I'm not suggesting that this would be my preffered choice... just throwing it in as an option for discussion. People are talking about not being able to get rid of McRae due to financial restrictions... When we have an 'option' that wouldn't cost the club the earth... and certainly be a better option for both us and the players than what we have right now.

You have to look at what's available right now for the club.

Noble ?

At Bradford and Wigan he had good players to work with.... He wasn't really a success at Crusaders due to not having as much to work with. Perhaps the Crusaders job tripped him up a little and found him out. Could he bring more to the dressing room at minimal cost.

Millward ?

I think he's burnt his bridges with the whole Assistant coach farce.

Anybody else ?

What we have to remember here is that this is the last season at this ground... and I find it hard to believe that McRae is the coach that is going to take us out of it... I find it insulting to all that have played here and watched here that we have a man with such a lack of loyalty taking us away from our home.

If you were on your death bed... would you want a stranger there talking to you with no emotion... or somebody who loved you and respected you ?

I'd rather they had the Genius step up in a caretaker role rather than Alker. Maybe he'd do it if they promised him his youth role back at the end of the season. The club could then take their time and spend he year getting together what would hopefully be a good portfolio of potential coaches for the job.

I'd say he'd have a lot more to work with at Salford this year than he had at Crusaders last. I think it's very harsh to say he wasn't a success given that he took them to the playoffs the year after finishing 14th in the competition.

I'd say he was very successful at Crusaders. He took a team expected to come bottom to the playoffs. Thing is though, they clearly overspent through the year. He did quite well at Wigan but I suspect their supporters would tell you this is the club where he underwhelmed the most.



Kear? Wouldn't surprise me if he jumped ship with the rest of the rats.

Lam? Part of Wayne Bennett's coaching team.

Jowitt? A Harrisonesque choice but did well to keep Dewsbury up in a tough Championship division last year.

Please,Please No to Alker.
He is part of the coaching set up now and a fat lot of god it has done so far.
We need to get rid of the losing mentality in the club and bring in a fresh face who is keen to impress.
Bradford,Wigan,Saints, Crusaders,Harlequins have all done it and we are still stuck with a Dinosaur and a old boys network which just does not work.

As posted already, think Alan Hunte could do a great job for us, stepping into the role if Mcrea went, think he could deliver for us, he has massive respect for the club.
Another option, what about trying to entice John Cartright over here, think he could be immense for us & take us into the new stadium. I know he is doing well at Goldcoast, but he may relish coming over to take over & guide us to where we want to be.

both excellent suggestions - in particular I'd love to see John Cartwright back at Salford, one of my favourite Aussie imports as a player, even though we got him well to the end of his career

I've been saying it for ages, Cartwright would be my dream choice for coach and his contract at Gold Coast is up at the end of the season (having said that so are Des Hasler (Sea Eagles), Ivan Cleary (Warriors), Shane Flanagan (Sharks), Wayne Bennett (Dragons), Matthew Elliott (Panthers), Rick Stone (Knights), John Lang (Rabbitohs),Tim Sheens (Tigers)), but just a few things,

One: John will probably be offered new deal at the Titans or another NRL will snap him up, he's been doing a great job.

Two: Could we even afford him?

Three: Let's face it he would only come at the end of his current contract, now therein lies the problem for me, I see no point having a temporary coach for this season and then chaging again in the winter, however if he is tempted I'm sure that view could change!



How about Kevin Ashcroft, Alex Murphy or Maurice Bamford?

Could we entice Stevo away from sky?

Pie in the sky peeps. He signed a five-year deal with the Titans yesterday. We'd only have a chance of getting assistants or those out of work.

In a word no, sorry but I for one doubt Alker will ever be a Super League head coach, rather someone who carves out a brilliant career as a 2nd in command. No for me if we're going down the new younger coach road I'd look at Crompton.

As someone else has said Kear wouldn't be a bad bet now would Noble.

Can anyone really see the post being anything other than a temporary measure until the end of the season when hopefully as I've wished for before we get a big name Aussie in to take us into a new era.

Is Stankovich (or however you spell it) worth looking at?

Sod it push the boat out and get Sean Edwards back in RL, get the feeling the first RL team he coaches will be unbeatable.

Found it odd that Betts went to Widnes unless they have already been tipped off that they are the new SL franchise, if not maybe one of Salford's brightest sons would be a good call.

