If you hate your boss, you're going to be less motivated in your job. You're certainly not going to be geared up to work harder to cover their shortcomings. If we win it'll confirm to me that Powell wasn't well liked and I'll also be bloody happy our losing streak has finished.

I'm not saying it's right when you're at a club where people pay money to watch you put a shift in, but I am suggesting it's potentially human nature and not the first time it's happened.

I'm more interested in the team selection, with a fairly fit squad will Marshall and Chambers drop people who were stalwarts for Powell or do they see what he see's in them

They are professional sportman who should harbour an inherent burning desire to win and achieve. To play the best they can. Their motivation should first and foremost come from within.

I suspect a number of our players lack this attribute though.

I think we'll win on Friday.

But what if they are stifled in playing the best they can by instructions and gameplans from the coach? One's they dont believe in or are experiencing first hand aren't working? What if he's instructing them to "always lie on" and they keep getting pinged for penalties or he says "every 4th tackle work it to the left hand side regardless of what's infront of you" and you for having the audacity to pass right on the 4th because you saw a gap.


There must be a point where the psychology of having to follow instructions you feel are flawed has a detrimental effect on your game. They're the ones getting bashed on the pitch for 80 mins.

Those may be daft examples but you get my point. Guess it goes back to DSM's thread on how important a coach is. Were you in the "not very" camp? (That's not meant in an y way fyi)

They may also get frustrated lining up with players that clearly should be dropped or seeing a coach have blind faith in a terrible player as well as an uninspiring captain.

If they lost on purpose to get rid of Powell then I’ve no problem with that, I was pleased when Monaghan threw that deliberate intercept against Cas.

All fair points and I can imagine your scenario could effect on performance but I don't believe it should reflect on effort.

I actually believe the coach is vitally important as evidenced by the change that Smith made when taking over from Lowes mid-season. We were on a 10 game losing streak across 2008/2009 and then in a few months we were lifting the Challenge Cup.

I wasn’t quite sure which topic this should go into because there is a lot of overlap but does anybody know what Kyle Leuluai’s day to day involvement is.
The only reason that I ask is that I just read an article on BBC about Leigh signing Gildart and notice that Chris Chester has commented about the signing. It describes Chester as head of rugby operations and if I am correct that is the same as Leuluai but as far as I can remember I have never heard a peep from big Kyle. I am sort of surprised he has never fancied the head coaches gig.

One of the problems for the next coach is being hamstrung by the players that are still here & exactly what is available out there when transfers have been agreed & contracts signed for next season throughout the league. He may be forced to play more youngsters next year anyway, but even if a coach is only starting from next ,he needs to be having immediate input into Wire recruitment & releases for next season.

I believe Chester has more of a director of rugby role. Leuiluai is more concerned with player welfare and things like organising travel etc

Oh so he's our next CEO. Cool

Currently, we only have 2 out-of-contract players at the end of this season.

They are Minikin who has already signed for Featherstone, and Matautia who was planning to retire, but will possibly now join Powell at his next club? .........Maybe Cas, but that could mean playing in the Championship?

I would imagine that there maybe 1 or 2 others who will now be loaned-out for season long loans, until their Wire contracts expire at the end of next season.

Championship is too good for Matautia

Probably the daftest comment that I have ever read on this forum. Silly idea & so out of touch with what really happens in the rugby world. Pretty sad really cos there is no hope.

Of if you have a coach as good as Steve Price you can go on one of those losing streaks and win the Challenge Cup in the middle of it.

I don’t know why we’re looking for a coach when Wayne Bennett is a forum member and fan. Can you genuinely list these playing/coaching credentials that you hint at with virtually every post. No, not another condescending remark just the credentials please. If they are as lofty as I’m led to believe I’ll be impressed.

Mmm that was a 3 match losing streak before the Wembley win so not sure it's the same.

Just press the "Ignore" button. He's not happy unless he is insulting fellow forum users or trying to supress opinions. Or indeed both simultaneously.

If he’s an ex-GB coach then fair enough but if he is I’m surprised he doesn’t think professional players can deliberately drop a few gears (has happened numerous times in all sports). Mind you it probably didn’t happen in Woolston Rovers 1983 u14s reserve side’s div 3 title winning season.

I don't think I will be listing anything as I'm sure you wouldn't be impressed. But if you really believe that players ever lose on purpose ... honestly it's madness & as for the Monaghan idea ... wow.

It's the same in terms of us being crap and playing dire rugby for a good month or so before and for the whole rest of the season after.

I get what you're saying here.

With a similar quality of squad, who proved to be the better coach, TS or McDermott given that McDermott was arguably much more successful over a similar amount of time.

In an ideal world, both us and Leeds would probably want the style and excitement of TS with the accolades of McDermott.

Yep so not a turnaround in the way that I think we can all agree Tony Smith achieved taking over from Lowes, which, after all, was my point.

Also, before your time, Tony Barrow achieved a great turnaround in the 1985/1986 season with a 10 game unbeaten run after replacing Reg Bowden mid season.

Don't knock that team. If you played for them I'd be surprised.

Did Tony Barrow get sacked or did he just move on ?We were brilliant under him.

Got fired on December 1988. Had a fantastic squad at his disposal after some hefty investment, and made an absolute pig's ear of it.

His tenure wasn't the magical time many seem to think it was.