How about Harlequins to lose place in SL, hence McDermott heading back up North.

Oh, I forgot....












Gold Plated.

Millward would be a perfect personality down there.

Could maybe rouse some of the latent Aussie support for RL.

I rate McDermott more than McClennan.

I think this is a backward step for McDermott but then we will never get the full story but just selected soundbites.

A step on the ladder to one of the biggest coaching jobs in rl?


























The Mighty Cougars

Craig Bellamy.

Seems odd to me. Why move from a Head coach job back to a job he had a few years ago?

perhaps because after getting knocked back on the England and Bulls positions he applied for and doing nothing for QRL other than promoting a boring game plan and a sub 25% win ratio over two seasons, the chairman had had enough?

and Listy passionately backing him on the "sac mac campaign thread" was the final straw

I'd rather have him at Catalans than TR and would have loved to see a coach swap across the biggest divide in RL.

Firstly, being the most successful coach at our club in the last ten years is hardly a ringing endorsement, it's rather like saying we should sing the praises of Saddam Hussain because he wasn't quite as bad as Hitler!
Secondly, our defensive record during Matterson's time at the helm is woeful. We have had defensive frailties since he took over that have never being addressed.
Thirdly, his in-game tactics and influence are awful. In particular his half-time team-talks appear to benefit the opposition we crumble to another loss (look up how many 2nd halves we have won during our time in SL and how many half-time leads have ended in defeat).
Next, his team selections are regularly baffling. He is the only coach I can remember who thinks playing with one half-back is a good idea. He picks forwards to play in the backs whilst playing a centre in the second row.
In addition, recruitment during his time has been dreadful. Brent Sherwin has been the worst value-for-money player in the club's history, and God knows what he was thinking signign Sione Faumuina, who as any sensible person would have predicted spent his life drunk, fighting and eventually fled the country when an arrest warrant was issued.
Also, he fails to take responsiblilty for the team's failings, often complaining about how we lost due to "dumb rugby", without realising that as coach it is his job to actually coach the team to be composed and follow the "game-plan".
Furthermore, we constantly concede penalties on the 4th/5th tackle due to a lack of on-field discipline and/or lack of fitness, as a consequence of being unable to release the tackled player quickly enough and get back the 10 before the ball is played.
In addition, he cannot get the best out of players. How many players who were poor at our club have gone on to be good players when playing elsewhere - Mason... Moore...Korkidas....
As well as this he cannot see the potential of our young players, who he allows to leave and join other clubs....Watts....Lunt....Gledhill....
The promising players that we have produced and retained have not developed to the level they could have done, Joe Westerman in particular who has gone backwards over the last two years.
Finally, he is bald.
So all in all, I wouldn't be too sad to see him leave.

He's just signed for Cardiff hasnt he?



Oh, you mean... never mind.

You swine sir.

It's really quite obvious really.

This time, the role he's moving back into has a promotion with his name on it....

I agree, but we shouldn't be wishing him away whilst still under contract. Happy for us to get a replacement for the new franchise

Fail

Get back behind that curtain you.

They should but we all know they won't!

Opinion




Fact

Everybody is assuming that Harlequins are going to apply for a new licence.

It's been costing David Hughes around a million a year to support the game's expansion in the south. Why should he ask the RFL to give him the opportunity to throw away another sackful of dosh?

If another moneybags doesn't get on board all the agonising in Wakefield, Castleford etc could be unnecessary?

Does anybody know FOR A FACT that a new application will be forthcoming?

Quote ="joeo"Everybody is assuming that Harlequins are going to apply for a new licence. It's been costing David Hughes around a million a year to support the game's expansion in the south. Why should he ask the RFL to give him the opportunity to throw away another sackful of dosh? If another moneybags doesn't get on board all the agonising in Wakefield, Castleford etc could be unnecessary? Does anybody know FOR A FACT that a new application will be forthcoming?'" www.league.quins.co.uk/news/12201.php Last para. Quote "We will now begin the process of appointing a successor who will continue the clubs commitment to fostering and developing local talent to ensure the healthy future of Super League in London."'" Of course, DH could have a change of mind. And it's about £2m. per year.

