A thought has occur ed to me whilst i was sat on the loo emptying my bowels.

Earlier in this thread, Smith has been criticised for leaving Barrie Mcdermott out of the team for the 2005 CC, a game we lost.

The much loved Graham Murray also left Barrie Mac out of the 1998 Grand Final line up in another game we lost but that does not get a mention.

Hetherington's biggest mistake was giving Daryl Powell a three and a half year contract with no 1st grade top division experience to his name. (And he might have got away with it if it wasn't for those pesky refs Russell Smith and Steve Ganson) One of Hetherington's best decisions was appointing Tony Smith to replace Powell before his contract was up and the whole Director of Rugby, going off to learn from the best was another piece of classic Hetherington.



It's a fair observation but McDermott wasn't selected throughout those 1st year play offs at all rather than just missing the next game. The team had therefore managed to make it through the finals series without his input.

i think,for me, its the fact we went into a game with no props on the bench against a team with a massive pack and massive forward loaded bench.either barrie or scruton should have been on the bench

because the players tell us and everything they say is gospel apparently

I would say both. a lot of people don't have time for Hetherington but he is a clever man , if Tony Smith was no good he would have gone a long time a go. I just hope Bluey can get us to the Challenge Cup Final this year.

Murray didn't play McDermott the whole season - so not quite the same scenario would you not agree?

McDermott played in 13 games for Leeds in 1998 including the last 5 regular season fixtures.

David?

Tony Smith must be a quality coach to turn Warrington around in such a short period of time.

Like I've often thought, the most important person in any club is the 1st team coach. Get that appointment right and you're half way there.

But remember that all the Wire players despise him. Some even think Tony Smith to be bipolar.

Lee Briers called him the best coach in the country by a mile

how many others has he played under?

loads warrigton used to change their coach every year until cullen got the job, ryan hall was at our game saturday he asked me who i thought would win i actually said warrington he yes you know why? i said coz i think they will they play the better rugby he said "yes, and they've got tony smith"

Quite a few I would imagine as he emerged at Saints in 1996 and moved to Wire in 1997.

All the players says the same things about him but we're expected to ignore it and pay attention to message board innuendo and rumour.

Unedited comments from Lee Briers regarding after the semi:

"He's the best coach by a mile in this country and you can see the character he has brought," he told BBC Sport.

"He has turned my game around. You say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but he is certainly teaching me.

I just wish he wasn't a total b*sta*d and I hate him."

On here tony smith was the dogs bollox until we lost the cc final then people started saying he was a dictator and that he treated the team like kids and had pished everyone off. Some even went as far as to call him an evil genius...a criminal mastermind.

How do you know he isn't.
He's brainwashed Briers into talking like that.
Fact.

Quote ="Old Feller"How do you know he isn't. He's brainwashed Briers into talking like that. Fact.'" img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/0 ... 28x304.jpg

Quote ="Old Feller"How do you know he isn't. He's brainwashed Briers into talking like that. Fact.'" img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/0 ... 28x304.jpg

McRae
Van de Velde
Steve Anderson
David Plange
Cullen
Lowes
Smith

he hasn't much competition then has he?

jesus the bloke only got the team to 3 grand finals in 4 years, winning 2 of them, what the hell is the fuss all about?

answer in two words
VERY GOOD

Tony is the guest on Touchline tomorrow from 7pm, feel free to share your sentiments with him.

imagine if he'd left after 2004

league leaders by 9 points & grand final winners

unless doing the double or treble was always going to be downhill