Brian McDermott

[Wolford6]

Just announced on Sky Sports.

Goung to the Rhinos as Assistant Coach.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Wolford6

[Derwent]

Confirmed as going to be assistant coach at Leeds

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12212_6317809,00.html

[FullFat]

I rate him very highly as a coach and surely this means he is inline for the head coach job when Mclennan goes. He has struggled with very tight budgets and a small squad at Harlequins so good luck to him.

[RP London]

going to be very interesting at quins this summer then..

If quins stays in business in some shape or form i would love to see Rob Powell given the chance.. hes coaching lebanon for a bit this year.. would be good internal progrssion and he has been working with the kids last couple of years and by the looks of the movement they are the ones they are going ot need next year..

could be a hard couple of yeasr for quins..

(fold and become an RFL run club that they support and give some real effort to would be good!)

[EastLondonMike]

if they can afford to id go down the tried and tested route for a coach.. with powell as assistant.

maybe someone like jason taylor (although some might argue he's not that tried and tested!), or steve folkes... sure plenty of names will get thrown about..

would need to be someone who wouldnt be considered too much of a risk considering Quins seemingly perilous state!

[Pottsy]

going to be very interesting at quins this summer then..

If quins stays in business in some shape or form i would love to see Rob Powell given the chance.. hes coaching lebanon for a bit this year.. would be good internal progrssion and he has been working with the kids last couple of years and by the looks of the movement they are the ones they are going ot need next year..

could be a hard couple of yeasr for quins..

(fold and become an RFL run club that they support and give some real effort to would be good!)

It does seem that the writing is on the wall as far as the Quins incarnation goes.

Personally, [stuck record mode]I'd be delighted to see them ditch the 'Quins' brand[/stuck record mode] and perhaps move to somewhere more accessible (maybe even somewhere smaller).

It's unlikely - particularly in the current climate - that any new private owners will come forward but I'd be happy to see the RFL take a guiding hand in the successful running of a London franchise if needs be. I realise that this would attract derision in some quarters but, if the RFL are convinced that the game needs a strong foothold in the capital, then it might have to be prepared to make some unpopular decisions.

Whatever happens, London RLFC needs to be fully embedded with the grassroots game across the south-east of England.

Perhaps one solution would be for the RFL to set up (and continue to fund through the deployment of existing RFL staff) an independent body (eg, London RL) to govern the game in and around the capital and effectively hand over ownership/management of the Super League franchise to this body.

This would obviously prove deeply unpopular in many quarters but I find it inconceivable that we'd effectively give up on London at a time at which the game appears - if nothing else - to be at a stage where it can consistently produce young Londoners who are capable of playing at the highest level.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Pottsy

[nadera78]

I rate him very highly as a coach and surely this means he is inline for the head coach job when Mclennan goes. He has struggled with very tight budgets and a small squad at Harlequins so good luck to him.

I don't know where you get that idea from, Quins have consitently said that they are close to the full salary cap. God knows what they spend it on, but they insist it's true.

Mc is a great number two, but a poor head coach. He'll do well alongside McLennan, but I hope for their sake Leeds don't have him lined up to take over in the long run. Has to be noted though, that Mc has spent time working with amatuer coaches in the area, and has been a great one for advancing the development structures.

As for Quins, they've got to get someone in with a track record. Got to be Steve Folkes or Graham Murray for me, with Rob Powell continuing as assistant.

Edited August 17, 2010 by nadera78

[Wolford6]

Could do worse than get a partnership of Denis Betts and Barry Macdermott.

[cookey]

A swap for Cummings and Poaching?

[Wendall]

I think Brian Mac has done a decent job at London but he obviously has set his sights higher.

He could well be the next England coach if things go as badly as I feel they will down under and over the next few years.

As for Quins they need to get someone in who can work on limited resources.

But sadly for them I feel Kevin Walters the failed Catalans coach will end up there.

[RP London]

It does seem that the writing is on the wall as far as the Quins incarnation goes.

