A spine of...

1. Kevin Locke
6. Rangi Chase
7. Michael Dobson
9. Marc Sneyd
13. Weller Hauraki

...does look promising though and is much better than the one we started this season with.

It does, they are all under 80 to start with, not like this years experienced lot. Lol

You can have the best 13/17 in SL. The best signing a club can ever make is the coach.

SAF & TS being clear cases in point

Couldn't agree more. The majority of Salford fans were shocked when Marwan who is content on spending thousands to recruit the best players possible, decided Iestyn Harris was the man to take us forward.

In all fairness, were seeing gradual improvements in the team and if Harris can bring half of what Wane was doing at Wigan we'll be ok. I still can't see Harris lasting, it can't be long before Koukash opts for an experienced name.

Didn't Warrington do the same though when they sacked Cullen and appointed Lowes?

Lowes was always a stop gap, as it proved to be.

I think Koukash wants Harris to succeed, I would assume the majority of RL fans do too. I would much rather see another British coach up at the top of the league along with Wane, McDermott and Powell rather than another Aussie.

Not the best statement, I would be amazed if Koukash wanted Harris to fail. he hasn't got a chance of doing what Shaun Wane has been doing at Wigan, as the Pies have spent years developing their youth system. You can't just sign up what you think is the best of everything and then assume that you'll succeed. At Warrington we've found out that you have to have a good youth system in place for some years before you even start to reap the benefits.
I get the impression that marwen is so impatient that he'll act like a football club owner and keep changing the coaching team.

^

There are plenty of rugby league clubs who already follow that trend.

How many coaches have Bradford Wakefield Castleford Hull and Saints had in the time Tony Smith has been with us?

Well, I for one don't want Harris to succeed - I want him to fail miserably and I don't think I'll be dissappointed.

The comparison to Wane is ridiculous - Wane played and was assistant to some of the best coaches in World RL whereas Harris hasn't done anything in coaching to warrant the blind optimism Dr Noclass is showing. Brian Noble, on the other hand, had.

As for Chase, he is still a fine player but I don't think he'll ever re-create his Cas form of a couple of years ago. They built a team and gameplan (of sorts) round him and he has been increasingly insular and erratic since he left. He is a Poundland Benji Marshall and Salford may well find Sneyd & Dobson are a better half-back pairing.

I'd like to nominate this as quote of the week!

Salford are similar to where we were in about 2005/06 they are starting to put together a decent side. I think they made a big error getting rid of Noble. With Noble these players would be dangerous but I just don't know with Harris, I can see next season being difficult as the expectation will rise: they will be expect to be pushing top 6 and if they are struggling to make the top 8 split they'll be on the next coach hunt.

I do think if in time they get the right coach, they will be a force, so people laughing at them can do so at their peril, like those who laughed at "always our year" under Cullen.

My response back was to the “Lowes appointment at Warrington was always a stop-gap”. I don’t see Harris’ as that at Salford, I genuinely believe Koukash thinks Harris can push us on and take us to the next level.

I never said he had a chance of doing what Wane has done at Wigan, but if he can bring at least 50% of that to Salford (club culture, training methods, player recruitment etc) then I will be happy.

Salford’s youth system isn’t as bad as some people naively think. This season we’ve had Theo Fages, Marc Sneyd, Niall Evalds, Jordan Walne and Adam Walne all playing first team Super League after coming through our youth set-up. We’ve got a number of promising youngsters waiting in the wings too. Alan Hunte has done a fantastic job on a limited budget over the last few years, Koukash is also now (after building top to bottom – always his strategy) investing in the kids.

Koukashs soundest investment would be in a little patience, but no, he can't have Take That, that's our golden goose.