Brian Smith to come in next season with Menzies as assistant.

Smith also working as mentor to McNamara with the England set up.

I'd be absolutely thrilled with that partnership, but cannot see it happening in reality. I still feel Beaver has plenty to offer on the pitch right now as well.

I don't think I know anyone who wouldn't be delighted with that.

Fantastic prospect. But, I fear, in your dreams. Where would the cash to pay for him, and the entourage he would require, come from? Connor Murphy knows the financial realities. You can see it in his article with which I started this thread.

The bit about the "board being split" is a big worry. I wonder if some on the board are backing a Caisley return? And the coaching implications that might entail? If he got enough of them onside, he'd be back in.

Somebody mentioned Morgan as a possible replacement on that total rl forum.

From what I hear...please no.

And anyway, he - like so many others on the wish list, is under contract for some time. Where would we get the money to buy out the contract, as well as pay the asking price plus the costs of teh supporting entourage, for coaches on that list?

I'd rather not.

I don't know, I don't know how much it would cost and how much we have. All I know is that you tell me we don't have a lot. How accurate you are, Adey. I haven't got a clue.

So it's just me wishing our board or chairman (whichever) would grow a backbone?


It is NOT in the clubs best interests to have our coach's mind elsewhere. As Hood stated, then apparently went back on, it would not be a good move for McNamara to be doing both. Be fully comitted to one or the other.

I'd be concerned if he wasn't available for some of our matches, I understand the mid season friendly may clash with the Bulls fixture? I guess it depends on what amount of his time is required in the short term for the England role. I am sure Macca will want to deliver some success before he leaves so I don't expect there will be a lack of effort on his part.

Didn't T Smith steer Wire to CC success whilst combining both roles?

How do we know they haven't already and have negotiated with the RFL to cross our palm with silver or (cough) a guarantee of a licence come the application or some other favour for letting him go part time until October?

Personally I'm going to sit back and see what happens first before judging anyone's performance, decision making or whether it is indeed a good or bad thing for the club. You never know part timer might get us to another final in his last year and then watch the crowds come flooding back.

All I know is right now I feel a little sad he won't be here to see his work on the junior side truly come to fruition and to see a nice bloke leave the club for what I personally see as a step down. I hope for his sake he doesn't wake up in December when he's got back to Britain regretting not having a preseason to get his teeth into.

Well it'll have to be somebody. The board can't exactly claim that this situation has crept up on them can they?

And if the financial situation is really quite so dire as to make it impossible for us to attract a top coach and all the trimmings, then maybe the board should consider some radical cloth cutting and surrender our SL licence, return to a part time squad and ply our trade in the lower leagues.

The same financial constraints must have been evident when we splashed the cash for Orford, maybe we should splash some more and give him the leadership that the expenditure warranted?

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