Quote ="Gazwire"Realistically, the more factors you change, in a shorter period of time, the higher the risk of failure. Its one of the reasons super rich sports backers can't walze into clubs, buy all the best coaches, all the top players, and expect the club to win trophies above longer established clubs who make changes incrementally.
Whether you like Powell or not, no coach is likely to be able to get a good tune out of this team with so many changes in such a short space of time. Things could have gone better and may have with a different coach, who knows - we'll never know.
There's a reason why established teams such as Stains succeed; they make meaningful adjustments rather than root and branch changes. Unfortunately we haven't been in the position to do this as its well recognised that our club has been in a state of malaise for years. If we want the culture to change, then only a root and branch will do. Up until this season, let's be honest, we've underperformed and bottled it in 2 Challenge Cup Finals, 3 1st round playoffs, all to lesser resourced teams.
If people want these radical changes, they need to be realistic. If not, and were happy before, then people can still cherish those 2 Cup final losses and have a yearly toast around September to celebrate the good old days when we were getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
I'm not saying it's been perfect either - far from it. I think there's some middle ground here in that Powell could have done better, but at the same time, people's expectations need to be tempered.
BTW, forgot mention that I really agree on the half back thing as well.'"
Interesting analysis and assumptions...sure Saints are the top team ATM but let's not forget they lost 5 Grand Finals on the bounce. They make adjustments by bringing in good recruits but also by developing and maintaining an excellent junior set up which played in Australia every year as part of their development. By comparison, until recently we were poor. Perhaps, hopefully our juniors will get the opportunities to move up to the first team and supported to develop, like Welsby has, rather than critised in the local rag and dropped.
You seem to suggest that to change a culture only root and branch of the playing group will do. I don't agree. The way Powell has gone about it has been a dangerous experiment and there is no evidence it will be successful. This could have been accomplished by a transition from old to new, instead he has given us a dispirited team, lacking in confidence with little or no leadership on and off the pitch. Sure we have new Aussi players coming in next year, how do we know they will adapt to life in Warrington, will accept Powell's coaching systems and make the team successful in the long term and not just give us a sugar rush before they retire and head off home leaving us scratching around for more players?
I want Warrington to be the top team, we need to stay in Super League which I expect we will.
We do however need a top coaching team able to get the best out of what we players we have. Isn't this what we were promised with Powell? What has been delivered, supporters cheering on Saints to beat Wakefield, cheering on HKR (who beat us last week) to beat Toulouse last night and the club pleading for supporters to cheer for the team.
It wasn't mean to be like this. We agree Gaz, we need root and branch change.
Of the coaching set up.
