We've all had a moan in past seasons, about the voting for Coach of the Year, but how could it possibly be abyone other than Neil Jukes, this season?

I know he has had an impressive squad of players to coach, but he was thrust into the position, literally at the start of the season, had to endure the media circus surrounding Ryan and Rangi, manage a number of high profile egos, suffer the departures of Brierley, Pala, Chase, and Emmitt, the 'non availabilty' of Beswick, and Barlow, the long term injuries of McNally, Tonga, Moimoi, Patterson, and Dixon, (and of course Chase) the lengthy suspensions of Acton, Higham and Hock, and the non-stop rumours on players supposedly emigrating to Toronto Morals. And still he has improved individual players, and the form of the team.

There's my vote cast - now I wonder how many other coaches the Yorkshire mafia will vote in front of him?!

Mark Aston

It'll be Marshall again.

Andrew Henderson?

Henderson or Kear by some distance for mine. A cardboard cut out could have coached Leigh to the Championship title this year.

Given the money clubs have spent on players Kear has got to be a contender and his side are the only Championship cub to beat us this season. I am not going to mention our defeat in Toulouse because I have forgotten about it.

John Kear will win it and deservedly so too. Amazing job at Batley this season.

Jukesy and Hendo should be in contention though.

Think the Oldham and Swinton bosses will deserve a lot of credit also if they can keep their sides up! Champ 1 to Championship is a huge jump in quality and both sides have handled it well so far.

John Kear

Jukes for me...met him recently top bloke.

The three teams below us all lost by substantial margins - Batley talking about SL last weekend lose at home by a big score London lose second time to Sheffield - everyone saw Halifax's show of strength. No great coaches on show this weekend IMHO.

Another vote for Kear, he has proven many times what an excellent coach he is, he is also a very nice man.

Kear is great bloke and astute coach, but what Jukes has achieved could not have been done by anyone else imo.

Kear is a proven experienced quality coach, the main point being experienced. Neil Jukes on the other hand compared to Kear is fresh outta nappies , I think Kear is an excellent coach but I think Neil is coach of the season given the circumstances this season.

I think Jukes has done a good job and my congratulations on winning the leaders shield to him, the team and most of all the fans, but I do think a number of other coaches could have achieved this given the support and financial backing from Degsy. What must be the largest squad bill in the league by some way must be the envy of all the other coaches. KEar, Henderson, Marshall and Morrison have all done excellent jobs so I think it will be a close run thing, let's see what happens in the 8's.

As a neutral I think there's a very good shout for both. It would hardly be a travesty if Jukes won, or Kear, but if I had a vote it would be actually be Henderson who got it.

The British loser mentality of reward the nearly men for being good sports. The only clubs under pressure where Leigh and Bradford, similar spends but different results

Always a safe comfort zone, when neutral.

If it was team of the year Leigh would walk it. But it's coach of the year, so I picked on that basis.

I'd agree with Henderson, I think Batley have done fantastic but also feel they fell slightly luck getting a couple of key players from sheffield due to them going full time. for me id go Henderson, Kear, Gallagher, Naylor as a shortlist

With the absolute turmoil Neil has had to deal with and to only lose that first game when he had a weeks prep, having to use 40+ players in the season, until now never having a fit squad. Yes JK done well but id be amazed if anyone could get near what Neil has achieved. Rohan Smith thought it would be a piece of cake to get Bull in the middle 8's he has found it very difficult...

Didn't Jukes take a winning team and carry on winning with it? It was a horrible start for you lot, from the timing of events down to the worries about what must have been truly going on that I've no doubt you all felt in some way. From there to where you are now are different worlds.

But if there weren't any deep seated issues (as you were assured) and no other wheels were ever going to fall off (which is how it turned out) then surely all Jukes has really done is take a winning team and carry on winning with it? I don't mean this as a slight on him, he's clearly a very good coach that the team wants to play for and your strategic approach to the season over all is a vast improvement on last year. But fundamentally that's all that's happened.

Far from a travesty if he does win it, but I'm not seeing the overwhelming case for it. There are teams with considerably less resource who are night and day this year to how they were last.

I Understand your points mate but there were deep seated issues, those individuals needed to be flushed out and moved on quickly, then we had to find the adequate replacements otherwise the wheels would have fallen off and lets be honest most Leythers and everyone on the outside thought we were doomed when Rolls quit. Neil Jukes has had to complete a season with no pre season has had to try and work with 2 teams in a season and still only lost 2 competitive games... Miracle if you ask me...

But the next coach is currently 7 points back, all you can do is beat what's in front of you, the other coaches haven't done that

So, Jukes not even in the Top 4?! For my money it would have to be Jukes by a long distance. None of the other coaches has had to contend with anywhere near the number of problems he has had to overcome.

As for having a large squad, there have been weeks when he has been down to the last seventeen available - especially when so many 'players' have been AWOL, for whatever reasons!

Jukes' problem is that with the squad he inherited (even if it was last minute) it was almost impossible to 'over achieve' short of going unbeaten and making the semi's of the Challenge Cup!

He has gone unbeaten since that 1st game of the season although our cup run was ended early.

On the surface he has probably achieved what was 'expected' of him so far. It is only when you look deeper you see how much he has had to overcome.

Being thrown into the job just days before the season started having never had the 'top' job before.

His coaching staff of 4 was cut down to just 2 with Rowley leaving and Finny following.

The drama surrounding 1st Rowley, then Brierley, then Rangi all of which dragged on forever.

Quality players such as McNally, Beswick and Barlow missing the entire season so far with only Gregg likely to play any part at all.

Very long term absentees in Dixon, Tonga as well as Fui's serious illness and hospitalisation.

Having anywhere between 8 and 13 players missing until about May meaning we needed a string of loan signings just to put out 17 players on match day.

Emmitt walking out suddenly to go to 'Australia' and things not working out with Pala.

Constant rumours of half our team buggering off to Canada at the end of the year.

Having that spell without Hock, Higham and Acton and coming through it in style.

So whilst top spot may have been no more than people predicted he has had a hell of a lot to deal with and has overcome every obstacle thrown at him so far. Not sure what more he realistically could have achieved at this stage of the season.

He should definitely be in contention for the award for sure. He has done a brilliant job in his 1st season as a head coach and hopefully will keep that going into the 8's unlike Mr Morals did last season.

Jukes