Well Langley was playing in SL when you joined RLFANS.com and continued to do so for three more years after that. People only have good things to say about it him so it sounds like a good move for Leeds.

What I posted on the transfer thread yesterday:
It says Langley`s next assignment is to work with Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur and fellow assistant coach Scott Grix - with Chev Walker in a newly created role as transitional coach, working with players moving from academy and reserves into the first-team squad.

Seems a strange move all round with Langley coaching in Union for a number of years and Grix and Walker not ones you would think bring a right lot to the coaching set up.

I'm still bemused by the uncertainty of Arthur's future . It's being said he really wants to return to the NRL ,but will give an answer by end of year about his longterm future. If it's just one season then start again ?

I think he just wanted to draw wages while waiting for another opportunity in the NRL.

Talk about jobs for the boys. I don’t wonder we’ve been unable to spend up to the full salary cap recently.

Coaches aren't on the salary cap.

It's positive that we are going to know by the new year. If he extends great, if he doesn’t we have got plenty of time to get the right man, while we still have an excellent coach at the helm. Wane was openly expressing an interest in a return to club coaching ( and the Leeds job) a couple of weeks ago so if we fancy another stern disciplinarian in the Arthur mold, he might be an obvious candidate.

Academy to first team could probably be the most important part of the clubs success/failure over the next 3 years.

I think it’s a good move

I agree that this is an important role but my concern is if you are referring to Walker he wasn`t very good as an assistant coach and if memory serves me right he didn`t do that well with the youngsters. Although I might be proved wrong on that comment by those more in the know.

Wasn't Walker the coach when we won the Academy GF in 2022? I do wonder if the Arthur/Blease view is that the Smith approach didn't get the best of the coaches, not just the players. Pure guesswork though.

You might be right AC as I say my memory isn`t that good and reading the negative comments on here about Walker has probably soured my judgement of him.

I wonder if Tony Smith will still be in his academy coaching role for 2025?
I wonder if the club could actually replace Tony Smith with Tony Smith (Our previous head coach) for 2025?

That's me totally guessing by the way,But IMO he could be the ideal fit to be the head of our clubs academy

Think you misunderstood. I read on here recently we didn’t have the financial resources to spend the full amount on players wages due to money being spent elsewhere rather than on the field,

And you believed it?

Chev's socials now state '' Academy Head Coach at Leeds Rhinos and player transition and development facilitator"

Does that mean Tony Smiths gone?

Maybe Langley is being groomed as head coach when Arthur inevitably departs these shores he gets good reviews and when playing was an ultimate professional.

Unless he's seen as Reserves Head Coach?

It doesn't take much thought to know it's utter bollox though, does it?

It's pretty well documented that we are utilising all the available allowances/ loopholes in order to spend over the cap. Was it 600k over? Arthur won't have come cheap either. I don't think it's a lack of finances or ambition. It's the output of the spending that is very much open to question based on recent seasons.

Hopefully

https://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/article ... xyW1j8MfQQ For those of us of a certain generation, this is all rather ironic!

https://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/article ... xyW1j8MfQQ For those of us of a certain generation, this is all rather ironic!

Arthur doesn't seem to have done much media since the season ended. I'm interested that Blease seems to be doing most of the articles / interviews. Not reading too much into it, but interested to hear BA's thoughts on the up coming pre-season.

Quote ="FGB"Chev's socials now state '' Academy Head Coach at Leeds Rhinos and player transition and development facilitator" Does that mean Tony Smiths gone?'" https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... on-4895192 Nothing on the club's official streams, but Ian Blease via Peter Smith confirming that Tony Smith has left the building.

Quote ="FGB"Chev's socials now state '' Academy Head Coach at Leeds Rhinos and player transition and development facilitator" Does that mean Tony Smiths gone?'" https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... on-4895192 Nothing on the club's official streams, but Ian Blease via Peter Smith confirming that Tony Smith has left the building.

I heard that he was on very thin ice and tbh I'm glad that he has gone.
I'm not sure if Chev is the answer though?
Is this role just a sweetener for him being relieved of his assistant coaching duties?

I really would have loved the other Tony Smith being in this role as I think that this role would really suit him (If he was interested or even approached is another matter though)

Lets just hope that Chev is the right candidate for the role ,otherwise our academy system will again lag behind the top clubs on the other side of the pennines

To be fair to Langley he was joint coach of London with Danny Ward and had a good run with them.