Ah well. He did a decent job but didn't improve us massively in comparison to Nobby and Lee Greenwood.

We finished in exactly the same position as last year with a better squad
Our Defence improved and that's probably why he got the Saints defence coach job.
Our discipline wasn't great all season and EOC didn't seem to think this was an issue in post match interviews.

Positives are that our job is probably one of the most wanted in the Championship.

Thoughts about the next coach, then?

Who is available?

I’m not really sure to be honest. It’s a more appealing job now than when EOC applied for it.

Must be one of the most attractive jobs going. With that squad we should be winning silverware next year minimum.

Maybe someone like Ian Watson might fancy it.

Eccles from London?

What is Tony Smith up to these days?

Will be another young coach

Glad EOC is gone massively under achieved this year.
Double the spend with exactly the same result.
Whoever we take on needs to be able to create a winning culture.
Also be mid table SL standard imho

That aged well. Well I'm disappointed, thought he was invested in trying to get this side to the top of the Championship.

Seem to recall the selection process was lengthy last time around!! Be bloody January before the new head coach is announced.

I was hoping he was the target last time around so it would be ironic if he ended up as coach. Not sure if Pele and Okunbor would be so keen though.

Wow, go to bed with not even a sniff, then wake up to initial rumour, written of as nonsense, stronger rumour and then gone.

A tad disappointed as thought he'd continued a build well. That said no-one is irreplaceable. Change can sometimes spur further improvement and progress, the flip side being disruption and a step back initially.

I find it hard to moan about anyone wanting to progress, you've got to grab (pardon the pun) the bull by the horns in life. And if he is doing the M62 5-6 days a week; that gets old very, very quickly (especially when fuel prices are where they are - I'm guessing they're still high?!)

Didn't we employ EOC as a FT head coach which effectively ruled out Greenwood etc who only wanted a part time role? Be interesting to see if those funds are made available again and whether that makes a higher profile coach a realistic target.

Be interested to see which names are linked, wasn't the rumour at the time that EOC wasn't our first choice.. wonder who turned us down/didn't apply?

To justify the optimism developed over the season the way the Bulls have developed under EOC, the Club management will need a decent name coming in to Coach to keep the season ticket sales on the go, delays will only erode support.
I wonder if they could tempt Boom Boom away from the Newcastle Knights?

We're definitely in a stronger position now than we were a year ago when EoC joined. So overall he has done a good job. That should tempt stronger candidates to apply, hopefully.

That Dunning at Hurricanes has done a decent job there - surely he's worth a shout? Watching with intrigue. It's a big job, and surely if the aspiration is Super League, it's a good opportunity for an out of work coach to take a punt on it. Ian Watson out of the price range, do you think?

I said similar on the fax board who were deflated that no one would want to go near them (Eastmond would be a bat #### crazy appointment though)

They're very few jobs in RL in this country. Watson was one of the most sought after coaches after his time at Salford.. He probably had his reputation burned at the Giants. But how many options are there to rebuild his reputation? There's no jobs in SL likely to come come up and those that do, there's only really Cas I could see as a realistic possibility who would want him.

If he wants to still remain in coaching, he's got a chance here to take probably one of, if not the strongest squads in the championship and have success. If he starts winning the 1895 Cups and leagues with us again, suddenly his reputation improved.

Tony Smith I can't see. He's done all be wants to in the game. Would be want to start working evenings?

As has been mentioned, Bradford is probably the most attractive job in the Championship for next season. Very good squad already put together that has a very realistic chance of topping the league. Huge budget that will be the biggest in the league and no doubt any new coach will be given assurances about bringing some of their own players in and all around them other teams budgets have been dropping as there is no longer a SL carrot being dangled. Added to that there is no pressure to achieve promotion and I know there will be pressure to win the league but in my opinion it will be less than if someone is expected to take a team to SL.

The only real downside is that its a stepping stone for a SL job rather than been able to progress by gaining promotion. That may put a cap on some of the names that might apply for the job but you never know when it comes down to money.

Until we get enough IMG points to merit a step up to SL the coach's job will always be a stepping stone for those with a bit of ambition.

Watson's not a bad shout, like Bullmania said he was the next big thing when at Salford. At Hudders they played awful rugby and have gone nowhere. It depends on what the budget is for a coach. I can see us going for someone less established unless Nobby and Greenwood do it for a year and we have a longer term target in mind.

Rumour has it EOC will end up at St Helens as an assistant. Bit of a backward step in some ways as he was assistant at Catalans but it is on his doorstep. As Wigsy says, travelling down the M62 three or four times a week can't have been fun. He's also in the box seat if Saints decide to sack Wellens who's looking increasingly Cunningham-esque in the coaching stakes.

Wow. It's impressive endurance with Greg. It's like all the spin control you see in politics, he's on our board, trying to raise expectations while simultaneously choosing his phrasing to still cast aspersions on our ability to pay for it.

Ok, instead of "huge" - I would say comfortable, with a year on year increase in proportion to our increase in sponsorship income.
Instead of "largest in league" I would definitely put in largest part-time budget in league, because there will be at least one F/T team, with all the advantages that brings.
Gotta control those expectations....

I'd suspect Greg was Alistair Campbell in disguise if he was a Keighley fan. So many angles on that post.

Wow.

I'd have thought the newly appointed Lee Briers would be next in line if Wellens gets the sack.

Can I share the thoughts and prayers to EOC at having to travel on the M62 a few times a week. He battled that minor inconvenience with dignity.