Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:03 am  

The traits of Brian Smith that on paper make him the ideal choice:

- Happy to pull wayward players into line
- Not afraid to axe players from the team
- Disciplinarian
- Has a reputation of going to clubs, sorting out junior development pathways and discipline and getting clubs turned around in a short space of time.
- Been around the game forever

But the best quote I saw:
"few coaches have been described as being as intense, bordering on compulsive-obsessive, as Brian Smith"

What in our current predicament doesn't lend itself perfectly to those attributes?

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:36 am  

No matter what happens, im willing to bet that Mr Smith will leave the club in much better shape than when he came. Hes more than just a coach, he will structure the whole framework from top to bottom. M C will find the experience of working along side him invaluable.
S L status may be at the top of our list, but a healthy club must be our long term objective.

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:59 am  

lampyboy wrote:

No matter what happens, im willing to bet that Mr Smith will leave the club in much better shape than when he came. Hes more than just a coach, he will structure the whole framework from top to bottom. M C will find the experience of working along side him invaluable.
S L status may be at the top of our list, but a healthy club must be our long term objective.

Also, it's great that we have a top notch coach and haven't taken the "cheap" option
Onwards and upwards !

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:19 am  

GET EM ON SIDE REF wrote:

Not my choice cant see why we appoint a 60 year old Aussie when there are good out of work British coaches its a panic appointment

Most are out of work for a reason. I actually saw someone on twitter suggesting Bobbie Goulding!

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:22 am  

sixtogo wrote:

I have sympathy with this view as he hs been out of the game a while and it ended badly for him in his last job. He also has famously never won anything in his career despite some hefty salary cap spend. But given the way the season is going, topped off with yesterdays shambles, Smith can't do much worse than what has already gone. I just hope he is fully focused on the challenge and not just coming to top up his pension.

He's been out for 3 years and that's the NRL - he'd have to of been dead for 10 years not to be up to SL speed!

True he's been unlucky because most of those losses were against Wayne Bennett teams and Smith nor most others are in that class.

Truth is it's not my choice either but at least it's bold and at least it's a guy with authority.

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:25 am  

Wollo-Wollo-Wollo-Wayoo wrote:

Give us a list then and then quantify their goodness.

Me to. The only one who remotely falls into that category is Neil Kelly and after years away from SL he's a long shot - though a plausible one.

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:03 pm  

It's a statement of intent that's made the world of RL glance Wakefields way for a while

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:26 pm  

One of our complaints about the players this year is that they just don't seem bothered, or their heads drop too easily, and that they aren't fit enough. We have got some decent players. Now does anyone seriously think that these players won't look at Brian Smith and think that it's about time that they pulled their fingers out, because if they don't respect him, we've no hope. There might also be one or two of the back room lot who will be thinking that life is about to get a little more challenging.

Here's one thing: the players seemed to like James Webster, and perhaps that was their problem: they were playing for a nice guy they liked rather than a boss they respected. What if Webster had offered to go back to assistant coach and learn the trade under Brian Smith? Just a thought.

I've not always been MC's biggest fan, but he came across well on TV and as a decent guy, and I do think he's made a belting appointment. As he said, it was a no-brainer, and for the club in the long term it might be very good indeed. If we can be turned into a well-run outfit rather than just the next disaster waiting to happen, some of these so-called big money men in the wings like Steve Parkin might eventually fancy a pop at owning a club.

It's the first time in a couple of years I've felt anyway positive about the club. Just need to get past this year ............. again

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:54 pm  

This would have been a fantastic appointment about 3 months ago - unfortunately, the rot may now be too deep-rooted for even a coach of Smith's calibre to deal with.

We have a squad containing maybe 3 - 5 players who look like they give a damn; the rest appear to be a combination of mentally weak, physically unfit, emotionally disinvested and plain old not good enough. That's a tough ask for anyone to sort out in what is a very short space of time, with weekly matches against superior opposition thrown into the mix.

I would agree however with the suggestions of clearing out the backroom - our fitness and conditioning looks as bad this season as I can remember it being, and I'm certain that contributes to picking up more injuries; probably time to ditch the old school flogging techniques and move with the times.

Re: BRIAN Smith : Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:25 pm  

No point naming people the fact is he is the new coach and come the middle 8s he will need to wip this bunch into shape to beat Leigh Bradford Sheffield and one of Featherstone Dewsbury or Halifax its going to be a task to get them fit and its time to kick the ones out who are not up for a fight

Neil Kelly would have being one on the list as would Andy