Quote ="joeo"Everybody is assuming that Harlequins are going to apply for a new licence. It's been costing David Hughes around a million a year to support the game's expansion in the south. Why should he ask the RFL to give him the opportunity to throw away another sackful of dosh? If another moneybags doesn't get on board all the agonising in Wakefield, Castleford etc could be unnecessary? Does anybody know FOR A FACT that a new application will be forthcoming?'" www.league.quins.co.uk/news/12201.php Last para. Quote "We will now begin the process of appointing a successor who will continue the clubs commitment to fostering and developing local talent to ensure the healthy future of Super League in London."'" Of course, DH could have a change of mind. And it's about £2m. per year.

£2M a year, Jeez, that bloke must be minted!

Fair play to him, he’s really committed, but, there must be a point when he says enough is enough.

aye and he's not a Mo & Ron's Ball game player!!!!

DH is as comitted to RL in the Capital now as he ever was. I for one hope is patience and endless pockets get what it deserves one day soon a club winning and having the union lot worried.

I agree the man is a legend and deserves all the success going.

We often hear on these boards the myth of RFL baling out London, when the reality is the opposite - it's David Hughes who maintains a SL presence in London, so important for the Sky support to the game in general - but there must be a limit to even his commitment, as we see with the Danny Orr departure (plus Will Sharp and LMS?) and no new signings.

He needs help and nobody's as yet sighted any cavalry.

This is a tetchy subject (with me anyway).....
DH pumps 1,500,000 a year into the club but has publicly said he wants/needs to scale this down. IL owns the majority of the club and is unable to assist in the funding of the club (and is still owed 2 million I believe, but has said he will not chase this money until the club can comfortably settle this debt and/or someone is willing to take his shares off him. These shares are available to anyone free of charge (just so long as he either gets his 2 mil or at least a guarentee he will get it.

So, Quins RL currently operate with the 1.2 mil from SKY, about 500k from ticket sales and another 500k from residuals such as replica shirts etc....and still manage to lose 30k a week all year round



Now to the crux of the matter. For the club to be able to stand on its own 2 feet and not require between 1 and 1.5 million a year they need to find a new revenue source. I have long suggested that the most sustainable revenue source available to them is on the gate. Since 2002 (when I really became a fan) the club have failed at nearly 99% of the attempts to attract fans.......and apparently (according to the RL world interview with the marketing manager at Quins) there are 1,000,000 people interested in League in the london area.

Now, either there are no funds made available for marketing at the club, or if there are, these funds are being used badly. My opinion on this is well documented on the quins board as I believe a chimp with a piece of wood and a hammer could have done a better job this year than has been done.
2 Examples (I believe there are only about 6 in total this year) would be handing out train pass covers in canary wharf and making a viral video that was seen by less than 5,000 people all year


With the help of a Union forced double header and a dodgy attendance given as 5,200....together with the 30 year double header given as 5,100...the club may just end up with the same average gate as last year......this is not good enough by any stretch of the imagination.
Quins RL were warned when they got their licence and then received a reminder.....about their crowds and yet they do nothing (or may as well). For a business in need of new customers, their plan is flawed in that viral videos are either lucky or the tools of major players and canary wharf is nearly 20 miles from their ground with about 5,000,000 residents between the two places.....


The last few games have seen ham fisted attempts at attracting free attendees through facebook and (if you're lucky) an email campaign....all in all, a pretty shambolic effort.

I am constantly shouted down by aplogists of the club....and told there is nothing we the fans can do, but watching the off-field antics of the club this year is akin to watching your favourite puppy being put in a bag with bricks and your dad saying he's taking it for a "walk" down by the canal.

If the club get a licence next year (and I believe they will) I hope that it comes with a warning.....a final warning at that. Get your crowds up by 100% before 2014 or goodbye! Regardless of if the RFL do this or not, I believe that David Hughes will be long gone before that if they don't start attracting a 5k average and pretty sharpish!

As for everything else the club do...it is exactly what the RFL are looking for......sustainable growth through youth development, playing local lads, nice stadium, expansion area etc......but all of this will be worth 2 tenths of nothing if the club can't learn to stand on its own 2 feet financially.

....and breathe.......

They certainly need more fans. Is part of the problem just how 'fragile' Quins seem to be? They win a few games but they really do take some fearful hammerings at times.