Fantastic Coach. He always watches the opposition warm up to see if there's any week links in the team or if a player is carrying an injury. I think Moran should give Tony whatever he want's so he stays.

edited for accuracy

Without wishing to derail the thread, the UEFA Cup is not massively difficult to win, while the CL that Mourinho's Porto won was a very odd year. Real and Bayern played each other early, Barca weren't even in it, Depor knocked out AC Milan after losing the first leg 4-1, Porto were somewhat jammy to knock out Man Utd, and it was the year Chelsea should really have won the whole thing, but didn't due to Ranieri's bizarre substitutions in the semi-final.

Wigan fans will say Madge and Wire fans will say Smith.

Both top coaches as their records show (bar Smith in the World Cup when he made several c0ck ups but I won't hold that against him....honest).

He sounds just like Tony Smith then, Tony is basically Jon Sharp but with Simon Moran's millions to spend. In fact Sharp did better with Hudds than Smith did. Smith gets all his credit for winning the Challenge Cup when Warrington had a jammy late win against Hull KR, and managed to avoid the Challenge Cup kings Saints, same happened the year after they had a lucky draw, avoided Saints and got a Leeds side on the decline and with injuries in the final. It wasn't that hard to win the Challenge Cup those years Warrington did it.

It's too late, you have derailed it. What excuses are you going to come up with as to why he won it with inter milan?

Comparing the two best coaches in Super League is one thing, but comparing a two time European Cup, Uefa Cup, league titles in three different countries, and domestic cups in four different countries winning manager to Sam Allardyce?

TS has nothing to prove other than to himself imo. Circumstances (and quality opposition) made the England job almost impossible to make a success of and quite possibly we are further away from Aus and NZ in terms of competitiveness than we have ever been. Maybe Tony's outlook on his career has changed since joining Warrington as he has full control over all aspects of coaching at the club which is something I don't think he had previously. Most of us would dance down Winwick Road if he signed another three or four deal but his record suggests that probably won't happen.

Think u can add Peter Deakin to that list !
Without him the whole vision wouldn't have started ! A great man RIP !

Well said Padders

Good article with che in this months RL World, reading that, you would think if and when he does leave, it wouldn't be surprising if he moved back to the RFL and try to see an overhaul of modern coaching in the UK.

From our point of view, the most important thing will be how we replace him when he does leave. If he's currently contracted for two more years I'll be surprised if he stays beyond that as it will be nearly five seasons with us then.

Saints have won trophies in recent years with different coaches, and Leeds got it right when they replaced Smith with McClennan. As long as we make the right appointment there's no reason why Smith leaving should be as terrifying a prospect as it may seem.

Did they? Yes McClennan has obviously got ability, over the short term anyway. But he inherited Tony's squad. How well did he do in future planning? The current Leeds team suggests not that well.

We have a crucial period coming up from 2013 onwards as we face the retirements of Hodgson, Briers, Morley, Solomona. The current team we have is fantastic but sadly it will need rebuilding (as all good teams do) over the next five years.

I'm hoping that this challenge will be too tempting for TS to refuse.

Fair point about McClennan.

Leeds certainly had success under him though which is what I'm referring to.

With regards future planning, I'm not sure that's always the responsibility of the head coach, who is going to be judged primarily on results achieved during his tenure. For example, the majority of Smith's 2009 Challenge Cup winning team - and a good number of this season's table topping team - were left by Cullen and Lowes, but I haven't heard them get much of the credit.

Not many coaches in RL these days stick around for the long term, so its more important for them as an individual to win while in charge than it is to lay the foundations for their successor. Of course in an ideal world you would want them to do both, but perhaps others at the club need to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility for what comes next.

LOL why do you have a picture of Gary Neville as your avatar?

Sometimes you go over the top with your expectation that folks have their irony-meters switched on. Unless you meant the above for once, which is total bull.

Marjorie inherited a side already established in the top six and regular play-off qualifiers. TS inherited a side at rock-bottom after Paul Cullen left the scene to Jimmy Lowes. You know the one, the side the pies like to label 'under achievers'. I reckon TS has produced a greater turn-around, even if you don't agree with most fans' view that Wire play the most entertaining rugby in SL.

Also don't forget Maguire inherited the best young squad in Super League while TS inherited a squad of ageing overpaid players some of whom were only here to top up their pensions, you didn't have to be Garry Schofield to be able to see that most of us could see it. Briers was well finished that's why he was linked with Barrow.

You can't polish a turd they said, maybe not but Tony Smith can turn turd to gold and then you can polish it along with your Challenge Cups.

Exactly right! Mourinho is anti-football, everything about his teams are the way footy should NOT be played. Smith is pro-rugby, everythhing about his teams are the way rugby should be played.

I've heard that we are to tender contracts out to local designers, in order for a 20 foot statue of 'The Great One', to be built.

The women of Howley will queue to kiss it's feet.
The menfolk of Woolston will genuflect, every time they see it
The stadium announcer will act as a Muslim muezzin, and call for all the town's people to prayer in His name, every three hours
The members of Stretton/Hatton Women's Institute will make Him quiches
The teenage mums of Orford will go to Saz's and have actual size faces of the Chosen One across their breasts
The ladies at Slimmers World on Manchester Road will eat cream cakes in His honour
Grandad's in Grappenhall will tell their 5 year old grandchildren tales of derring-do, performed by the Wire
And in two years time, knuckle-scraping doormen will baracade Sir Tony in his office when his contract runs out, saying "Thinking of leaving, are we, sunshine", until he changes his mind, and signs a contract to 2020

Two grand final wins, two challenge cups, not sure how many league leaders shields. Who has won the most in the SL era? Noble or is it Millward?

That's what i think.I can't see him taking up another head coach job in the uk. He's achieved everything there is.

He generally seems to go to a club for 3/4 years, get's the job done and moves on.

If you think he'll be at warrington alot longer, you're deluded IMO.

2 leaders shields.

add a gf with warrington this year and i think smith will be most successful in sl era.

I think his family are very settled over here. I remember at a squadbuilder event him saying that he isn't one of theses people who wants to go back to Aus, he classes England as his home now. Why would he want to leave, he has a chairman who seemingly backs him whenever it's needed and along with Bastian has built a very strong youth set-up at the club. I wouldn't rule out a ten year stint with us.