Tony Smith

[Padge]

He's a smarmy two faced Aussie twohat.

 

He whinges about opposition players do to his players but never condemns his own players that do equal or worse.

[longboard]

He's a smarmy two faced Aussie twohat.

 

He whinges about opposition players do to his players but never condemns his own players that do equal or worse.

 

Nurse! He's got out, and he's been drinking again.

 

Smith represents his club and RL well.

 

He generally speaks about the games in which his club are involved, and about the sport in general in a measured and thoughtful way.

[Padge]

Nurse! He's got out, and he's been drinking again.

 

Smith represents his club and RL well.

 

He generally speaks about the games in which his club are involved, and about the sport in general in a measured and thoughtful way.

 

He's good at presenting it that way, it's what he doesn't say that speaks volumes. He's a great PR man and a great bull$h!tt3r.

[longboard]

He's good at presenting it that way, it's what he doesn't say that speaks volumes. He's a great PR man and a great bull$h!tt3r.

 

Volumes from what he doesn't say eh? 

 

He's one of the best representatives for professional RL in this country.

 

Let us know which club coach, or coaches, say in  Superleague, or the Championship, or Championship 1, present a more reasoned and balanced view of the sport when they are interviewed.

[Lowdesert]

He seems to have become a nearly man,losing out when it is crunch time.Only a feeling I have but enough to not want him as Rovers coach.

He has signed an extension at Warrington so here's hoping they win the League and or the Grand Final.

Very few get the opportunity to win the big prizes, even less win them.

So, by your formula, Rovers would not be in the market for any Coach who hasn't won a major trophy. Somehow, I don't think Rovers are in a position to dictate who they get.

[stevereed100]

What's all this ###### about Rovers? What I said was I wouldn't want him.

You obviously support him to such an extent you cannot "hear" a contrary view.

I don't claim to have a Formula but am sure Rovers would like to recruit a past winner but its not that easy. Past winners are not always future winners young man.

[Lowdesert]

What's all this ###### about Rovers? What I said was I wouldn't want him.

You obviously support him to such an extent you cannot "hear" a contrary view.

I don't claim to have a Formula but am sure Rovers would like to recruit a past winner but its not that easy. Past winners are not always future winners young man.

You mentioned 'not enough to want him as Rovers coach', not me, so what's the problem?

I rate Smith as a coach, as I do many others, but find it difficult to brand someone a 'nearly man' when their are some great coaches that have fallen short at some time in their career who are deemed 'great' coaches.

Maybe Gary Wilkinson will return to HKR this year and then you'll be happy again.

[stevereed100]

"So, by your formula, Rovers would not be in the market for any Coach who hasn't won a major trophy. Somehow, I don't think Rovers are in a position to dictate who they get.". Lowdessert

That's the problem! Read these words carefully.....I made no comment about Rovers or a formula.....I said I.....that means me....would not want him as Rovers coach.

To put it another way the club may jump at any opportunity to get him as a coach,but I wouldn't.

Was that plain enough for you?

We know you rate Tony Smith.....so do I BUT I feel he has lost the winning edge. Earlier I did say let's see how Warrington do in the last 2 Trophies, but losing Sandow, Gidley and Westwood has probably let Hull in......come on Wigan!

[Old Frightful]

We know you rate Tony Smith.....so do I BUT I feel he has lost the winning edge. Earlier I did say let's see how Warrington do in the last 2 Trophies, but losing Sandow, Gidley and Westwood has probably let Hull in......come on Wigan!

Not looking too good for any of your teams at the moment mate but feel free to cheer on any team that might stop Hull FC from winning anything else.

 

As for Tony Smith, he's certainly been magnanimous recently but I remember him being asked at full time at Cardiff in the 2005 RL Cup Final if selecting a practically one legged Keith Senior was a mistake and he said "No".

 

Really?

 

Perhaps he's learnt from his mistakes.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

What's all this ###### about Rovers? What I said was I wouldn't want him..

Err, it was a pretty reasonable response to this quote from you about ROVERS...

He seems to have become a nearly man,losing out when it is crunch time.Only a feeling I have but enough to not want him as Rovers coach.

How on Earth is anyone able to respond to that without mentioning Rovers?!

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Some interesting comments from experts on here who have coached in SL or NRL. Even the top coaches like Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy have had times where they have struggled and have no answers. Wayne for various reasons struggled at the Knights and has had the odd poor season amongst the success. Melbourne Storm were in the middle of a losing run and Bellamy said he had no answers. http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/billy-slater-is-not-the-answer-to-melbourne-storms-poor-run-of-form/story-fndv12so-1226432220861 Does this make them "Bad" Coaches? No doubt some people would not have them as Coaches at their club, because they had some problems in the past or are manipulative, two faced and worst of all are Australian.

 

Smith has had success and has improved the teams he has had. Winning trophies doesnt make somebody a super Coach. You need some luck along the way, regarding injuries, rub of the green etc. Warrington could easily have won the game at the weekend, had Houghton not made that tackle etc. Now Smith is classed as a nearly Coach by some on here. For me Smith is a quality coach who has improved every team he has had. Thats not something many coaches can do. Money has helped Smith achieve success. But you need more than Money to succeed and improve sides. The Leeds teams of the late 80s and Early 90s had money and achieved what? A team needs a culture and needs everybody, not just the first 17, to buy in to what the Coach wants and how he wants everybody to do the job. Smith has also not just gone out and signed top players but looked at the lower Leagues and the Academy and had success with improving them to International standard. 

 

Coaching a Club side where you see players each day and can work on the finer details daily is very much different to coaching a Rep Side where you are lucky to get the players more than a couple of times a year together. Smith no doubt made mistakes when Coaching England and maybe underestimated some things. But that doesnt make him a poor or bad coach. No doubt should he have the gig again he would do things very differently regarding certain things. Its easy to say England were poor and that makes Smith a poor Rep Coach. But people need to also look at the circumstances with what he was working with and how much of the blame or problems was with players, rather than tactics or the performance of the Coach. Maybe if Smith had more time and understanding of things, he could have sorted a major problem out. But its difficult when you struggle to get players all together before a WC and then to simply solve the major issues in a couple of weeks is unrealistic for me. And the players themselves shoulder much of the blame for allowing this to ruin the chance of a successful WC.