.

So it may not just be the coach thats the problem in this case, it could be just the game and the rules of the RFL thats ruining it completely, think of some rules that are not used now but used before and really would be good to see back?

Re: Difficult Decisions : Mon May 13, 2013 12:21 pm  

Mr Hicks wrote:

As a coach I don't know how you change this player mentality but I do think last years experience in key positions prove if them type of players want to play for you there worth there weight in gold.
If we have any ambition to kick on from here maybe a change in coach and bring in a experienced scrum half would be the answer but im not saying what should be done as all I do is pay to support the team and others in the same position should give some thought to what they say before shouting about sacking him, dropping him, spend this spend that.

Pretty fair comments. As a fan, I do not know if the problem lies with Paul March or something else within the club. However, it is his job to "get them up for it", and unfortunately it's usually the coach that gets it in the neck when the team under perform.

I'm not a fan of people shouting insults at coaches or players during the match, I just think it's counter productive.

Re: Difficult Decisions : Mon May 13, 2013 12:33 pm  

Dreamer wrote:

Pretty fair comments. As a fan, I do not know if the problem lies with Paul March or something else within the club. However, it is his job to "get them up for it", and unfortunately it's usually the coach that gets it in the neck when the team under perform.

I'm not a fan of people shouting insults at coaches or players during the match, I just think it's counter productive.

I agree with what you put. Marchy will get it in the neck if players not up to scratch or any other problems and Gary also gets in the neck as he is the public face rather than other directors.