28 replies to this topic

[Griff]

I thank you for your expert line by line rebuttal of my assertions - I would have assumed, since you bothered to respond, that you would have had something specific to disagree with in my analysis, maybe even something sensible to add however, since you didn't, I'll just thank you for your interest.

I thought it was fair enough, Bulliac.

The difference between coaching a national team and a club team is you can't just go out and sign better players. They have to be qualified - at least tenuously.

[Bulliac]

I thought it was fair enough, Bulliac.

The difference between coaching a national team and a club team is you can't just go out and sign better players. They have to be qualified - at least tenuously.

That is very true, unfortunately the trouble is that coaches always seem to be judged by results and it really is the worst way to look at it, for internationals even more than league games. How well Wales do in these competitions is always affected far more by the players who are available for selection than anything the coach does (or doesn't do), and to be fair, a mixed team of half decent SL players and a few part-timers would be very unlikely to give a strong England a decent work out, let alone a beating and it would be just the same if the entire Kangaroo back room team of coaches and conditioners were drafted in to do the job..

The only fair way to look at Harris' job with Wales is to ask if he's improved the team and the individuals within it and if the answer to that is yes then he's done a good job, imo - irrespective of the score against England.

[Cardiff Cymru]

Wales are on their worst losing run in almost 30 years and have conceded 80 points for the first time ever. However it wasn't a record defeat as some are saying and there were positives. Iestyn Harris has a long term plan and I think it's best to wait to see what happens next year. I have fears about the Australian Italy side that will come over but we need to tonk Cook Islands and USA. Anything less and there is something wrong. However it's a five year plan for Iestyn and team so I can't see him going until at least 2017 if then.

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

TBH, this question shoudld not even be being asked.

Would sacking Harris improve Wales as a team? No.

Would sacking Harris improve Wales chances in the WC? No

Would sacking Harris satisfy the fans? I doubt it very much.

Would it be typical of the old regime to want to get rid of him just becuase of yesterday's result. Oh yes.

This.

Support Harris and Wales RL. In 5 years I expect them to have built on what they have already and start to play really meaningful games. The same goes for Ireland and Scotland.

[nadera78]

Wales are on their worst losing run in almost 30 years and have conceded 80 points for the first time ever. However it wasn't a record defeat as some are saying and there were positives. Iestyn Harris has a long term plan and I think it's best to wait to see what happens next year. I have fears about the Australian Italy side that will come over but we need to tonk Cook Islands and USA. Anything less and there is something wrong. However it's a five year plan for Iestyn and team so I can't see him going until at least 2017 if then.

Like the Italians, the Cooks team will be stacked full of NRL players, although they've got a long established domestic comp and produce some of their own players. They've got a handy side, so the Welsh need to be careful about that game. Should take care of the USA easily enough though.

The thing is the game in Wales is really only five years into existence, despite the history, etc. It's not long back that there were few if any teams playing regularly in the principality and there was no real junior/schools development to speak of. In the space of those five years we've seen the likes of Flower, Dudson, White and Kear, Williams all step up to SL and do well, and now we've got Lloyd, Evans x2, Pugsley, Olds and Pring on the verge of making that same break through. If we keep going then five years from now there will be 20 born and bred Welshmen playing in SL. Another five down the track and it will be even more. The evidence is front of us; when they get the opportunity to play it the Welsh like RL.

Alternatively, we can look at one result, start b*tching, and throw the towel in.

[flyingking]

I attended the game in Lens, and Wales were the equal to France (though on the back foot) for 70 of the 80 minutes, which shows they can compete up to a certain level. However no-one should expect a team comprised mainly of part-timers and young pros to present a serious challenge to an established international side. Last night I attended the NFL game at Wembley which was equally as one-sided as the England international and yet I have not seen any suggestions that the Rams coach should step down or that it was a waste of time to stage the game.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

The Welsh are virtually all part time. Wales RL dont have that much money and the way the game is being led by SL Clubs and the RFL, its getting harder for Welsh lads to land a full time contract. Iesten is the best thing for Wales and is totally committed to it. When you loose the experience of Briers, Watson etc in the space of 12-18 months its a massive blow and makes life difficult when playing SL standard Nations in France and England. The Welsh matched France and put in a massive effort. But the knocks and tiredness hit the welsh lads in the England game and thats why the game had a blow out score. Maybe if Wales had had a longer rest period and a bit more luck the score would have been 20-30 points less. But you cant expect Wales to seriously match a strong England side. Seriously I wonder what planet some people are on when they post such things as asking whether Harris should go.

[Bulliac]

Wales are on their worst losing run in almost 30 years and have conceded 80 points for the first time ever. However it wasn't a record defeat as some are saying and there were positives. Iestyn Harris has a long term plan and I think it's best to wait to see what happens next year. I have fears about the Australian Italy side that will come over but we need to tonk Cook Islands and USA. Anything less and there is something wrong. However it's a five year plan for Iestyn and team so I can't see him going until at least 2017 if then.

I think it's fair to say that since the demise of the GB team, when the England side was very much a 'B' team, the extra importance the England players and selectors now put on the home internationals will only make the job of Welsh (plus Irish and Scottish) coaches all the more difficult, particularly if the only criterion used to judge their effectiveness is to be match results.

[Yakstorm]

Honestly I bet France was happy not to be facing England last week. The English players turned up ready to play, something they've lacked in previous years against opposition they should easily beat, and things just didn't go Wales way.

Backing up after the French game wouldn't have helped the Dragons cause, and as previously mentioned the loss of Watson and Briers has left a gap that won't easily be closed.

What we can take out of this though is each of those players who took the field will remember how much Saturday's match hurt, and will all lift that next time they pull on the Welsh jersey. The Wigan partnership should find a few more gems next year, and the Crusaders + Scorpion production line will again add to the small, but growing pool of Welsh talent that will be available for the World Cup.

There are still players to come back into the Welsh team before the World Cup (ie. Frizzel), and I do hope that Briers might just decide to pull on the Dragons jersey on more time next October at the Millennium Stadium.