Personally, [stuck record mode]I'd be delighted to see them ditch the 'Quins' brand[/stuck record mode] and perhaps move to somewhere more accessible (maybe even somewhere smaller).

as someone who thought the idea of quins had great merit and was glad to see it happen etc.. i wouldnt be upset to see it go as long as what replaces it has got common sense underpinning it and good reasoning. the Quins "experiment" (for want of a better word) has not worked out but it was definately worth a try and potentially could have been massive. I would love to see them return back to being London xxx or the borough they play in (actually i want them in the city and base it round "City of London" somethings in red white and black but with no pitches around there it aint gonna happen.. sigh.. ).

It's unlikely - particularly in the current climate - that any new private owners will come forward but I'd be happy to see the RFL take a guiding hand in the successful running of a London franchise if needs be. I realise that this would attract derision in some quarters but, if the RFL are convinced that the game needs a strong foothold in the capital, then it might have to be prepared to make some unpopular decisions.

i thikn the RFL have to take a hand in it and really give it some backing to get them some success to get people along.. people in london will go IMO if there is success and they are in the right place.. accesible, zone 1 or 2 imo.. and without private investment, which i agree is going ot be very difficult, the RFL may well have to take this on and they would be right to do so IMO.. London is importnat and can be cracked but i think it needs a onn commericial drive for a few years..

Whatever happens, London RLFC needs to be fully embedded with the grassroots game across the south-east of England.

without a doubt.. to not do this is a waste

Perhaps one solution would be for the RFL to set up (and continue to fund through the deployment of existing RFL staff) an independent body (eg, London RL) to govern the game in and around the capital and effectively hand over ownership/management of the Super League franchise to this body.

not sure if another middle managment structure would be worthwhile.. the cost of running that could be put straight into the club. RFL bod as CEO should do the trick to be honest without putting another level in there.. as long as he knows he has to work with the south east juniors etc. could save tens of thousands that would be spent setting up the next managment level... cost/benefit would be interesting

This would obviously prove deeply unpopular in many quarters but I find it inconceivable that we'd effectively give up on London at a time at which the game appears - if nothing else - to be at a stage where it can consistently produce young Londoners who are capable of playing at the highest level.

anytime the RFL get their fingers into the London Super League scene there will be absolute bedlam on here/rlfans etc but htey have to take this step to get this sorted if no one man steps forward..

[Pottsy]

I think the only thing we've actually disagreed on is that I didn't like the Quins idea in the first place and always felt that it would turn fans away rather than draw them in. However, I accepted that it was probably a case of financial necessity.

not sure if another middle managment structure would be worthwhile.. the cost of running that could be put straight into the club. RFL bod as CEO should do the trick to be honest without putting another level in there.. as long as he knows he has to work with the south east juniors etc. could save tens of thousands that would be spent setting up the next managment level... cost/benefit would be interesting

I'm only actually talking about 'rebadging' and devolving RFL operations in London using all the same staff and infrastructure that's already in place (as they have in Wales). This would at least sidestep the idea of the club being RFL-owned and operated, without adding to running cost (although there'd still be a relatively small cost implication with the 'rebrand' etc). Salaries etc could still be run out of Red Hall.

[bendyas]

Could do worse than get a partnership of Denis Betts and Barry Macdermott.

Could you?

[Blind side johnny]

I'm sure that the concept of needing a presence in London was based on sound thinking but it surely needs questioning if this is still the case. Certainly the travails of Quins over the past few years can have had no beneficial effect upon RL in general and it has to be asked if we would have been worse off without them. The game must be strong enough nowadays not to simply need a token London club in SL.

I'm not anti-expansion (quite the opposite in fact - even went to Craven Cottage in the first season) but don't like to see reasoning based upon so-called truisms as this.

[terrywebbisgod]

Good move by Leeds.Stevo mentioned this a few weeks ago in League Express.

Is Brian Mac being groomed as the next Leeds coach or the next England coach?

[gingerjon]

Quins have consitently said that they are close to the full salary cap.

Have they? I'm sure the last time I looked we were nowhere near but then the accounts always seem a bit opaque to me.

