or maybe we can wait tilll next season when we should have finished making 5 figure harris settlement payments to leeds and use that money to recruit a coach. which just happens to coincide with when macca leaves.

Probably best outcome for us overall as theres a portion of our support who macca was never going to win over, even if he did the treble.

We now need to take as much time as is needed to ensure we get the right man to replace macca and take the club forward. I'd suggest this appointment is actually more important than any squad strengthening next season and its more important to spend money on the coaching staff rather than the couple of backs and a forward most seem to want.
We will have maccas salary to spend )and I wouldnt be surprised if st hilaire goes with macca)plus a few player departures (worrincy and crossley spring to mind) so we should have a bit of money available even if we stick to current budget. Hopefully the improving performances and weather will see attendances start to rise over rest of season.

Well its a done deal tomorrow then, with Macca staying on till the end of his contract. I dont blame Macca for taking a job offer when its still 50:50 if the Bulls would offer and extention.

I dont blame the board either, there was no way they could have offered McNamara an extention last close season, and although we have hit some form, the junior development is starting to show serious progress and (most) of the 2010 signings are working well, if the England job had been given to someone else I suspect it would widely be seen on here as too soon to offer McNamara a serious extention based on this season so far. It just seems to be a coincidence of timing that made it inevitable, I said when the report first surfaced that it looked likely to me.

I have an issue with the RFL and the timing, why on earth could they not have appointed someone in the close season? Why wait until mid season?

The key to if I'm ok with this move or not is in the replacement. At least with McNamara staying until the end of the season we have time to get it right (or at least take our best shot at getting it right with the dwindling resources available to us) We're all going to have to balance good/bad points of the potential replacements against what we can afford and what risks we are able to take, like the signings of recent years.

I also wait with interest for the full announcements from the RFL and the Bulls tomorrow...

I take into account everything that's been said but ....


I don't think the RFL would pay us anything when he's not even being released early.

So why the sudden u-turn by Hood & or the board?

(I will wait aswell before I decide whether I think it's a good or bad thing depending on his replacement)


If any of the following are McNamara's replacement I will be upset & angry with the boards decision.

Jimmy Lowes, Brian McDermott, Ian Millward, Shaun McRae, Terry Matterson, St Hilaire, Bulls4champs2010.

Class

Woaaahh, Ewwen. I'd knock the rest of SL clear out of the way of the Bulls.

You could even log onto the T&A as "Bulls4champs2010 for the Sack" and play merry hell about the coach!

You forgot to include Mystic Eddie though?

I agree re McDermott - Duckman argues the case well.

I picked up something the other day which made me think he could be a strong candidate. With the possible exception of Michael, he'd be the pick of that bunch IMO.

Remember, this "shortlist" is all guess work.
We have no idea what the club have been planning or who they have been speaking to.

I expect a pretty swift statement from hood following the RFL's announcement.

Can't blame Macca for his choice, particularly if the board were split and couldn't make their minds up.
I think another 2 years would have seen us contesting a final or two again.

No doubt if someone comes in and manages to do this, it'll be about the "new coaching" and not all the hard graft Macca has done, a real shame IMO.

Indeed, he may turn out to be a clever appointment. Only time would tell mind.

I'd like to see a strong team around him though - I just hope whatever the new regime, more pennies aren't pinched here, we need to spend as much as we can afford IMO.

I'll sign up to all of that.

I'm very disappointed, and concerned. The former will remain; I hope and pray the latter will be short-lived. We'll not pay for a top coach on 7-8k gates though.