exactly so even more reason to give to a coach who has been more consistent through the majority of the season maybe ?

It's all about peaking at the right time, unfortunately Tony Smith couldn't manage it in the play offs or the challenge cup. He's out of the equation for me on the basis Wire lost their two biggest games of the season including a right thrashing at home to wigan in the cup. That would leave Royce Simmons and Brian Mcdermott as the only serious contenders. If it's announced after the Grand final nobody could argue if the winning coach won the title because both would have done it through adversity. Saints have blooded youngsters due to an injury crisis and Mcdermott has also struggled with injuries in key positions. They are both in their first seasons implementing new structures and putting their stamp on the team and it's a credit to both coaches that both are contesting the biggest prize in the game. Mcdermott also took Leeds to Wembley where most neutrals would say they didn't have the best of luck. If it goes to a coach outside superleague fair enough but mcdermott and simmons are the only realistic contenders within superleague for me.

What would stop Maguire being a contender then, considering Wigan lost the fewest number of games this season and won the cup?

Robinson
Powell
Demetriou

He's no chance, a thumping defeat to warrington and then back to back defeats against St Helens within 4-5 weeks render him a no hoper. He proved there were better coaches out there with his inability to get results at the business end of the season.

Roycetastic

Using our logic; only coachs who make the GF can be considered.

This is a hard one to pick...

Tony Smith - Wire dominated the league, scored more points than anybody else and were consistently the best team over 27 rounds

Michael Maguire - CC winner, 2nd in table and lost less games than anybody else (draws left them behind Wire IIRC)

Royce Simmons - despite injuries and no home ground for 2011, Royce has blooded youngsters such as Gaskell, Lomax, Makinson etc from fringe 1st teamers into regulars and taken them to CC semi Final and GF

Brian McDermott - got to be considered, again suffered with injuries to key players, taken Leeds to CC Final at Wembley and led Leeds from 5th in table to GF appearance

Could see it going to any one of them tbh

you have to include Robinson in the equation surely ? - he's transformed the entire club,not just the team performances...

Between 3 for me robinson, maguire or smith.
Robinson for obvious reasons
Maguire for bringing the cup home and taking wigan 80 minutes from another old trafford appearance
Smith for taking the wire to the leaders shield where not many at all would have thought would have been possible at the start of the year, dominating teams along the way

Robinson for me, quite remarkable how he's made the Catalans into a force to be reckoned with in one season.

Not at all, but it sure makes a case for Mcdermott that he's reached both major finals with his team playing some fantastic rugby. Don't forget that Leeds were the team that absolutely nobody was tipping to do anything this season. They were so poor they didn't figure in any of the experts predictions for a Grand final. Surely if they were that poor and written off so much Mcdermott has worked the oracle getting this bunch of no hopers to both finals. Another plus for Mcdermott is this isn't even his team, he inherited these players when new signings etc had been made at the end of last season. He was brave enough to get rid of one of the so called "marquee" signings (Ben Cross) halfway through the season with a decision that could well have sunk him. He's also persisted with playing Burrow off the bench despite all the experts (and some fans) saying he was crazy, i can smell the humble pie from here. He's basically rejigged large parts of the team he inherited rather than having the finished articles like Maguire and Tony Smith had at the start of the season. Smith and Maguire made their own signings and had everything in place from day one, i'm sure fans from both teams will admit they've come up short if they're honest. If It's just about getting the most out of what you've got it's down to two people, Mcdermott and Simmons.

Gone to Robinson I believe........well done.

the number 19 that takes me to work every morning lol

well done TR - sensible choice for the right reasons