Either way, McDermott going to be an assistant coach somewhere else is pretty damning of the way resources are likely to be heading.

[nadera78]

Have they? I'm sure the last time I looked we were nowhere near but then the accounts always seem a bit opaque to me.

Fans forum at the start of the season.

[gingerjon]

Fans forum at the start of the season.

Fair enough.

I suspect we'll be fielding Skolars' reserve thirteen next season with you as coach.

[RP London]

I think the only thing we've actually disagreed on is that I didn't like the Quins idea in the first place and always felt that it would turn fans away rather than draw them in. However, I accepted that it was probably a case of financial necessity.

yes just wanted to agree with the bits as they went and expand a little my thoughts as it went.. i hated quins for bout 5 days at the beginning, thought about it and spoke to people and saw where it could go.. but admit it has failed in what i though it would become etc..

I'm only actually talking about 'rebadging' and devolving RFL operations in London using all the same staff and infrastructure that's already in place (as they have in Wales). This would at least sidestep the idea of the club being RFL-owned and operated, without adding to running cost (although there'd still be a relatively small cost implication with the 'rebrand' etc). Salaries etc could still be run out of Red Hall.

Ah fair enough that make sense then..

[FullFat]

I don't know where you get that idea from, Quins have consitently said that they are close to the full salary cap. God knows what they spend it on, but they insist it's true.

To be honest I just assumed given the crowd sizes and the size of the squads that they have been running over the past few years. Maybe it's the London effect with the salaries having to be higher to cover the living costs down there but if they are operating at or near full cap I can't see where the money goes!

[no13benny]

Denis Betts was great at Wigan. Would be a major coup for Quins, imo.

[bendyas]

Denis Betts was great at Wigan. Would be a major coup for Quins, imo.

I agree, he was alrate at Wigan but he's been out of the game for too long.

Burn 'im.

[nadera78]

I suspect we'll be fielding Skolars' reserve thirteen next season with you as coach.

"Righto lads, see that Kevin Sinfield? Take his head off. Danny Maguire? Squeeze until his balls pop."

[THE RED ROOSTER]

So Mac is no more in London as I posted in a different thread about a week ago.

It's side-splitting to hear posters regarding Mac as an England coach with a record reading 7 wins out of 37 since the middle of last year. The unacceptable run on the field has hampered the club off the field no end and his departure may be the only reason why some season ticket holders like myself renew.

That is of course if there is a London Club next year.....

One fact that people have not commented on in respect of the end of the "Harlequins" experiment Is that originally the basis of the deal with the union club was wearing the name and colours of the union club and one that basis there was a three year "rent free" deal at the end of which the union club had the option to purchase the League Club and merge. Business logic persuaded the Union board not to go down this path and this lead to the "commercial rent"agreement for the use of the Stoop and the modifications to the Harlequins logo as Harlequins Rugby League. But since the club put its relationship with Harlequins Rugby Union on a commercial footing IMO there is no reason why David Hughes or AN Other owner could not change the name and colours of the club if he so wished.

This has not been a question put to David at any of the fan forums held but if the proposed end of season one ever takes place.....

As for moving from the Stoop, Crusaders are the example that franchises are viewed by the RFL as "portable" so the question would be who would want a rugby league club as a partner in a stadium in the South East / South Midlands. And it would have to be a partnership rather than a tenancy....

PS - Fantasists and Trolls note - West Ham are going to the Olympic Stadium

http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100816/oly...2236884_2124187

Edited August 17, 2010 by THE RED ROOSTER

[Methven Hornet]

i thikn the RFL have to take a hand in it and really give it some backing to get them some success to get people along.. people in london will go IMO if there is success and they are in the right place.. accesible, zone 1 or 2 imo.. and without private investment, which i agree is going ot be very difficult, the RFL may well have to take this on and they would be right to do so IMO.. London is importnat and can be cracked but i think it needs a onn commericial drive for a few years..

It would have to be an arms-length type of arrangement rather than the governing body itself running the club. A bit like a government/quango set-up.

Or would that be a quingo?

Sorry...