hope saints go for a hungry english coach. there are plenty of them out there that deserve a chance. especially after the lack of success from Simmons.

Ian Millward...

They might not be instantly inspiring names, but what about the likes of Daryl Powell and Karl Harrison?
I'm not really up on the Championship, but they seem like guys who about their business well and command respect. They also both have SL experience and did a decent job at Leeds and Salford respectively.

both would be good choices. Powell was good but not great at leeds but much more experienced improved since. same as Harrison.

I wouldn't mind Karl Harrison, seemed to be doing wonders at Salford with a poor team then mysteriously got the boot. Could be brought in for the rest of the season to see us through and if he does well go from there.

Its been stated he's quite happy coaching where he is and has outside business intrests, which make the fickle world of SL coaching slightly unappealing, but he wouldn't turn down a job at Langtree Park, would he?
He managed to get Salford up to 4th, if I recall correctly. Not too shabby.

Being hungry is not enough at this level. You need to be able to demonstrate technical and tactical competency. We are too big a club to be risking it all on an unproven but hungry coach just because they are British. Our recruitment process should be the best person for the job irrespective of their nationality, ethnicity, age and gender.

Gender? Like women know anything about rugby!!!




[size=50I'll just be heading off out before saintsfan gets here...[/size

Agreed - good choice.
It seemed he lost the power struggle with that teflon coated simms after he almost managed to polish a turd in the Salford team.

It would also depend on whether sir mac would be happy with someone other than a yes man as karl is far from subtle in that department of sticking to the script.

No way on this earth will Karl Harrison be saints coach. Not a chance!

What about Paul Cullen and Phil Clarke as his assistant. With Phils stats on teams you would never loose again.

Could you imagine the half time team talks?

"Now, lets have a look at the Key Performance Indicators and my margin meter says you'll win by 4 so don't worry about anything."

There isnt a British coach out there with the necessary skills to be given the coaching job at Saints.

Noble and Kear are the best qualified, but neither would bring anything new to the table.

Talk of Powell, a failure at Leeds or Harrison and Lowes other failures at the top level is just not even worthy of being thought about.

The problem we have is that in the UK the RL lacks a proper coaching development plan. Its all about employing an ex player because he knew his way about on the football pitch.


For me the coach must come from Australia and either have an established pedigree of coaching an NRL team for a number of years, or be a highly promising young assistant coach in the Mcguire mold.

The aussies are brought through the coaching ranks in a system that both develops talent and roots out the chaff. They even have a finishing school known as the Superleague in which the best young coaches can be given their first shot in a high pressure environment.

nathan brown has agreed to take over

Not sure I want someone in the Maguire mould but I'd go with the established pedigree bit. However, one look at our squad (either ageing and past their best or young and inexperienced) and I would imagine only assistants will apply.

This will be some coaching team as today we have had the following nailed on and confirmed:

Mal Meninga.
Daniel Anderson.
Brian Noble.


Source please?

nathan brown. Open secret at hudds

I don't think Powell was a failure at Leeds - it was just too early and he wasn't ready at that time.

Well, if he's a man of his word then it won't be until 2013 (if at all as I am still sceptical until I see it announced). If that's true then the interim period appointment is still a bit of a mystery.

I remember visiting my granddaughter in Penrith, John Lang was the senior coach at the time, Leeds had sent Powell to learn a few tricks off the Aussies, what JL said about Powell was not very complimentary.

By the way I will be in Winnum-Manley around late October this year, perhaps we could meet for for a few Pure Blondes in the Plough at South Bank. PM me if you wish, PS do you want a programme for this weeks match at LT?

Heres an Englishman who I thought of making a good job at Rovers at one time.

Mark Aston

I'd like to see him get a shot coaching in Super League but he's too inexperienced to get this one.

Before somebody says "How do you expect him to get experience if blah, blah, blah", this isn't [iThe Apprentice[/i or RL Coach Idol this is running a real team which is part of a real business with real money. You don't appoint a one unit bank manager as the chief executive of the UK branch of HSBC just because his Walmington-on-Sea branch had a record year.

id go with that, and the man they get in to help him out was tony smith, since coming back to real rugby after the spell in kick and clap hes done really well at rovers.

i dont think i would want him but id say hes far from a failure

Powell doesn't get enough credit for the job he did at Leeds. He laid a lot of he foundations that smith went on to turn into a champion side. Brian McLennan would be a good fit with saints. He can certainly galvanise a side.

It'd be good if he was available too, the NZ Warriors might have something to say about that though..