I’ve been shot down a few times for this but I think Smith was a tonic. He wasn’t the right coach but his brutal attitude to the players meant anyone else was better. I think CC benefitted from this to start with as he seemed so much more enlightened and above all friendly.

Now many have forgotten and are too comfy. I honestly don’t know if BV is a holiday camp but it gives off the feel of being one. Rightly or wrongly this is how many are seeing it, such a shame after some really good seasons.

One way or another we have to toughen up either on or off the field.

With us talking hypothetically the new coach must already be at the club because we don’t have time to bed in anyone new. The problem is that all clubs like their players to have competition for their places unfortunately we have a coach who is under no pressure.

That's totally wrong IMO, both Last and Poching are possible head coaches in waiting, I don't think there is a Coach in SL who has so much competition right on his doorstep

For me the issue with Smith was, he was probably used to a certain level of support from the clubs he has been at to implement the change he needed to to make a club successful, that's not a dig at our club, as MC stated publicly we gave him all the support we could financially but based on the position we was in at the time, I don`t think that was anywhere near enough.

I genuinely think based on what I have heard from certain people involved with the club at the time that members of the playing squad were not a fan off the level of work Brian Smith come in and demanded, especially in the pre-season, for me that's all about balance and again from what I hear the we are completely the opposite right now in terms of our demands and expectations of our players and it shows now. As you say, I think Chester had that period when he first come in of players reacting really well to the change, he talked a lot about allowing players to express themselves and play with a smile on there faces but uplift in performances based solely on that was only going to last so long.

We badly miss an experienced head at the club in my opinion, people can tell me how much experience Chester, Last and Poaching have between them but someone like John Kear, just having him at the club is priceless in my opinion, he has been around the block, he has found himself in some dreadful situations, he has found himself in some very good situation and he knows what to do to get things moving. If we aren't going to budge on Chester, I would genuinely jump at the chance to have someone come in as a director of Rugby.

To have competition you must fear that MC or the club would replace you. With a win ratio of 19% and still here I think he knows he is safe. I believe these two were brought in to try to shore up Chester’s shortcomings but even they cannot work miracles. They have improved the defence a bit but nothing else.
I am sure I read that it was suggested at the first Zoom meeting with MC that they were looking to extend his contract, am I correct ?.

He held his cards close to his chest on the extension, but the cynic in me tells me he has already signed an extension, they are just looking for the right time to announce it.

Probably worth noting at this point, I don`t believe MC has ever sacked anyone contrary to popular belief on Agar and Webster I believe they both handed in there notices, even they recognised there was no way out before the club did.

If when Chester goes a new mans required from outside the present comfort zone.
Last and Poaching have been part of the relaxed atmosphere around the club and in my opinion it needs a totally fresh face with new ideas.
Its OK saying the club can not afford it but can they afford not to.
A new coach must be given a free hand to change the whole culture at the club without forming a frosty atmosphere with MC.

Totally wrong IMHO. How Last or Poching would run the club has nothing to do with how it is now, they are merely assistants.

When Peter Roe took over some years ago he was dreadful but his assistant McNally probably produced the finest team we have managed in SL. The two were good mates but one did the job completely differently to the other.

It's totally unfair to tar Last or Poching with the same brush, both could be rubbish or brilliant but neither should be judged on what CC has achieved whilst they have been here.

If last and Poaching are to be left in charge don't you think they are less likely to seek a budget for new players. They would certainly be the most appealing option for the owners because they already have an income.
Any new man coming in would probably ask at the start how much moneys available for recruitment.

Chester seems to hold the opposite opinion, I was listening to a Podcast he was on recently where he was talking to Craig Harrison and they were both saying how they don`t quite get the assistant coach replacing the head coach situation, I think they were talking specifically about the Warrington situation and fans kicking up a fuss calling for Briers to replace Price for the rest of the season, he was saying something along the lines of the coach is already there, there already coaching the team and getting there ideas across and he would expect very little to change in that situation. I don`t tend to agree with that 100% but I can see where he was coming from, I think it is wholly dependant on the situation, we don`t know how the coaching set up is run and how much influence either Poaching or Last have over the team and also you never know what kind of reaction you would get from either the coach himself and the team should that change be made, I just found it interesting to listen to Chester's view on that, maybe it was a reflection on our situation as it stands.

‘Man at risk of being replaced by assistant in claim that being replaced by assistant won’t make any difference shock’.

Briers has never been a first-team Coach, Last has.

From what I have heard this morning, Last already has a job lined up for next year and has told the club a couple of weeks ago.

If that's the case hv the club should release him from his contract Now.
Didn't think he would be a replacement for Chester should he go.
The club need to grow some, sort the Chester situation out by setting some targets asap

Hardly a surprise.

He came on the cheap and clearly stated it was part of a learning curve.

I don't see any issue, if anything it's to his benefit that he leaves Trinity on a good note.