Perhaps the landscape has changed since then. Either way, I don't see the need to rush out any statements to appease anyone. It is the anticipation of announcements in most pro sports businesses that binds fans to a club and sport.

And all this Potter Thou Saviour is becoming a little throat sticking. He isn't significantly better than McDermott and have seen little reason to suggest to the contrary given his playing roster at Catalans and Saints.

Howls was bad choice of word, I'll grant you.

But the point I am trying to make is that it is frequently not practicable to make announcements when some of your customers would like - especially if saying nothing runs less risk of compromising delicate negotiations than saying something, and the timescale is not at all clear. Much as it might exasperate fans desperate for news.

Example - its 30/6 and you think a resolution is very imminent. But negotiations continue. Do you potentially weaken your hand by saying you expect a decision very shortly? That boxes you into a corner, something the the other party can seek to exploit. And in fairness, Hood never said 30/6 was any kind of deadline - its fans who interpreted it that way. he said originally that they hoped to be in a position to make an announcement by 30/6, and IIRC earlier in June he did say there was no rush and they would not rush into a hasty decision?

Edited for accuracy

Looking at the poll it would seem most people don't want him.

I'm not at all convinced that you and Adey aren't talking about the same thing here, but it is frankly silly to say man management skills are "free". One (major) factor in choice of coach is the perceived ability to lead and inspire men, and it isn't free at all, it is (part of) what you pay for each month in the coach's salary cheque. Every month, for as long as you want him to continue with these (and other) tasks.

Having voted 'no' in the poll, on further reflection I'm starting to change my mind.

I'm wondering whether Potter is actually going to be the man for the job. Yes, he did very well at Catalans, but he was allowed to sign a raft of Aussies that he won't be able to do here (it looks like our overseas quota for next year is pretty well settled). Then he goes to St Helens where - lets be honest - any half-decent coach is going to do well! Then there is the whole thing about him wanting to go back to Australia.

Are we getting someone who really wants to be back in Australia, and is only here because no club in the NRL offered him the Head Coach job? My fear is that we get someone who would rather be back in Australia, who has been used to coaching a team packed with stars and competing at the very top. Is he going to have the motivation to prove himself all over again with a bunch of mediocre players (albeit sprinkled with great young prospects), no money, dwindling crowds etc?

It seems we could be setting ourselves up for a mid-season 'Homesick Potter wants to return home' story.

On the other hand, McDermott actually does have 'something to prove'. He was very highly respected as an Assistant at Leeds before moving to London. He's done reasonably well with no money, no crowds (so he'll be used to that ) and might well see a move to us as a real opportunity to step up and prove his worth.

It's a risk, I realise - because we simply don't know if McDermott has what it takes to be Head Coach of team that has designs on challenging towards the top. But perhaps a hungry yet unproven coach might be better than a proven yet not-that-hungry coach?

How many coaches do you think would rather be in SL than the NRL?

The only way any coach is going to prove his worth to a NRL club while over here is to do exceptionally well in the job he has, so if Potter does end up at Odsal his wish to eventually end up back in the NRL would not be a bad thing from an employers point of view.

It is the job of the club as a whole to ensure good structures are in place to survive the subsequent changes of coach.

Appointing a new coach is always a risk, no matter what experience they have... How many head coaches that have been successful at one club have managed to match or exceed that success at another? The answer is - not many! Just ask Leeds and Wigan, who knows how much they spent on 'star' coaches and players in the early super league years.

Yet, seemingly average coaches can become successful just because they move to the right club. What was Tony Smith's pedigree before he went to Leeds? At Huddersfield - oversaw a 13 match losing run (still a record for a coach who held on to his job), demotion, then got them promoted (they were the only full time squad in the championship) and managed to keep them in SL the next season (didn't they get beat by a championship side in the cup one of those seasons?). Hardly what you'd call an inspiring track record!

I'd say that McDermott will "want" the job more based on the fact he's an ex-player and the role would be a step-up (albeit, minor at the minute) for him compared to, "I'm leaving for Aus at the end of the season" Potter who would be leaving perrenial finalists Saints while home-sick.

We do run the risk of our coach and organiser being home-sick. Imagine both dumping us mid-season next year - that would leave us in a bigger mess than we are in now. We need to ensure the next coach is going to be here for a few years and capable of re-building the first team on the tight budget and progressing the young lads at the same time.

It's a tough call this one.

Short term we really need someone to get a bit of buzz back and serve up some exciting rugby. (Although you wonder if even Potter has got the necessary turd polishing skills for the three-quarters?)

Longer term we need someone to stick around and oversee the development of another good crop of youngsters. We certainly don't need a coach with one hand on the rudder and the other on the phone to Oz.

The heart says Potter, the head says McDermott.

Except...it looks to me that Paul Medley is increasingly coming into his own as head of youth development, and maybe part of Macca's real legacy is a strong youth development team increasingly able to operate without the direct involvement of the head coach? Reading rlthisrl piece, and especially his comments for and thanks to Macca, read very much to me like he has come of age.

If that be the case, then maybe the new head coach can concentrate more on the first team? In which case, that might mitigate in favour of Potter. But also, if its Mac, give him the chance to show what he can do without (as macca did) having to spend a load of time, with limited resources, building a youth development structure pretty well from scratch?

The first time I heard the Potter going home to Aus story it struck me as a mutual face-saving exercise as Saints weren't on top form at the time. There was a dramatic upturn almost straight after. So I take his homesickness with a pinch of salt.

Peter Hood said he "hoped" to be making an announcement before the end of June. That isn't even close to being an unequivocal promise, it's a conditional at best, with other caveats thrown in, and given that neither he nor anyone else is in total control of events (the naming of a coach obviously involves several people, each with their own agendas) it was a wise move.

If you put yourself up as chairman I suppose you automatically go in the firing line, but it would be better if the criticisms were based on what he actually said, and not on what some people think he said.