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New Leeds Rhinos Coach


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Im not sure someone whose worked with the NZ Warriors, Newcastkle Knights, Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers, Gold Coast, Bradford Bulls, Norths Devils and Tonga can be considered to have a lack of experience.

Lack of experience as a head coach, maybe, but everyone has that lack of experience until they become a head coach. With all those experiences at different clubs you can maybe wonder why he hasn't had the chance of a head coaches role until now? But with the options out there, I don't think it seems a bad appointment.

Like with anything, time will tell, and maybe Leeds fans would have liked someone a bit more high profile as a bit of a confidence boost to their perceived prospects, but I don't really see it as differing too much from Wigans appointment of Michael Mcguire, or Shaun Wane. Or even Justin Holbrook and Kristian Woolf at Saints. And many others.

Good luck to him.

Edited by EastLondonMike
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3 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Getting a big name NRL head coach was simply never ever going to happen, and very rarely does in SL

I don't think anyone would have expected a big name NRL coach. However the coaches that normally do come do so from a NRL environment and a NRL assistant coach position or are a sacked NRL head coach. They dont normally come to SL after coaching in the Queensland Cup for the last 4 years.

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8 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Getting a big name NRL head coach was simply never ever going to happen, and very rarely does in SL

Don't worry, you can get the home shirt for £30 using the code "Welcome"! 

It could work excellently. Just needs to get us scoring tries as a priority.

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18 minutes ago, Saint 1 said:

 

If they come from an NRL environment having not coached in a State Cup they often don't have the necessary head coach experience. The two most successful appointments in recent years have both been Woolf and Holbrook. Both held Head Coach roles in the State Cup. Woolf coached QCup for 4 years (and won one), did one year as an NRL assistant and then got the Saints job. I'm not sure the ordering is that significant. 

Woolf coached Tonga from 2014 and was the Newcastle Knights assistant and then interim head coach after Nathan Brown quit before joining Saints. He came from a NRL background and had very recent elite experience of working with the worlds best players.

Holbrook also came with recent NRL experience at a champion team, being assistant to Trent Robinson who is one of the best coaches in the world. He was even also the current Junior Kangaroos coach having coached them for 3 years.

I think that is quite different than coaching in the lower grade Queensland Cup for 4 years prior.

I do take your point on board but just expected more from Leeds and someone from the NRL. The Smith family have some coaching pedigree though and I would say that was a factor.

 

Edited by Damien
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Great appointment, exactly the type of coach Leeds needed, everyone he’s ever worked with speaks very highly of him. The Queensland Cup is pretty much Super League standard of players but with perhaps less riding on the outcome, so it’s a logical step-up for him - and you want people on the way up eh. 

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Apparently this site says I "won the day" here on 23rd Jan, 19th Jan, 9th Jan also 13th December, whatever any of that means. Anyway, 4 times in a few weeks? The forum must be going to the dogs - you people need to seriously up your game. Where's Dutoni when you need him?

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30 minutes ago, Damien said:

I don't think anyone would have expected a big name NRL coach. However the coaches that normally do come do so from a NRL environment and a NRL assistant coach position or are a sacked NRL head coach. They dont normally come to SL after coaching in the Queensland Cup for the last 4 years.


Disagree. Learning your trade as an assistant in the top elite comp, before taking more sole responsibility in a full leadership role in the feeder comp, is exactly the logical career path. SL is the next learning curve for him, building towards an NRL head coach gig if he’s successful. Fair play to him, done well so far. 

Apparently this site says I "won the day" here on 23rd Jan, 19th Jan, 9th Jan also 13th December, whatever any of that means. Anyway, 4 times in a few weeks? The forum must be going to the dogs - you people need to seriously up your game. Where's Dutoni when you need him?

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The Queensland Cup is arguably the 3rd best RL competition in the world, so hardly a poor proving ground for a head coach; especially someone with a glut of prior experience in assistant etc roles at various other top flight clubs.

He's got as good a CV as Holbrook had IMO.

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13 minutes ago, Saint 1 said:

So if Rohan Smith had been Head Coach of Tonga, and had been assistant to Trent Robinson, that would change your mind? Because both of those are true.

Its really odd that you ask this when the next sentence that you selectively left out of your quote answers this question.

3 defeats 13 years ago as a 27 year old Tonga head coach (I'm sure you realise that Tonga back then were not the powerhouse they became under Woolf with some of the world best players) means absolutely nothing. I dont think he was ever assistant to Robinson either because he left the Roosters in 2012 and Robinson started in 2013. 

Again though that is irrelevant as I'm talking about recent experience. The coaches you cite came with recent pedigree of coaching the best players in the world in the best RL environments. Smith has the pedigree of coaching in the Championship for 1 year then the Queensland Cup for 4 years. 5 years not in the top flight in either England or Australia. Nothing wrong with that but its quite clear he is coming from a completely different background and environment than either Woolf or Holbrook.

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2 hours ago, Jughead said:

Was he the Bradford coach they appointed who didn’t turn up for about six months or was that someone else?

No that was Geoff Toovey.

Smith was well thought of by a lot of players who played under him and quite a few fans, but he essentially took us backwards. My lasting memory of him will be the last match of the regular season in 2016 was a must win to get us in the middle 8s and we ended up losing 20-0 to Fev in one of the worst tactical decisions I've seen by a head coach including dropping Adam O Brian for no particular reason.  The last realistic chance of us getting back to SL and the club never really recovered (for way more reasons than Smith). I liked him, but that Fev game really tainted my view. 

Will be interesting to see how he goes. 

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