To say Poching can’t coach is i feel wrong. Maybe though there’s an argument that it’s a head coach role that isn’t for him. I think he knows his stuff but he’s probably just too nice and maybe lacks the ability to be ruthless and make the tough decisions on the run that good head coaches and managers need to do. He does seem a little confused with some of his selections as well right now, there’s a worry that there is a lack of clarity in his decision making going on. But many good judges have given him coaching jobs, he must be doing something right somewhere.
I do think Willie probably gets a little more credit in the bank than some might due to a few factors. Firstly he took over an under-performing but also unbalanced squad from the last coach who had already blown a large amount of this years budget on garbage like Gaskell & Lineham. He also is well thought of by all due to his time as a player with the club, something that always helps. He has just signed a couple of his own players that we have yet to see in action. If we are backing him with signings then i imagine he is going to get chance to show what he can do with them in the side. His signings hit rate has been ok, a couple of hits and a couple of misses, that happens. And actually given everything he currently has a respectable career win rate of about 41% i think. 11 wins in 27 games i believe, thats probably about 10th over a season which is about the whereabouts of the quality of this squad. Would anybody else who is available (please don’t say Tony Smith, not going to happen) do any better with this lot? It’s unlikely.
In my personal opinion he deserves a little longer to prove himself. His next 3 are a very winnable game against Hull KR, a free hit against Saints and a derby game versus Cas. That takes us until the end of the month and around the same amount of games remaining as when Chester got the push last year and when Kear came in in 2006. If there’s no signs of improvement by then maybe it will be time. But for now he retains my support.
