Interesting thread on the Dire site......they seem to think Smith is a better coach than Madge!! Both great coaches but i think Madge edges it due the success he's had with a team he was dealt with and didnt sign anyone to win anything. Last year we won the LL and GF without Madge even making a single signing and only Deaks being added to the squad, whereas Smiths made several signings to make the team into what they are now. Be interesting to find out what other peoples views on this are.

A Wigan fan will say Madge. A Wire fan will say Smith.

Both have good records and are good coaches but obv as a Wigan fan I'm going to tip Madge.

Madge.

He will do things in the NRL Smith could only dream to do.

At the moment they are probably on par but in a few years Smith wont be fit to lace his boots. I'll go as far as saying once hes finished with South Sydney he will be labeled as the best coach in the whole game.

Best 2 coaches in SL by a mile.

We back Madge, they back Smith.

IF Madge does what we all think he will with Souths, he is clearly the better coach, unless Smith also heads back home at some point and also succeeds.

they are both very good and would be happy for either to be the head coach of Wigan.

stupid thread

i think it's common knowledge that smith has no desire to "go home" he has taken british nationality and set down ties in this country! so the comparison is flawed i'm afraid.

Who is Michael Mcguire? Danny McGuire's dad?

Like it has been said... Wire fans will say Smith and we will say Madge.

Madge won the league in his first season though, it has taken Smith more than that. The turn around with Madge was instant.

Madge is wanted in the NRL. Smith isn't.

Pointless thread both are top drawer Maguire won stuff with a team that was a mediocre also ran riding on historical reputation and Smith took a bottom 4 side to the playoffs and a CC win. I think it's impossible to really say which is truly better because they're the top 2 coaches in the league right now by some margin and are both superb in different ways.

Madge is slightly ahead for me due to turning what was seemingly a pap team into a winning one overnight. Smith is still top quality though and he will be the best coach in the league by some distance next season when Madge has gone.

Is he part of the Shameless cast?

mcguire has only ever been a first team coach at wigan hasnt he? tony smith impact on teams has been in super league for all to see, he has made huddersfield the team they are today leeds are lost without him they won the grand final numerous times under him and that same team he coached is still there so obviously it must of been smith who led them to the glory they had, now look at us now to 4-5 years ago we was fighting with the teams for the last play of spot most of the time never reaching the play offs and now we are the best team in super league winning 2 challenge cups and imo we are the best in super league we proved that by winning the league well maybe i shouldnt say best cause anybody can beat anybody on the day maybe i should say the most consistent team in super league and that is all down to smiths coaching [uIMO[/u

and simon morans money

Smith won the same number of Super League trophies at Leeds as Brian McLennan. 2.

Like I said. Wigan fans will say Madge, and Wire fans will say Smith.

A pap team, didn't you guys make the GF eliminator the year before.

Being a Wire fan, I know what pap means, we were rooted to the foot of SL when Smith arrived, had struggled to make the playoffs for the two previous seasons. That's what you call 'turning a pap team ..'

Neither is better, they are just two outstanding coaches, I'm just correcting you on 'papness'.

In reality it is too early in Madges coaching career to make a real assessment. That debate should be held for 5 years time, when firstly Smith has had to go through a major rebuilding process with Wire and Madge has had a shot with the NRL's biggest underachievers.

The only criticism I can find against Smith as a coach is his shocking tenure with England.

Good point, IMO, Madge will one day coach Australia, Smith will be lucky to get a job in the NRL (maybe as an assistant).

Smith has been pretty successful with every club he's coached over here. I'd have him at Wigan like a shot, but only once Maguire has gone.

They're easily the best two coaches in the UK.

Madge's impact was very immediate, however, especially as he had no new players to supplement the team with. I think it took Smith a little bit longer to earn recognition.

Very difficult to call, but for me as a Wiganer Madge just edges it.

I think Smith said it all himself a few weeks ago. "If you only want results Im probably not the coach for your rugby club" He recognises sport is in the entertainment industry. If youre only interested in the result, why bother going to a game ? just look in the paper for the final score.

Madge is a typical win at all costs Aussie, he has a killer instinct.
Which you prefer is down to what you personally get from the game.
Personally i like to witness flambouyant rugby and if we win great, if we dont, fine, at least we were entertained, so Smith for me.

Smith was let down by his squad for the England game, like most England coaches from any sport !

I think there is much more to it that the simple question of who is better.

Their approaches could not be more different.

Smith likes to promote attacking rugby, offloads and 'play what you see' flair.

Maguire has nailed his colours to the 'Defence wins games' mast

Both have proven successful and both have won SL grand finals, and challenge cups,

Maguires success is remarkable in the short space of time he has been at Wigan, but you were no where near as bad (culture wise as well as playing staff and results) as we were when Smith took over.

I do agree that Smith will be less sought after in the NRL probably due to their defensive focus, which maybe why he wants to stay here with the more open SL.

What i find intriguing is the contest between two such different approaches.

Interestingly when you beat us in the CC you played more attacking rugby, and when we beat you the other week we played less attacking rugby....hmmm

I think Smith said it all himself a few weeks ago. "If you only want results Im probably not the coach for your rugby club" He recognises sport is in the entertainment industry. If youre only interested in the result, why bother going to a game ? just look in the paper for the final score.

Madge is a typical win at all costs Aussie, he has a killer instinct.
Which you prefer is down to what you personally get from the game.
Personally i like to witness flambouyant rugby and if we win great, if we dont, fine, at least we were entertained, so Smith for me.

Smith was let down by his squad for the England game, like most England coaches from any sport !

I agree about Smith and England, but I don't know where this idea that Wigan don't play entertaining rugby comes from. Non-Wigan fans keep saying it, and it's simply not true.

Wigan have an ‘iron defence’ mode, I agree. But they also score plenty of spectacular tries.

The quarter-final between Wigan and Wire was one of the best Cup games I've seen in ages, and both teams played their part in putting on a great show.

All this talk of Maguire not coaching entertaining rugby is nonsense. I've found it very entertaining and we score plenty of points from some very entertaining set pieces. To say wire are more entertaining completely depends on the individual.

I'd be happy with either coach at Wigan, Maguire would be the first choice though.

I'm sorry, but that argument only stacks up when you're winning games.

If you were throwing the ball about and playing some brilliant rugby, but lost 20 league games and finished 12th then you'd be calling for his head.

Obviously, winning and playing good rugby is the ultimate aim, but we all know that if you offer Wire the Grand Final with 2 playoff wins and the victory at OT with 3x 1-0 scorelines, they'd take it as opposed to losing to Hudds and Leeds whilst playing lovely rugby.

Firstly, a lot of people forget how poor we were in 09' when Smith took over. He had one hell of a task on his hands to pick our squad up off the floor. And I'd like to think we've done some special things since that period of time (2010 playoffs aside).

As for Maguire, well, he is a product from one of the NRL's finest teams and as soon as you announced he was taking the post at Wigan, I knew it was just what you needed to take you that extra step. You'd come close on a couple of occasions under Noble, but you were like the foundations of a building - just needed that bit of steel.

So taking these things into account, I'd say that both coaches are reasonably even in my opinion.

Lets not forget that Madge has cheated his way to his vicories and Smith encourages open flowing beautiful rugby