(Brer Rabbit mode on) please please please dont give it to Richard Agar (Brer Rabbit mode off)

But thats the thing, do we need someone who is essentially a club coach?

A club coach would miss the day to day role. We need a coach who can essentially do 6 games a year and be a consultant the rest

Perhaps the best young coach in the game could get it?


Step forward Justin Morgan.

Quote: Linebreaker " Morgan and Kear the frontrunners according to the Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... coach.html The Australian-born coach's decision to step down has led to Hull Kingston Rovers counterpart Justin Morgan and Wakefield's John Kear being linked with the position, which the RFL will seek to fill on a full-time basis following Smith's part-time tenure.

Quote: Linebreaker " Morgan and Kear the frontrunners according to the Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... coach.html The Australian-born coach's decision to step down has led to Hull Kingston Rovers counterpart Justin Morgan and Wakefield's John Kear being linked with the position, which the RFL will seek to fill on a full-time basis following Smith's part-time tenure.

Just thank god nobbys got the celtic job otherwise he'd be throwing his hat in the ring again.....and what a backward step that would be!!!

If you mean Brian then you want to go back and watch videos of how Quins played this season gone, it would be one way to kill off international RL that is for certain.

I must admit i like the idea of Justin Morgan if it was to be someone British Based...

If we are looking for a current Super League coach then I agree

If we appoint anyone from ''super'' league we might as well disband the england team and not bother competing.

In fact i hope someone like kear can get it for the sheer comedy value.

Which, quite worryingly, would potentially point to Brian Noble.

Unles the new coach is part of some genuine effort on the part of the whole sport to drastically improve the quality of players avialable in key positions - basically the entire backline and a hooker for a start - then by all means go with 'SL's finest' like Kear.

The RFL and clubs need to stop messing around and decide whether they want to be able to really genuinely compete with Australia, and then do everything they can to make it happen together. There are so many things that need to be done its not funny - starting with junior development and the whole way through the sport including such perennial failings as the ridiculous number of overseas players in SL.

There's absolutely no chance on earth the ugly so and so would do it, but if it were up to me and I had unlimited funds (both unfortunately cloud cuckoo-land) I'd get Phil Gould in and basically ask him to help revolutionise the sport in England. And do you know what, I suspect he'd probably say forget SL, get as many English players as possible down under, as it will likely take forever to get SL anywhere near NRL standard.

If the RFL want a Full Time coach then that rules Morgan out.

Appointing a full-time head coach for England is nothing like appointing a full-time coach at club level

Any coach who enjoys coaching full time will be bored of the England job after a couple of years and take the next big job that comes up.
Hypothetical, Morgan leaves Hull KR for England. Year and half later Saints need a new coach mid-season- it'll be too tempting to resist. not meant as a critique of Morgan's character but rather a hypthetical which is foreseeable- anyone who is used to the day to day and the challenge of Sueprleague would miss that I think. I've taken an advisory role away from teaching this year for instance and I am really missing the day to day stuff despite thinking I'd enjoy the big picture role- which I do, but I'll be taking the first good teaching job that comes up.

The England coach is essentially a part-time coaching position. You spend the year watching games, giving seminars to young coaches, then coaching for about five weeks.

It is also a part time postion in another way. Unlike Superleague coaches, you have to work with players in a short period of time. No pre-season, little time for skills work, need to convey a system which players can understand in a short period of time. Also, they aren't your players, so it is a diferent type of motivation. You need a natural motivator.

On this basis, John Kear might be a good shot. If he felt he has done all he can at club level he may be able to make the commitment.
Alternatively, someone who has experience coaching part-time players and getting the best out of them might be worth considering. Morgan did at Toulouse as as Hanley (and this may be the one job he won't walk away from because he rarely has to be there!).

We might look to the NZ model and appoint a current assistant, perhap Paul Anderson for instance? Early in his coaching career so still opportunties for him after the next WC.

Whatever the case, there are three things I think are necessary. 1. Someone who'll commit until the next world cup. 2. Someone who'll put their faith in young talent who have played so far such as Tomkins et al. and 3. (related to 2) someone who'll do as the Aussies do and not be afraid to drop a star for the next young guy (so for instance if another Burgess, Tomkins or Eastmund emerges next season they might get the chance)

Hypothetically though, the RFL could pay Rovers compensation to get Morgan out of his contract at KR. Perhaps the role on a full time basis is not what Morgan wants, though.

Tony Smith was our best hope imo; all the idiots who have done sod all but criticise should be happy with John Kear or Hanley though.

Personally, I wouldn't touch anyone from this side of the world but I severely doubt any career conscious aussie/kiwi would want this ty stick.