I can not believe that every post in this thread doesnt start with a "YES".


You got what you should have expected from Smith though.



I wonder if Rickey Stuart has a brother who could coach England but not get a look in for an NRL side.

go now for god's sake, 4 games and 4 very poor performnces from a lack lustre tem that were outplyed in every department. Lack of pride and passion we couldn't even get to the final in a rigged farce of world cup.

In errors and missed tackles. That's the players I think you've got confused with.

With regards to his position, I think he wants to be coaching week in week out so GB/Eng will prob look for new coach anyway.

Shaun Edwards?

I must be getting a bit old or something, but I've always seen a Loose Forward as a physically strong extra back. How you've described the position is exactly how I see what is wrong with our game. We try to [ibe[/i the Aussies instead of using parts of their style to improve [iour[/i style.
As I say though, I'm getting on a bit and was brought up with loose forwards like Steve Norton and Mick Crane, and half backs that had a bit of nous.

is it bad coaching???
surely we cant blame Tony Smith for the stupid knock ons which i feel cost us the game, and we cant blame him for the poor performances of some players, he picks a team to do a job, but once they go out on the field its out of his hands then isnt it?

if he goes then who will do better with these players?

No - also in terms of defensive structure, team selection, passion, attacking options. Sorry dude, but this world cup has seen some of the most inept England performances I've ever seen. And the coach must take a lot of the blame for that, as should the players.

Cut it back to the very basics......lets say its 1895.....


The coaches job is to prepare the team.


Were England prepared for what they come up against in this WC as far as tactics and such were involved?


No.

I think Tony Smith got it wrong, he played a open style game of rugby which he promised but it just does not work at this level as a rhinos fan it his great on the eye and works in super league, you do not notice it as much in a normal league game. Where was the kick on the 3rd or 4th tackle , tactically we were very poor . No completed sets maybe 5 in whole of game, I dont blame Tony for drop balls or cheap penalties but the lads never went out with a game plan apart from maybe keep the ball alive, this is down to the coach simple as. We need someone who has played or coached at this level, my choice is the black pearl , Ellery Hanley is still an icon with the modern day players and is the most mentally strong person in rugby, his tactics are simple 5 drives and a kick, win the arm wrestle then play. Work to a 70 or 80% completion this with great defence is what wins games at this level. Leeds did it in this yrs grand final.

Which Sinfield isn't. I honestly get embarrased at how he gets, to use a phrase I normally despise, "owned" in every tackle. He couldn't bust his way out of a wet paper bag.

A lock being a physically strong extra back?

WTF!

You cannot expect someone to do their job without the tools that they need to do it with.

Yes, the way Smith managed some of his "resources" at times left something to be desired, but as the state of the train-on squad demonstrated, the resources that he had to begin with were pretty sp to say the least.

Is it Sinfield's fault that the rest of British loose forwards aren't better than him? I can only imagine Westerman being good enough in the future.

No but the games top administrators should, starting with Lewis.

we need the BEST coach for the job regardless of nationalality. personally i'd like to see shaun edwards involved somewhere somehow, but with his commitments to the welsh rfu i cant see it happening.

as for the players. for several years our academy teams have been competing with, and on several occasions beating, the aussies and kiwis. the young aussies and kiwis are now playing first grade in the nrl where as our young players get over looked for over the hill aussies looking for a pension top up.

the sooner we cut the overseas quota down to 1 or 2 the better. our teams should be full with players that are eligable for the home countries and gb, and stop finding excuses like he has been here for years lets make an exception!!!

i would not have sent our young players to this world cup, however now is the time to start bringing them on. this current crop (haha) have proved time and again they are not upto the task of defeating the aussies/kiwis and now they shoud be binned.

rant. over!!

but smith did not .refuse too dive on the ball .drop the ball . knock on . pass forward . give penaltys away. miss 1 on 1 tackles.fail too kick when a kick was needed.fail too dictate field position .