I want Harris to succeed because that's good news for all Salford fans.
I think the signs are that he will ultimately succeed.
There is a 'but'.
He's in the results business and the constant reference to Nobles flawed signing policy is wearing thin.
I repeat that this is a team with Hock Hansen Tasi Sau Chase,and even the older players still have much to give.
Harris's job is to utilise the undoubted talent that's on the books and win a few games. This is far from the most difficult coaching job in the land.

In the longer term it is probably,almost certainly,a benefit to Iestyn Harris,that the friends of Noble in the press and media repeatedly remind everyone of how many games in charge he has had and how few victories.
Had the wins occurred immediately,the general consensus would be that it was Nobles side and he should be receiving the praise.
It has become more evident how difficult the job is,not helped by player injuries and coming into the job a couple of months into the season.
He does deserve a little bit of time to assess and decide before delivering.

Very humorous RJ. You've got to admit it is a little hard to understand the pull of Salford,even if he grew up in Swinton and his dad played for you. He left the double winners before getting the chance to play in the WCC in Sydney (surely the game of a lifetime that every pro would aspire to?) and the promise of a testimonial year in 2014. I can understand Morley for example because he is at the end of his career and was not likely to get another contract at Wire. But Hansen is at his peak and should be playing in Finals and proving himself the best second rower in Super League.

Of course there may be other reasons. And you are right not every player loves Wigan like the fans. Though those that know him insist that as a product of Wigan's academy he was well loved in the club and that was reciprocated.

He was fed up of eating pies!!!!!

Nobby's recruitment policy does account for most of our current predicament though:
* No recognised goalkicker
* No speed at dummy half
* No pace in the three quarters
* One member of that three quarter line who defensively makes Paul Carige look like Gary Broadbent.
* No-on field leader

I think that these problems have led to most of our defeats this season, and they're problems the coach can do little about other than recruit. He dealt with the second one on the day he joined the club, and the third should be less of a problem next season, but, at the moment, he's having to deal with the squad he's got.

I think Iestyn has improved things. We seem more solid down the middle and, since the introduction of Logan Tomkins, pretty sharp at dummy half. However, as we saw at Leeds, the lack of pace is a killer, both in attack and defense. When Leeds got through our line, they had the pace to finish off while our three quarters were left grasping at air. When we broke the Leeds line - as Rangi did with that 70 yard break in the second half - there was no-one with him and he got tackled near the line. You can't blame Iestyn for that.

(And to be fair to Nobby, the fifth problem in the list was a bit unfortunate.)

As a general rule of thumb, fans can [inever[/i understand why players leave their club and so assume it's for more money. They play for your club for the honour of doing so. They play for another club purely for the money. Your comment about his salary being tripled was just an extreme example.

I think we have more than one on field leader, the problem seems to be my estimation that non of them have been given the role.

HH or Hock would be my choice as both set a good example with the work rate. Odd as it sounds I'd give out of those two Hock first as I'd be in no doubt that he would tell a few people like it is and not mince his words in what he expects from certain people who are week in week out not carrying their weight.

I can only speak for myself RJ. I can perfectly well understand why Sam Tomkins, Joel Tomkins and Lee Mossop left the club.

It was a mixture of more money and the chance to play at a higher level in the NRL and in Joel's case try a new sport in which he was fast tracked into the England team playing in front of 80,000 against the All blacks.

I can't for the life of me understand what HH left for if it wasn't money.

I wonder if he is regretting it?

]


We didn't even have a style of play under Millward, apart from "give it to Rangi"

A lot of RL fans fail to take into account whole reams of things when it comes to players making moves. They see them as simply a commodity that Clubs pass from one to the other for whatever reason. Players actually base their big decision on lots of little decisions. They could range from Wage packet, Length of contract, Security for short or long term, Wives/girlfriends/kids security or happiness, any number of Family reasons, personal reasons, unhappy, in need of change, switch of focus, more game time, more influential position in a team, less influential position in a team, sentimental reasons, desire to do something different, desire to live somewhere different, better options away from the field, a link to gain coaching experience in the future, and many many others.

A player will move if the criteria for a number of reasons is met. It's a little simplistic to boil players down to simply going for the bigger wage packet. While important, it wouldn't be the only overriding reason but one of many.

You make some good points.

But can you see why I am mystified at HH's choice?

And can you think of a similar player who has made such a move? Because I can't. It would be like Paul Scholes leaving Man Utd to play for Oldham (when they were in the top division of course). Or maybe Kevin Sinfield moving to Oldham Roughyeds!! (Sorry I'm struggling for comparisons and am not meaning to insult Salford)

What you do highlight is the biggest problem MK had when developing a new team. Namely, getting players of a certain calibre to buy into his vision. This season, for me, HH is the stand-out signing (Away from the playing side of things) as he came from the best Club in SL at the time and was a regular first teamer. All our other signings have been what's left at the time (Meli, TP, Morley, etc etc) wit Chase basically made a sideways move, as did Smith. Our overseas signings have been solid with Sau and Tasi standing-out. So HH is the anomaly but when you factor in his Dad's connection with the Club, growing-up around the Club, and him being a fan of Salford since being a kid it makes it to my mind, obvious why he chose a good offer from MK. So far, for next season we have already upped the quality of signing so far from this year with Locke and BJB. So Salford seems to be becoming a more viable prospect for players than it used to.

With regards to HH, a good analogy is when Manchester City purchased Robinho. Regardless of his performances (or lack of...) on the pitch, he was a marquee signing and a statement of intent/ambition from a club aiming to do better.

Correct - but he came for the money. Nothing else. Certainly not the Manchester weather.

I'm more than happy to accept that HH went to Salford for the money - after all it's a short career and you are always just one bad tackle away from retirement.

Red John/The Butcher seem to be suggesting that it's his love for his home town. I still find that hard to believe.