That’s what I think will happen. GH will retir before the next coach is appointed, and whoever is DoR (JJB could well be, he’s now on the board), will bring Danny back.

It will be JJB.

ZooZoo - we are miles behind the NRL in a lot of ways, including the size of the club. They might need a DoR because they have a huge number of backroom staff which even a big SL side like Leeds can't afford. Even then it varies club to club. Gould is effectively DoR for the Bulldogs, but he was brought in to root and branch rebuild the entire setup, including all staff and players and put in place systems for player development that had withered. But in a well run team there wouldn't be 10% of the work involved, and once Gould is done and the club is on a firm footing the place should largely run itself.

We can agree to differ on that one, but you are spectacularly wrong about the coach not selecting players who sign. It has to be the opposite. The coach should be front and centre in any and all decisions on recruitment. After all they are the ones who live and die by results, and have to be able to work with players. No coach worth their salt would or should work for a club where they don't have as much control as possible over signings.

I completely disagree with your last paragraph - in RL we see all too often new coaches picking up the signings of the previous coach and it taking 2/3 years because of contractual issues to try and turn things around. Smith is in this boat now - Leeds have been in transition for 6 years when does this ever stop.

If you look at Saints they have a style of play that each coach has to maintain and they have players that fit that system. The coach may have an input but the players have to fit the system - perhaps this is a better way than a coach who wants all his own players it fails and the next comes along and say the same it's a crazy roundabout that nobody can get off.

Smith fails and a new coach is stuck with the likes of Olpherts, Fasitua, Lisone, Hooley etc. What happens then?

If JJB is the DOR he will do what Sheens did at Wests.

hHow about Matt Cook for DOR ,he is an intelligent guy with a good rugby background too and if someone like Fitzpatrick can do the job at Warrington I'm sure Matt would be fine , Please not JJB, fingers in too many pies elsewhere

Can Fitzpatrick do the job? Plenty wires would argue otherwise.

Agree with JJB, simply don't have a shred of confidence that that would work

The club have dined out on the golden generation for way too long, anytime theres a bit of unrest or something needing a quick fix, they turn to one of that generation...the problem is, a large part of the fanbase lap it up, despite it very rarley working.

It would not suprise me at all if it was same again and JJB got any kind DOR position if it became available, and it would be yet another horrible decision by the club imo, based on nothing but sentiment....i mean, he must of had 3 or 4 different roles at the club in the last 18 month alone.

The giant crucifix erected on top of the north stand will be a talking point though.

Same with McGuire, everyone wants him back, people wanted him as head coach after Agar, he may turn out to be a good coach but he’s got no experience and hasn’t proved anything yet.

Correct the club needs a visionary with fore thought, maybe they thought they had that person in Rohan but to date we have a decline in team performance and media wise arrogance and bluff.

They’ve made JJB a director despite not excelling in any of the numerous roles he’s been given so far. Being “a bit of a character” seems to be doing wonders for him.

Fitzpatrick does GH's job at Warrington - he is the CEO

How about Craig Bellamy - he is retiring from coach - that would shake a few out of their current cosy malaises!!

If we have in fact signed Matt Frawley, yes GH should go from the Rugby side, he's no longer what's needed to get us back to the top.

Matt Frawley has signed we have no ambition.
Prepare for another wasted season not even a patch on Blake Austin and he wasn’t good enough.

might have been someone smith wanted. he was gushing about him.
probably a joint decision.

I'd be a lot more worried if we made a signing that the coach didn't want.

I couldn't agree more with you.
wether he's any good is a different matter though

I'm sure next season he'll all of a sudden learn how to create a competitive squad because... erm... well I don't have a reason. Then this time next season we can say same thing again. And then we can say it after that one too.

I think if we’re in bottom half of the table ridiculousness again next year, there will be massive pressure on GH and RS.

Hetherington and Smith GTFO of our club.

RS has to go this season..................................Not making the playoffs is bad

It’s really hard without knowing the inner working and relationships at Leeds. Gary is ultimately a sales person; he is good at aspects and has developed Leeds into a relative commercial powerhouse and the stadium is sweet.

However on the rugby side he appears to have lost his touch ten years ago pretty much and we can’t get out of this rut.

DoR needed and let Gary run the commercial / ops side.

wait til you get your wish and we have JJB as DoR

yep. out of the frying pan.....