I think it is a full time job yes. How is it the world champions, without essentially a major league in their own country to develop (as they mostly use the NRL and Super League) can operate a full time coach yet here in the UK the RFL don't beleive it to be a worth while investment? If it's as part time as you make out with the leagues we have running and the size of our organisation in the UK, Stephen Kearney must be bored out of his t@ts.

ATEOTD we are not Australia and everything is not running tickety-boo

You cannot tell me that a Full time national head coach could not use his time wisely by going round each UK club, not just Superleague, meeting players, watching training sessions, advising head coaches, bringing together train on squads and trying to help youth development to it's full potential in this country.

OK this might not simply fall under the job description of just a head coach but surely this would be a worthwhile investment (and not a million miles away from what Smith was doing in the first place, it appears he just simply wanted to get back in to a head coaches job). I'm not saying it would be glamerous but do feel it is partly (a big part as well) to do with why our international teams fail so badly when it comes to the big stage.

At least they would be involved on a full time basis, what would be wrong with taking the elite players into train on squads throughout the year once a fortnight maybe, teams don't do set play training 5 days a week they have weight sessions/cardio or day's off, surely theres a way to take these elite players out with the agreement of the clubs for the good of the national game without affecting the domestic one to much?

I appreciate it may not be ideal and may not work but just feel there has to be a better way to maximise international player development within the current structure of Super League and National Leagues?

As far as the Coach goes, well at this point I get stuck becuase I can't think of anyone but IMO you'd need perhaps a decorated quality coach who is looking to slow down a bit, doesn't want the day in day out of a club head coach but is looking to stay heavily involved in the game (a Bobby Robson of 10 years back if you like). One thing people will never agree on is who that should be, there has to be someone good enough out there after 150 years, isn't there?

So we agree then



By their standards, absolutely. Do you think most Aussies view their world cup a succcess?



Since 2008, although we have played no tournaments and indeed beaten the French since

, we have moved backwars IMO because we have gone from a full time coaching setup to a part time one.



Seeing as the one that we were poor in (and let's face it we weren't poor, we were e) was the most recent one, many people would say YES.

Of course.
What were you expecting? A World Cup win?


but yet they are not all "woe is me" "we might as well not bother"


So not related to results or performance at all?



If you're going to claim we were poop in 2008, I'm going to claim we were awesome in 2007. In which case on your measurement basis we have a two year result of being OK.

On my measurement basis one great year + one bad year = another year to see what happens next but you aren't deemed a failure yet.

I think Welham was very unlucky to miss out. Played every game for a top four team and scored 13 tries in the process. Not too shabby for his first full season.

Don't talk wet man. Kris is a decent kid but is a million miles away from being good enough to pull on an international shirt.

That's as maybe, but since this is the [uEngland train on[/u squad he might consider himself unlucky not to be involved.