We all know now that Briers has hit electric form since being dropped by Smith in his first few games in charge all those years ago, but looking at our other players, there seems to be some strange happenings going on around the club.

Paul Wood - back in the day way a solid 10 yarder with an occasional dummy, suddenly he's the offload master who also breaks tackles and puts shots on.

Solomona (at Bradford) - always had the skill but was injury prone and hardly played, now a starting second rower who spells the entire 80 mins

Westwood - Winger to Centre to Second Row - slightly tubby and unfit, but always did a job. Now a 80 minute England shoe in who can kick, make hard yards and tackles his heart out

Harrison - IMO, best young forward currently plying trade, has made leaps and bounds in recent years

It's early so I'm struggling to think of any other stand outs for now but even this small selection shows that Smith's management style, ethos and player development has really produced on the pitch in his relativly short time here.

I know us Wire's don't need an excuse to praise Mr Smith, but if you think back to how the players were before, we seem to be getting alot more out of them now!

Added to this, I personally would have like to have seen Smith work his magic of players like Leikvoll, Henare, and even Hilton.

Short answer is yes he is that good. When you talk to him and to the players, they're now doing things and approaching games in ways that previous coaches haven't in terms of individuals and teamwork. We're light years in front of where we were 3 years ago.

Warrington deal with the top 3 inches of the players bodies better than any other club.

Great coach. Transformed you as a team I feel, the only question mark is, didn't he say when he left Leeds, that 3 or 4 years was enough time at any one club? I wonder if this will apply to Warrington too, and if so, how you will cope without him in a year or 2, especially when some of your key players will probably be retiring around this time..

You only have to listen to players like Briers enthusing about Smith to know how good he is.

I may be completely wrong here, but I got the impression that some of the players were not happy about Smith joining originally as he had a reputation for being very pedantic about the little details of a players game. I'm sure I read a quote at the time which indicated that the players were not to keen after "hearing stories".

In my opinion him and Michaeal McGuire are the top two coaches in this division by a country mile. Not just in their qualities as a coach, but also in the way they present themselves. Both appear very honest, and have the neccessary gravitas required.

BRIAN Smith always said 4 years was enough before you start to get stale. I'm not sure whether Tony Smith has said something similar or not. You only have to look at Ferguson and Wenger in football to know it's not a flawless statement however.

TS will go one day, sadly, but hopefully the club now realise the importance in recruiting a quality head coach.

The club as a whole is a totally different proposition than it was years ago.... progress has been made in leaps and bounds, on and off the field.

If Smith does go in a few years I'm sure Mr Moran will replace him with someone who also knows how to win.

We also have an excellent academy that is now producing quality players. So replacing these key players may not be the major re-build many are predicting.

Oi leikvoll was fine as he was.

i think westwood would have been here or thereabouts regardless of our Tern', he was already on his way as a workaholic backrow under cull.

Harrison and bridge which have been lauded on here, but actually picking a position and a role suitable for them has helped focus and lead them forward.

Good as well to see Grix finally coming into his own, i always thought he had something about him whilst he was coming back from his injuries.

And as for Tony himself, well he's bought a house here hasn't he, which he never did at leeds or huddersfield, i'm sure he said something about putting down roots now, and unless someone in the NRL does come a-calling i can't see any other jobs in the SL being appealing to him, he's already left the champions to coach england, don't think he'll go back there again.

in a word yes...just think when he took over where we was and to where we are now.would another coach have achieved similar success,i doubt it

i wish we had warren stevens i dont think even mr smith could help him

Tony Smith is God
Adrian Morley is a Titan
Lee Briers is a King
I am but a humble disciple to the Wire faith
God save the King

He would have got rid of Henare quicker than he got rid of Gleeson.

He's not that special or he wouldn't be in this country in the first place. Caveat it with 'as far as SL goes' and you can put any superlative before it.

I feel his impressive coaching achievements in Super League reflect just how more advanced they continually are in the NRL. I've no doubt that if Smith went to coach there now he would be struggle initially as he caught up with the advancements they have made. Similarly if a top head coach from the NRL, and we've had very few, came over here I think they would be ultra successful.

Maguire and Smith are the two in Super League who get the biggest 'wraps', but Mick Potter is another quality coach, despite him never being a fit for Saints. If you could get Bellamy or Bennett over here they would eclipse Smith and Maguire IMO.

Hard to say how they would go and it would depend what club they were at.

Compare Juande Ramos CV to Harry Redknapp's - Ramos is the guy with a pedigree of winning European trophies, but Tottenham were garbage under him and are good under Redknapp.

A few years ago everybody wanted Ricky Stuart to come to SL but his star went on the wane after he left the Roosters.

If Craig Bellamy took over say Bradford and finished 7th, 5th, 6th then you'd have one group of people saying Bellamy only looked good because he had great players at Melbourne and another group saying he was used to coaching top players and you can't polish a turd.

I think its fair to say that a coach who can turn a club with a long standing history of mediocrity into trophy winners has got something special about him.

And to do it at Warrington as well proves it wasn't a fluke.

Mr Smith signed a new contract last year which keeps him with us for another three season including this one.

Lee Briers or Andrew Johns will be our next coach, as they will be in their late 40's before Sir Tony leaves

He was quoted at the back end of last year saying he wouldn't want to return to Australia as he classes England as home now. The true thing will be once (IF) he manages to win SL with Wire, will he stay to be the true dominant force over many years or move on?

Being realistic briefly, we might go really pap and sack him

i hope Tony stays until there is a mutual agreement for him t leave. Then I want someone as good.

when tony smith leave she will tell his brother how great the fans and working in england is how superior the super league is to the nrl (well wire anyway) and brian smith will be new head coach !!!!

oohh please no....not another gallant loser

We've tasted success, let's stick with coaches who have proven record in winning things, not Smith's brother, who has a track record in winning precious little

Ive said it before - John Kear is the man. Two Challenge Cups with unfancied teams.

Alternatively Brian Noble.

That happens to most coaches. I know we are all in love with TS but if we go a couple of seasons without winning a trophy (perfectly reasonable) you will get all the talk about him having taken us as far as he can, like Arsenal fans who think they need a new manager to break their trophy drought.

If we don't sack him though I reckon he might stay with us quite a while if he wants to stay in the UK. Not sure where else there is for him to go - "a big club", he's been at Leeds and done that. Can only see him going to Saints and Wigan from us and he would have to start again from scratch, which after he's spent a lot of time building a team especially with young players for the future, it might be frustrating to then go and become one of our rivals and have another coach come in at Warrington and be using all of his own groundwork against him.

...and back to the thread

Yes, he is that good.
2 Challenge Cups
Morley shortlisted twice for MoS in the twilight of his career
Briers consistency
far fewer defeats (especially the heroic ones...we're going on to win these games)
and most importantly (in my Warrington supporting lifetime) we now have a coach who knows how to WIN TROPHIES, not in their first job/first big job or they've won a solitary Regal Trophy before coming here.
WINNERS BREED SUCCESS

And he has managed to beat Saints away from home.

Not from me Sal
We have a fantastic Wigan side to beat, as well as a wounded Stains + Leeds. There's nothing to stop them from reaching recent glories, again. If we go a handfull of seasons without a trophy, then so be it (and no, I'm not contradicting myself from other posts tonight, about being winners). We have to realise, we have some fearsome rivals. Trophies don't present themselves at your door. They have to be earned.

Smith can stay as long as he likes, as long as he does a great job.