How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:05 pm  

There is obviously plenty of debate about our present coach at the moment and a significant wedge of opinion that he needs replacing with a better candidate.

However, just how much of an improvement would a new coach make to our side?

Let's be honest, how many great coaches are there really, especially in the British game?.. was Brian McDermott a great coach, or was he just lucky he had a great team?.. same with Brian Noble?.. Ian Millward?.. Justin Holbrook?.. Nathan Brown?... How many of their GF winning sides would have failed to win their titles without those guys in charge?

My point is, that more often than not, won't the best team win the competition regardless of who's in charge, and this idea that getting rid of Powell will suddenly see us change into a better side, might be a false hope?... Our side might simply not be as good as some might think?

If the coach is that vital to a side's performances over a season, how does that explain the final 3 years under Tony Smith, when our form went up and down like a yo-yo?... Same coach, but massively different results and performances on the pitch?

I know many of you will see this as me trying to defend Powell, but personally I just think that many are overestimating how good our squad is - as I've said a few times, I don't think there's much between the squads of most of the top 8 or 9 and I don't think a change in coach would necessarily make much difference.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:17 pm  

Oh I entirely agree that we’ve overestimated the ability of this squad. I highlighted a while ago that Leigh’s is more impressive and it’s turning out to be so. The main weaknesses in the squad, IMO are Ratchford and Matautia. Powell loves those two - that is a problem. One is Captain and the other is being talked out of retirement….I’d hope a different coach would want the pair of them out.

The Clark/Dwyer scenario may not be Powell’s making but that is still not a good thing. Dufty was signed when we had Thewlis more than ready to take over that position (with decentish cover in that area). Dudson is also a downgrade on Mulhern and he’s clearly got man-management issues.

For me he’s just made too many dodgy and stubborn decisions and it’s never looked like a happy camp and that’s all down to the coach. The coach is massively important.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:23 pm  

Smith said himself he became disillusioned with the sport. I think that might maybe be a hint at the coaches role.

These last few weeks we've made more mistakes than ever, I'm pretty sure Powell hasn't told the guys to play crap. They're making fundamental errors in catching and tackling.

Unless a coach is going to directly affect playing style (Price vs Smith for example) then their role is arguably to create a harmonious and winning culture. For some reason, Powell seems to have lost that, which might be the reason we're seeing lack of concentration on the field. Do the squad want to play for him? We all know about the "new coach bounce" that happens and that's generally after someone who's not much liked gets the boot and everyone feels better about it.

I've no inside knowledge, I don't know if the players are fully behind Powell or if they're fed up of his favortism towards certain players or if his coaching style is archaic or if he's simply an @rse of a human being.

What I can see at the moment is a bit of a mess of a playing style. A static defensive line and a bunch of individuals that would make a defending team happy to concede a penalty in their own 20m, because they are sure as hell not going to concede a try off it.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:33 pm  

Heard it said Danny Orr was the real brains at Castleford when Powell was there.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:43 pm  

This is Powell's side, he's moved on his perceived "bad apples" and has the squad that he wanted. If they cannot play as a team, have line speed at a snails pace, lack of attacking and defensive structures, lack leadership on the field and there's no harmony in the dressing room, then that all falls upon the coaches shoulders.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 3:59 pm  

MorePlaymakersNeeded wrote:

This is Powell's side, he's moved on his perceived "bad apples" and has the squad that he wanted. If they cannot play as a team, have line speed at a snails pace, lack of attacking and defensive structures, lack leadership on the field and there's no harmony in the dressing room, then that all falls upon the coaches shoulders.

No doubt that its now Powell's side and if they ultimately fail to perform then that will be the sword that he will fall on - that's the way with most coaches in most sports.

However, my point was a simple change in coach won't necessarily change our fortunes, at least not immediately. Its likely another period of transition would have to be started - it's unlikely this group of players will suddenly become world beaters, just because Powell was to leave.

Basically, the best sides always end up winning, whoever is in charge - coaches like Noble and McDermott were made to look good by great sides, but what did they ever do once the great sides were taken from their disposal?

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 4:53 pm  

Then we need a coach who will assemble the best side in the comp, on evidence so far you could give Powell unlimited funds and he wouldn’t be able to do that. What we all want is a step in the right direction at the minute that’s not happening and we’re a season and a half in.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 5:06 pm  

ratticusfinch wrote:

Then we need a coach who will assemble the best side in the comp, on evidence so far you could give Powell unlimited funds and he wouldn’t be able to do that. What we all want is a step in the right direction at the minute that’s not happening and we’re a season and a half in.

Easier said than done though, isn't it, because we are in a competition that's basically a lottery, especially with its salary cap restrictions - the only definite advantage you can gain isn't by who your coach is, but by making sure you have a very well organised academy in place - the only sides who win GF's are those with a regular stream of quality youngsters in place. So maybe the fan's anger shouldn't be aimed at the present coach, but at those in the positions of power who have failed to set up a decent youth set up?

If it was as easy as finding a coach who can assemble a decent squad, then maybe we fetch in Noble, McDermott or even stick with a guy who got Cas a table topping side and GF appearance?

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 5:23 pm  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

No doubt that its now Powell's side and if they ultimately fail to perform then that will be the sword that he will fall on - that's the way with most coaches in most sports.

However, my point was a simple change in coach won't necessarily change our fortunes, at least not immediately. Its likely another period of transition would have to be started - it's unlikely this group of players will suddenly become world beaters, just because Powell was to leave.

Basically, the best sides always end up winning, whoever is in charge - coaches like Noble and McDermott were made to look good by great sides, but what did they ever do once the great sides were taken from their disposal?

Any coach that improves our non existent line speed will improve our chances of winning games. We gave Huddersfield so much room to play in that we made Theo Fages look like Alfie Langer. I'm not interested in debating what happened at other clubs back in the day, as the issues are the here and now at our club.

Re: How Important Is The Coach? : Sun Jun 25, 2023 5:24 pm  

Interesting stuff, but you don't need to be Wayne Bennet to coach a side to do rhe basics right, and at the moment we are failing to do that, and getting beaten by teams who are doing no more than that.

The beat coaches get an extra 5% out of the best players and an extra 15% out of the average ones.

I didn't know much about Matty Peet before he took over but he seems to have a group of players who believe in him, and he has got them doing the basics right - no more. They had a poor spell and they seem to have closed ranks and weathered the storm.
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