No chance. His stock is too high in a much higher profile sport.

Was just spit balling, would be a bit of a dream ticket for me though. Column inches and publicity alone would be beyond most news stories in RL for many a year.

Alker should leave the club.


Nothing to do with his loyalty but he needs to go somewhere he can learn. He should get in touch with John Cartwright and go an spend a year out there. His only experience of coaching has come from coaches with limited ideas.

Karl Harrison was the perfect coach for the time he arrived, I will always defend him but he was unable to adapt his game plan for year 2 which ultimetly cost him his job.

Harvey and McCormack just weren't up to the job.


McRae should go his lack of man management is evident, he should have sorted out Turner's issues he is unable to motivate his staff and players. He has added nothing to the team or the club in 3 years.

Noble for me would be a short term fix as he, like Harrison is lacking in vision.

The biggest question for me is can we afford to retain McRae? This season is all about building towards the future at Barton, carry on like we are and there will be the die hards left, not the way to start in a new stadium.

And that's the problem with coaches that have a proven track record. They're just so bloody expensive. However, many moons ago an unproven assistant to Wayne Bennett named Craig Bellamy took the job at Melbourne Storm and with the experience of working with Bennett, smashed the NRL to pieces. (Although I recognise he had a slightly stronger squad than he was supposed to, he was also responsible for the development of many of the players in question) Bellamy's assistant for 2-3 years was Michael Maguire. He is now the the coach of the current Super League champs in his first year as a head coach. Bellamy's replacement at Brisbane as number two to Bennett was Ivan Henjak. Henjak took over from Bennett in 2009, has had to deal with a regeneration of the Broncos but this year will likely push for honours.
Craig Bellamy's latest assistant was Stephen Kearney who has taken the head coach job at Parramatta. Despite losing some key players, I'm tipping the Eels to go well this year, based on the Bennett/Bellamy coaching philosophy that has gone before.

My point is that the assistant coaches that have developed their coaching skills under the Bennett school of coaching philosophy have turned out to be a huge success themselves. The latest potential assistant to step up to head coach will be Adrian Lam. For me, this is the man any RL club with aspirations of winning things without forking out a fortune should want as their head coach.

I must be missing the point a little whilst we are all saying who we would like to see in charge - the current coach is still er current.

I would like to see both him and Simms out (Simms the man brought in to help an inexperienced coach in McCormack - whats he actually done! McCormack got sacked!! Harrison got sacked!! He's still here)

Can you honestly see any self respecting coach Noble etc actually wanting the Salford job when the "Teflon Don" Simms is there hovering over your shoulder all the time????

Simms Out McCrae Out

No he wasn't. An administrative issue arose from the previous coaching regimes. Simms was brought in as a director to keep an eye over the whole footballing side of the operation.

well hes not a director in the program or on the club's website or even in the blurb about McCormack from the Swinton Program this year. But it doesnt matter!!

If we are getting rid of the dead wood HE NEEDS TO GO.

Football Director: [url=http://www.reds.co.uk/honours.htmlSteve Simms[/url

lets split hairs then over a name he isnt a share holding director - like Wilkinson, Watson and Clegg.

He is an employee and thats his title Football Director any way if were being pedantic he should f**k off to football!!! Cos he doesnt know anything about Rugby League maybe thats who McCrea was talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dont care what his title or role is. IT is a waste of the club's limited resources

What is Steve Simms' role and how is he performing it badly?

I'd also point out that on each occasion that Steve Simms has stepped in as coach (after KH sacking, when SM was ill) we've won games!! Why might that be?

WELL BARTON SHOULD WE GIVE THE JOB TO SIMMS,I HOPE TO THE HEAVENS NOT.
COACHES LIKE CARTWRIGHT AND BRIAN NOBLE,DON'T NEED STEVE SIMMS ON THERE SHOULDER,
THEY ARE THERE OWN MEN.SINCE SIMMS CAME TO THE CLUB,TO CHAPERON STEVE McCORMACK
McCORMACK AND HARRISON HAVE BEEN SACKED,BUT SIMMS IS STILL THERE ON HIS PERCH.
NO CARTWRIGHT AND NOBLE OR ANYONE ELSE, WITH A REPUTATION WILL NOT BE COMING.

No need to shout LanceTodd - I was only asking the question!