What's Geoff Toovey up to these days?

Is it a good signing? Out of the game for last eighteen months, was already on a downward trend before then, lost his appetite for the game. I am not quite sure he has it in him now.

Craig Harrison reiterated that Agar is GH and Sinfield's first choice on the full 80 minutes podcast

He isn’t, and he doesn’t want it.

Whatever happens long term the team really need to start showing signs of him having a positive impact now he's had a good few weeks with them and trained without the pressure of a game last week.

Getting the sinking feeling that this Agar as a "stabilizer" has all the hallmarks of Sinfield picking the team, tactics, basically being in charge in all but name and Agar just doing the "coaching" and media or in other words a convenient bullet sponge for management.

Similar to what a LUFC had when the mad Italian was in charge at Elland road and infact what we were doing when Sinfield came back in after Mac was sacked.

Working for Fox Sports Rugby League Channel being on a couple of programmes. At every opportunity always comments that he would love to get back into coaching!

Yep, Extended two contracts, got rid of an International centre & signed a 2nd Row while not having a coach in place. Not saying these decisions are right or wrong but for the next 2 or 3 years the new coach will be stuck with Sinfields team where as a coach in place could have advised if these players suited his prefered style of play or if he could get a tune out of them.

(For Agar, see Hockaday)

Well its interesting to see Tony Smith joing HullKR as Head Coach for Rest of Season . Then Danny McGuire takes over as head of recruitment ! If Smith Stays on will he have a say in McGuires signings ?

I'd rather have Tony Smith to the end of the season than Agar. What has Agar ever produced as a senior coach? Smith for the remainder of 22019 and Powell for 2020 would have brought some optimism to the club, however we remain in the dark like mushrooms. How the hell did the club make such a massive mess of the post Peacock et.al. transition?

It's not ideal to be negotiating contracts without a permanent coaching appointment but people would moan if they sat on their hands and waited with the current shower. If it is Powell (or someone currently in post) who is due to come in we can't wait to recruit. I'd only have given Walker 3 or max 4 years but apart from that I'm happy with the outputs of the last week.

Agree. Much much better

He may be a better coach but I disagree it would have been better for us. Agar whether you like him or not is part of the Rhinos staff and will continue to be when the new coach is put in place. Chopping and changing constantly will not do the team any good and if TS wasn't the long term target for us what good would him coming in for 6 months do?

I do not want Agar as a long term head coach but he has got quite a lot of experience, apparently is well respected by players and does off a tiny but of stability within the squad/set up.

If we were going with TS long term that wold have been different.

Agree with this. I don't know if any bridges are still burned from last time either - of all people KS would know whether TS would be a fit for Leeds right now.
They're doing the right thing; changing the style and messages every five minutes is not going to help a group of players who are already struggling.
The next coach needs to be the right coach for some time.
Also would think that Merrin becomes captain when Kal goes, he seems the natural choice.

Agar offers nothing other than been a stop gap he failed as a 1st Team Coach.
Its ridiculous that we are signing/retaining players with no Head Coach in place irresoective if we as fans see those signings as good or not.
For me we should have a new Coach by now they've had plenty of time to interview & do the due dilligence the delays just make it more of a farce & give the new incumbent less & less say in the Squad for 2020 which in turn will be less an attractive proposition.

But you have no idea what the situation is within the club, you are just assuming its a 'farce' they may have already got the next coach lined up and players could know who that is, just because you don't know doesn't mean the club or the players don't know.

Also by what metric has Agar failed? don't get me wrong I don't want him has head coach permanently but he has got experience with in this country and two others, and by all accounts the players really rate him.

There are lots of good people at Leeds, and the stadium is outstanding. I think most players are aware of what signing for Leeds means, whichever coach is there.
It's not ideal for us not to have a head coach in place, but KS made a call he felt he had to make on Furner and I'm guessing the next target isn't available mid-season. They haven't appointed Wane, Smith or one of the free Aussies which means to me they're probably not going to, and there will be a coach moving from another club to us for 2020.

If its going to be Powell then KS will be nowhere near the coaching set up as Powell will bring Sheriden and Orr. Powell plays a very structured game so all the off the cuff stuff will go out of the window to start.

Yes it depends on the capabilities of your squad at the time. Leeds had a side who had played together for ages and had enough individual brilliance to win matches - especially in knock-out runs.
This developing side probably needs a different approach and Powell could be great for them.
I honestly think, "Furner-gate" aside, any ambitious coach looking at Leeds right now should be excited by the squad as it's shaping up and with the majority of the England Academy on the books.

I suspect there's never really been a huge amount of input from coaches into our signings anyway. Always struck me that Hetherington made those decisions pretty much on his own so the only difference is that it's now Sinfield making those calls.

If as we all seem to think, there is a head coach being sized up but they arent available until the end of the season, I don't see how we can sit on our hands and not try and move/retain/recruit players. No coach is going to be head coach somewhere this year whilst having input into our signings for next year.

I think Powell is a miserable wine , but its looking more and more like he will be coach in 2020, think he has gone has far has he can with Cas, i think if he wants to win things it will have to be a bigger club, he could be the right nan at the right time for us, which in his first spell he was the wrong man at the wrong time and he did a not bad job in his first spell but not quite get us there.

think coaches mostly only have limited input into signings, everyone has always said GH signs the Players, but there as always been input from the coach. If we have got a coach lined up for 2020 which seems very likely scenario, Sinfield has probably run the Mellor Signing Dwyer Walker Retention (walker probably a given)by them already, maybe that's why Dwyer has only got 1 year as the new coach is 50/50 on him. there would be no point in signing players on longer deals if the new coach comes in and says he is crap i am not picking him get rid, and then we have Furner scenario all over again. so i suspect we already no who the new coach is and he is a current super league coach and has been involved in the target list along side Sinfield.

Ok put it this way he was sacked as Head Coach at every Club he held that job.
All of which btw were nowhere near as big as Leeds.
The players may like him but it isnt happening on the pitch so thats a mute point.
If they all "know" why not announce it?
To dismiss any concerns without any evidence to back it up are wishful thinking or just ignoring the obvious mess we are in.

Who ever gets the job, six months down the line (it maybe less) we will all be having a good moan, shouting get rid of him etc. It's how we are chaps, if we are not moaning we are not happy. We enjoy a good moan and backside kicking. Cannot believe were hoping for DP after the crap he served up last time LOL (JUST JOKING) but looking at his face and that of Sheridan, it turns the milk sour.

I will be pretty shocked if it’s Powell. Not so sure why people are convincing themselves. I wouldn’t be dissapointed, but I am almost certain it is not him. Nor will it be Agar.