Case : Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:03 pm
Is this a job in which people can succeed? (I am not a neg-head just asking)
Or, is this job like Graeme Souness has just said about George Burley getting the sack as the Scottish National manager? he said that regardless of who you put in charge, for whatever reason the pool and crop is not of the same quality as in the southern hemisphere?
What I mean is; the Kiwi's are world chamions and didn't approach this competition the same way - if you have first hand knowledge of the stories coming out of the camp days off!
So then, the Australians had a wealth of injuries coming into the tournament people wrote them off, especially in the forwards, but there are literally hundreds of players busting a gut to play second tier in Aus, that doubles up to hundreds trying to get on one of the ARL teams.
That then equates to the man at the top of the pyramid, Tim Sheens at the moment literally having the ultimate crop of people who would give an eye to play for their country.
So, back on topic, regardless of if Wayne Bennett, Stephen Kearney and whoever take the GB coaching job, can they succeed with the format of the game and the pyramid as it is?
Sadly for us whether we like it or not, the development and structure at international level isn't as good as it is at the biggest and most successful team in our top division.
(don't get me started on this either - becuase the franchise system was designed to allow clubs to give youth a chance, which in concept was a good idea. Then to negate that, we made the playoff's a top 8 which then meant everyone from 1st to 10th daren't risk dropping Ryan Brierly or Jordan Thompson in the team at the back end of the season, becuase there was still too much to play for! - which then means that teams are tempted, like Bradford who missed the play-offs to buy a load of imports in (No matter how good they might be) over 25 or 30 to make sure they get in in 2010, so we have a good idea, then negate it with a self defeating one)
So, it is my opinion that (devils advocate of course) that instead of the money for a national head coach - lets spend that money on 4 regional elite coaches at 12-16 year old level to improve the bottom of the pyramid, because if the base is solid and the development for players is there - then the man at the top will have a lot greater chance to succeed.
I am just a nomral bloke who became a manager I am not an expert and I know it is complex - but it seems to me that the RFL DO HAVE good idea's. I don't have all the answers or a magic bullet, but it seems to me that spending millions on the England Team will not give us what we want, we will continue to have the odd good series, but on the whole won't fix the problem - So no matter who you replace TS with will be looking for a magic bullet at the current time int he current club structure.
.
