Tim Sheens 59
Too old?

I am speaking from a cultural persrective rather than a personal view...

Australia has a completely different culture in coaching... and invest a lot of time, money and effort in supporting and developing the coaching structure.


Guys like Sheens and Bennett have coached premiership winning teams year after year and taken and proven their skills for club to club. With the best will in the world John hasnt done that.. he has occasionally taken a team of rag tag and bobtails to a shock cup win... otherwise he has spent much of his career at lesser clubs (head coach) and bigger clubs as assistant..

That said he has been fantastic for Wakefield guiding the steady development of the playing side of the club... in all honesty Wakefield need John and John needs Wakefield, it is a rugby marriage that is perfect, separation could be terminal for both.

Macnamara who managed to get his hi-performance outfit to ninth?Or Shaun Edwards who hasn't coached seriously in league.hmmmm,let me think?

stop trying to do things that are obviously beyond you!

JK would be mad to take it on, as would anyone else to be honest. So many things wrong with our game befoe you get to who coaches the national side that the person doing it becomes irrelevant. We need to invest in youth development and in coaching development to. We need to get rid of the second/third\fourth rate Aussies that are rife in our game. We need to return to a GB team and play at Wembley. As someone said earlier Wembley 1990 was my first test match and I've never known an atmosphere better it at any sporting event I have attended since. A GB team gets rid of the second/third/fourth rate Aussies playing for Wales, Scotland and Ireland and gives the game a bit of credibility back.

In a nutshell

Our game needs to step back before coming forward again.

There is only one man who should be considered for this job to bring his proven knowledge of the game and coaching skills to the table. As a player he was recognised across British sport as a great and still has a high enough profile to create a stir in the British media (something the sport needs like never before).

Many of us on here (would suggest 30yo+) I'm sure would rate him as the best British player we have ever seen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Ellery Hanley.

Only problem is I'm not sure the Muppets at Red Hall would create a structure and environment where the Black Pearl would be interested in working.

I have said it everytime a debate like this comes around. Hanley perfect for the motivation needed at this level.

Hanley and Edwards, what a coaching team.

And you try not to be rude!!

I appreciate the sentiment but do you honestly think Edwards would leave what he has made for himself in the Rugby Union world to coach England RL?

I think they should go for Hanley and if he wants his ice skating partner at No 2 then fine by me!

a good player doesn't always make a good coach, Hanley should prove him self first

Excuse me. Which other candidate being banded about has a SL GF win on his CV. Check what top players who played under him have to say about his coaching.

We're not talking about a Bobbie Goulding appointment here!

im going for kermit the frog

he has proven experience in keeping a bunch of muppets in control.

Casper Smith can have the job as far as I am concerned as long as JK stays with us.

Just reading Sean Longs book. He rates him!

Sculthorpe rated him in his book too !!!

To be honest i do not think that an International Coach has to be a good "coach". In my opinion due to the low contact time they have with the players the key to being an International coach is to be a good tactician and a great motivator.

Hanley for me is both of these which is why i would not be gutted to see him take a shot, same for JK.

I would like whoever does come in though to be full time so I would think that would rule JK out.

If it does not go to Hanley I can think of no other British coach to come in and do the job and I expect we will look towards Australia again, which is fine as long as he can get the players willing to die for the cause something i think that has been lacking in recent years and something the Kiwi's have had over us when facing the Aussies.