Steve McNamara could be tempted back to England.

People diss McNamara, mainly because he unforgiveably couldn't get an England team weaker in key positions to beat better teams when it counts. Yet he's the only British coach with the humility to recognise that maybe he needs to learn a bit more, and has spent time learning the ropes as an assistant in the NRL. I'd bet there would be many poorer Aussie coaches available.

They were 11th when he got sacked they are now 10th - not sure how that suggests they are in a worse place now than when Anderson was dismissed?

Huddersfield now only 2 wins 2 draws to their name from 10 games, reckon if they don't get the win on Monday v Warrington, Stone will be gone before they play us next week.

if they can't beat that Catalans team at home, who are struggling themselves with injuries and form things must be bad. Rick Stone always seemed a strange appointment.

I hope he gets the Saints job, he ruined Bradford now he can ruin them as well

He did a good job with england in fairness, never had any luck when it really mattered but got us very close a couple of times.

I think he would come back a far better and wiser coach than his last stint here with Bulls. Like you say, probably a better option than many other names that will get banded about.

I commentated on the Huddersfield v Catalan game, and based on last night, plus against Leeds I can't see Huddersfield anywhere other than the bottom 4, they were awful, with the exception of Ikahihifo.

Doesn't help though when your captain decides to get himself sin binned because he can't keep his mouth shut and the whole game turns on that.

Will Brough ever learn?

No.

Not as if he's going to change now either though is it?

Tend to agree. Inept at times with the media and how he handled players but he managed to create the first proper "team" spirit we'd had for many years. You could see the guys were actually a team not a bunch who brought club rivalries and practices (eg. heavy drinking) to the international side. He deserves much credit for that.

Tend to agree but lets not forget the International set up isn't a week in week out Coach & players always together.
I wouldn't want him in charge at Leeds he was imo found out at Bratfut & being an assistent Coach is now his level imo.

Agreed. McNamara had years at Bradford before the finances started to impact on the playing squad yet after a semi decent first season he took them into the equivalent of the Middle 8s on a regular basis. I thought he did well for England, but it is a different kettle of fish to being a regular coach.

not so sure about that on reflection, he finished 3rd and 5th first two full seasons (2007,200icon_cool.gif with them which was not too shabby to say they were way past their dominant best by then, yes by 2009 they finished 9th but had a first choice three quarter line containing Platt, Sherrife and Sykes i think the writing was on the wall by then!

i agree he wasn't great mind, but that was his first job and surely the Subsequent England Job and NRL role will have only improved him I'm sure he would make a better club coach these days for those experiences. Anyway, we will only find out for sure when a club takes a punt on him.

Cunningham should never have got the job in the first place. Too little experience, no time away from the club between being a player and then coach. He didn't 'do his time'. Former players need to really commit the time and have the humility to start lower down and build up the experience. Love him or hate him Wane did that and he's a damn decent coach for it.

I think they'll make the same mistake with Long. They'll have some good results and McManus will give him the gig. Within 2 years he'll probably be gone.

McManus has really dropped the ball in the last 7 years. He's made a succession of mediocre coaching appointments and has been fast to pull the trigger on them, coupled with uninspiring recruitment.

Thats what happens when all your cash is tied up in a new stadium.

Good job were not embarking on any construction plans in the near future......

Judging McNamara on his time at Bradford is the same as judging Powell based on his time at Leeds. I'm far more impressed with someone who recognises the need to learn than someone who doesn't. Its plain ignorance to assume that McNamara isn't a completely different coach now than he was. That doesn't mean he's definitely a good coach now, but Powell and Wane aside I can't think of a single English coach who could possibly be considered ahead of McNamara. Plus he has the advantage of working in a far better competition than anyone else whose name might come up, including Powell and Wane.

you dont rate McDermott then?

TBH he completely slipped my mind! In all seriousness he'd be up there but if I was looking on behalf of another club, particularly one thats looking to rebuild, I'd probably go for McNamara ahead of him.

Powell's time at Leeds was a positive one though. League position improved, and he blooded a generation of youngsters that went on to form the nucleus of a title-winning team for the next decade. McNamara lacked more at Bradford than a killer instinct in finals.

I get it that McNamara has improved since his time at Bradford, but he was there a longer time than Powell at Leeds, in which time there wasn't much to speak of in terms of improvements. While the decline of the Bulls was undoubtedly primarily a factor of the financial situation, McNamara accelerated the decline IMO by dismantling the successful team inherited from Noble and replacing players with mediocre also-rans. This is the guy that kept faith with the likes of Halley, Sykes, Platt, and Sheriffe on a regular basis (among the worst backlines in SL), pinned the team's hopes on the back of flop signings like Matt Orford, and allowed other marquee players to lose condition i.e. Solomona, whose weight ballooned.

In terms of results it is also worth mentioning two huge capitulations in knock-out matches under McNamara, including a play-off match against Wigan in which they were leading by 30 points, and a CC match against the Catalans in which a similar lead was squandered. McNamara's Bulls were also the first SL team to lose to the Celtic Crusaders... I could go on. Interestingly, Mick Potter managed to do a lot better in his second season before the Bulls suddenly needed a big bailout...

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Don't think you can blame McNarmara for dismantling their successful team. From the 2005 GF, Peacock, Pryce and Paul were already lined up for other clubs for 2006 and don't know how he could've stop Fielden's big money move to Wigan or Vianikolo and Hape going to RU. I'm sure he'd like to have replaced these guys with better players than he got.

His first full season in 2007 he would've finished above us into 2nd had it not been for 'that' Tansey try at MM.

McNamara would be a gamble for any top club. He may be a great head coach or not. Eventually someone will take that chance and then we'll find out. From his time with England, I thought he came across well in his interviews and spoke sense. As others have alluded, he's been coaching in our premier comp and should hopefully have picked up some ideas that would enhance a SL clubs approach to the game.

McNamara suffers from being a known quantity. My bet is that if he hadnt managed Bradford and done what he did with England and as an assistant there would be clamour at every club to get him.

Completely agree with this.

Yes he made mistakes at Bradford, but it was his first real crack at the top job and the place was crumbling around him. Blaming him for Orford being a flop is a bit harsh too - at the time, Orford was still regarded as one of the best number 7's running around (though he was clearly on the wrong side of his peak) - at the time, fans of pretty much every Super League club would have wanted Orford - his injuries and relative poor form (he was good in patches) couldn't have been foreseen.

I reckon whichever club takes a chance on him will very much reap the rewards. I thought he did well with England (we appear to have gone backwards so far since he left the role), and he's now gone and got himself some great experience in the NRL.

He could be a revelation if he returns.

Another I've mentioned previously that would probably be baulked at by most Super League clubs/fans (probably because he'll be remembered as a journeyman player) is Jason Demetreu... he did well in his stint at Keighley and now he's very well thought of down under and has won honours with every team he's coached down there....

I only watch Roosters games in the NRL, so couldn't comment on him being a recent known quantity. the known part for the majority of fans who don't watch the Warriors would be Bradford and England. Bradford was a poisoned chalice and England.......well he did okay with what he had.

I agree I think he could do quite well but he would still have pick the right club who are running things well, don't think he could turn any club around.

Two clubs that could potentially be looking for a new coach between now and the start of new season imo is Hudds and Catalans. The latter I think he could do quite well at and get them back towards pushing for top 4. With Hudds, as one of his former clubs there's a link there but at this particular point doesn't look like a good choice.