Maybe so but he could coach and coach on a limited budget and that bit can't be ignored. TBF I didn't blame him for that and I'm not sure why that should have bothered the new regime. But hey it's in the past. The future looks bright

He was the one still picking the team sheet though and planning the attacking moves. Regardless off the ability of the squad at that time you can still ask them to try new things, he didn't or at least if he did they didn't listen. Either way he came across as a good bloke but i'm glad he's not our coach any more, this doesn't mean i'm a fan of Agar though.

Well there lays the problem - There is nothing wrong with getting rid of a Coach or a player IF you replace them with better or at the very least as good. No way was Agars record as good as Kears, that is plain fact. I wasn't unhappy with him getting the gig but a 3 year deal, no way is he worth that and Andrew and Jimbo you don't need the gift of hindsight to work that one out! Even worse when you consider Agar was in no position to bargain - great work by Agar but without doubt IMO the first really big cock up of the new regime.

Neither were we!

Kear oversaw Wakefield at a time when the game changed, its skills and methods changed and Kear was a casualty of that, much in the same way Brain Noble was and also to a lesser extent Steve McNammara.

As a pure coach I have no doubt Kear is up there with the best BUT his inability to refine his style to the superior wrestling and 2nd man plays for example that came to these shores from the NRL cost him.

His record speaks for itself though and nobody can deny he has achieved some excellent things in the game.

Was/is Agar as refined and developed a coach to the new methods and practices in the game? Your board thought so, but the jury is certainly still out from the on field displays. The acid test will be next year and it is tough to judge on his first season in charge, given the circumstances at the club in the pre season.

Course we were, Agar may have been the best option at the time I don't know - but he wasn't a three year option, no way did he have that bargaining power. Come on Bren don't be a pedant, my point more than reasonable.

Players leaving/getting long term injuries along with Hickey going to Widnes shows that Widnes are imploding, we just need London to do the same and we are guaranteed then to do better than last year! Keep the faith!!

I agree, a three year deal for Agar was a ridiculous decision, two years or two with an option maybe.
AG has no fault in this though (he stated from day 1 he knew nothing about RL and would leave such matters to JE) so I don't agree with this being a regime issue. The blame lies squarely with JE, an inexcusable mistake IMO and perhaps a warning maybe to AG not to have 100% faith in his "rugby man".
A mistake though non the less.

I cant believe that you said that the game has got away from Noble!!! I thought based on what appears to be irefutable factual evidence that he has had significant success in his most recent positions, having turned around the fortunes of Wigan and got the Cruisaders to a position most would have found astonishing.

I am of the opinion sacking Millward saved Wigan not the appointment of Noble. I think just about any change is staff at that time would generate a significant reaction. Noble then went on to produce a massivly underachieving team that played one out rugby even withone of the finest 6's in the world in it's ranks. A player who we only saw the best of when the game plan wentvout of the window. When he left a coach came in with virtually the same team and won the league playing top quality rugby.

He did a good job at Crusaders but again he just settled the ship used one out tactics and relied on other teams being poor to win rather than Crusaders break any pots. He took them as far as he could.


At Bradford he over saw the start of the demise started the downward trend and then jumped at the perfect time allowing McNammara to take the blame.

Don't accept the Wigan bit - Noble did the hard graft and put the structures together that ultimately someone else took to the title. I reckon both coaches had an influence on your side becomming succesful.

Noble did an outstanding job at Crusaders - as proven by Harris' inability to back it up!

In the Bradford example, there were a number of senior players on the wane, plus the start of the financial problems - but overall, the main problem, IMO, is that McBanana doesn't have a clue - but someone likes him!

How has any of this anything to do with the discussion about Jarrad Hickey? It should be on a different thread about 'Coaches - Past & Present'.