What a silly statement considering Brian Noble actually achieved more than both of those excellent previous coaches put together. I bet you sure as hell wasn't saying that when he was parading the trophies he won around town, were you?

Noble took over a team built on firm foundations and was able to use that to usher in a period of success. Unfortunantly McNamara did not and has been, so far, unable to replicate the success that Bradford fans have gotten used to.

However, I do think that new foundations are being laid but it may be some years and a different head coach who will benifit from the fruit of that labour

If it happened, I would see it in a similar light to Peter Fox's second stint. He'd probably dig us out of a hole initially and bring back confidence that's so badly lacking now in the medium term. Longer term, I have my doubts if he could take us forward (as was the case with Fox). Though, as you suggest, it depends whether Director of Rugby means "Director of Rugby", or whether it means "we're getting a new head coach, but don't want to admit it or to brand the old one a failure".

On the other hand Noble has years of top level coaching experience, a long history with the club and a relationship with MacNamara. It's fairly clear that MacNamara wasn't expected to take over the head coach role so early and maybe going back to being able focus more on coaching with an experienced mentor to call on would help him develop as well.

they could also take it in turns to provide the weeks "why we didn't follow the game plan" quote.

Has anybody else noticed that after a poor defeat, Hood has come out and told us we'll turn it around, Macca can do the job etc, but he hasn't this time?

Fits in perfectly in terms of timing of this rumour

If he had done then the fans would just have said that we'd heard it all before and not to bother. Can't win really

McNamara took over 6 months early than planned that's all.

But was that with Noble moving into a director of rugby role where he was available as a resource?

But you didn't say that you said McNamara wasn't expected to tak the job so soon .

Yes but my understanding was Noble was going upstairs and not leaving taking some of his coaching staff as well. I'd argue he was dropped in it and, regardless of whether he's good enough or not, the transition wasn't the way it was expected to be.

At the time (not long before Nobbygate and when Hull were publically saying they were after Macca), Nobby told the fans at a fans' forum that he had advised Steve it would be very much in his interests to hang around at Bradford. I took that to mean that Steve would get the coaching job. I further took it to mean that Nobby was hinting he would probably go off to the NRL after the end of the season or so (as had been mooted). I think a few of us assumed that for that season Steve would be to Nobby what Elliott was to Brian Smith in 1996.

Of course, that's not quite how it worked out. But we never ever got to the bottom of why Noble left when he did - and why, did we? And, in particular, whether the club wanted that or was opposed to it.

I believe it was all tied up with Caisley, projected finances and the spectre of the Iestyn Harris court case. The rats jumping ship.

Can we finance a DoR long term?

I think the idea of the position is a good one, so long as the role and responsibilities are very clearly defined. One stipulation for me would be no involvement in day to day coaching.

With regard to Noble, I have mixed feelings really. I'm sure he could bring something to the table, but he isn't bringing in anything new and fresh to the club.
If someone were to come in, would it be better to have a new set of ideas? Let's face it, in a sense we've had the same strategy/idea/method pool for 15years now, starting with Brian Smith....

Do any clubs in SL have a DoR? Salford?

What is Tony Smith's "official title"?