We've made many a dumb recruitment decision in recent years... only bucked with Croft and Ackers this year.

Looks like Hull are to appoint Cartwright from the NRL.
Would that be an appointment we should have made?

If Rohan doesn't turn things around and we are looking for a new coach next year it seems to be a fairly small pool of coaches who are available or could potentially be prised away from their current clubs.
In Australia Brad Arthur and Jason Demetrious both recently sacked. Arthur very experienced and could be a good potential option if interested. Maguire currently without a club but think he will get in somewhere in NRL.
Other than that u looking at assistant coaches or similar profile to RS.
Over here Rowley probably most attainable with possibly Watson only other coach that might be prised away.
Its not a big field which is why Rohan will be given every chance to turn it round.

Its also how Rohan got the job in thr first place.

Maguire is NSW coach so not available - I'm not sure any NRL club would want him now, he's got a pretty toxic reputation.

Arthur and Demetriou would be good options but not right away. After years coaching in the NRL, especially Arthur, you wouldn't want them to go straight into a job like Leeds without some time away from the game. It wouldn't be healthy for them and wouldn't be beneficial to us.

At this stage, I can't see Smith going before the end of the season, possibly with an announcement saying he will be stepping down before the season finishes.

At that point, someone like Brad Arthur might be well rested and ready for a fresh challenge. We need to go for tried and tested in the next appointment.

We need someone to come in and do what Maguire did at Wigan, namely sort the academy out, get that purring and obviously start upping the standards within the first team. Im not saying we need completely ripping apart but we really cant afford another "knows the club / Rhinos DNA" bunkum appointment.

The Academy is in a much better state than when Rohan arrived, wether you rate him as first team coach or not he’s done dome great work with the whole set up.

Is every thread in here now just a Rohan out thread? Seems that way.

FWIW I think that's exactly what will happen.
I think we will miss out on the top 6 and the club will announce that RS is stepping down at the end of the season.
Not a sacking, he's just done his time.
Time for the next man to take it forward etc. etc.
RS and club save face.
A mid season sacking is utterly pointless, especially while we are in the mix for the play offs.

I think unless a suitable replacement is available now, we may as well wait until the end of the season.

I'm probably out on my own in this but...... I'd like to see him finish out his contract. I can handle another season in the doldrums as I know It was never going to be an easy task or a quick fix for him (or anyone else for that matter), to turn our fortunes around. Everyone at the Rhinos understands this too I would imagine, especially when they awarded him a 3.5 year contract, unfortunately the majority of the fans who want the results now, can't or won't see this.

Churning through managers to hopefully get 'the one' is often a big mistake that ends up being costly and nonproductive, for every manager 'paid off' it's less money in the pot to bring in players, for every manager replaced, you go back to square one with tactics and ideas. I'm not in the know about what goes on at the Rhinos, neither do I claim to have a great insight into the game, call it naivety if you will, but I still reckon he should be given more of a chance.

Christopher is correct so back on topic is it fact that Ash Handley is definitely staying? Because I've heard whispers to the contrary.

Contracted 'til 2026 I thought??

Catalan are rumoured to be interested but they would have to stump up a large fee as he is contract untill 2026.

wouldn't totally surprise me if Ash moved on, he's top class and wants to win things... we're a way off delivering that to him. We're at the stage now where top players won't automatically be drawn to playing for Leeds as they once were as we've not competed regularly at the top for years and we don't look like a club heading in the right direction.... it's starts to tell with recruitment and retention.