Re: New coach : Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:10 am
Fordy wrote:
I don't know about JD to be honest - He appears to have done really well where he is and has been over the last couple of years.
He is a big fans favourite because of the passion and commitment he showed here as a player.
Would he risk that by coming back to hold the poisoned chalice, given the way our "fans" have treated/behaved towards recent coaches?
I think we all know that this squad, even though it is one of the best and is the most expensive we have had, is not of the same quality as the majority of other teams in SL. It's a big risk for him to relocate his family halfway round the world again, lose a few games and his reputation amongst our fickle fans goes from near legend to another failure.
I'd like him to come and give it a try but I just don't see what's in it for him!!
He is a big fans favourite because of the passion and commitment he showed here as a player.
Would he risk that by coming back to hold the poisoned chalice, given the way our "fans" have treated/behaved towards recent coaches?
I think we all know that this squad, even though it is one of the best and is the most expensive we have had, is not of the same quality as the majority of other teams in SL. It's a big risk for him to relocate his family halfway round the world again, lose a few games and his reputation amongst our fickle fans goes from near legend to another failure.
I'd like him to come and give it a try but I just don't see what's in it for him!!
I agree. That's why I added the caveat about whether he has applied. I'd be surprised if he did, because he hasn't made enough inroads yet as an assistant, and giving up a good role at a big NRL club to potentially fail in Super League is a real risk. Also, thinking back, his children will be a bad age to uproot. Might work when they're babies but not when they're settled in schools and with friends.
I think whoever does it has to have an understanding of the type of club Wakey is, which is why JD is a good Australian example, because it sounds like Brian Smith did not understand it as well as he should have.
Dickens might surprise us, you never know, but assistants stepping-up only works for a short time. Think Tony Smith in 2005 but then 2006. Think James Webster in 2014 and then 2015. Think Chris Chester even.