I don't think McNamara has done too badly in all honesty. This series, he got the tactics for the second test wrong, and IMO should've made one or two changes, but on the whole I think it's been positive.

The England set up seems a whole lot better following the structures he's put in place. The team spirit is as high as I can remember.

Since he took over in Apr-10, our results have got progressively better vs Aus/NZ:

2010 - NZ (lost 24-10)
2010 - Aus (lost 24-14)
2011 - Aus (lost 36-20)
2011 - NZ (Won 28-6)
2011 - Aus (lost 30-icon_cool.gif
2013 - Aus (lost 28-20)
2013 - NZ (lost 20-1icon_cool.gif
2014 - Aus (lost 16-12)
2014 - NZ (lost 16-14)
2015 - NZ (won 26-12)
2015 - NZ (lost 9-2)
2015 - NZ (won 20-14)

I think he's had his chance. Yes we finished on a series win, which was good (cue arguments about weakened Kiwis etc), but there's too much accepting of poor performance. We've had a decent squad for five years now. There have been genuine opportunities to turn over the Aussies and win competitions, and we've come up short every time until this series. That's the thing about international rugby - it's not a season of 28 games where you can afford to mess up a few matches. You only get one shot, and then you've lost. I think, given the talent we've had at our disposal, that we have underperformed over the last 5 years.

Ultimately, the coach has to take the responsibility for that, and I think this series has shown up McNamara's weaknesses :

1) His tenure as an assistant coach in Oz means he has limited direct exposure to the ins and outs of form in the SL. This means he has a default of picking any English player getting game time in the NRL, but when it comes to players in SL, he defaults to names he's familiar with, rather than those who are in the best form, which explains the "He plays for Wigan, he's in the team" selections. It was ridiculous that Gale didn't get a game ahead of Williams/Smith. It was also ridiculous that Cudjoe sat on the sidelines while Bateman played centre.

2) His game plan is extremely conservative. Essentially, he's still playing the 5 drives and a kick method he employed at Bradford. I think we need to offer more than that.

3) Even when the conservative plan has gained an attacking chance in the opponents' half, our passing plays are generally terrible. The second Test was obviously the worst, when the players stood in a flat line a few yards either side of the PTB, with no possibility of any passing moves at all. But in all the games, I saw little evidence of any attack which wasn't "get close to the line and try to barge over from 5 metres or a kick".

I'm 45 years old. I've been reading articles and statements from coaches for 30 of those years about how England/GB is "improving", "closing the gap", "building for the future". Yet in that period, I've seen us lose every series against the Aussies, and lose every Tri/Four Nations and every World Cup. Yes we have occasionally turned over the Kiwis in a home series, but at least they have occasionally beaten the Aussies on a big stage. I'm sick of building/improving/closing the gap. I'd like to win. Preferably in 2017. If we make an excuse for McNamara now, after a lot more losses than wins, then we're more or less guaranteeing that 2017 we'll be reading the same hopeful-for-the-future cobblers which we've had to suffer for the last 30 years. We need to be ruthless with both players - history and profile doesn't win you a place over form - and coaches : I understand McNamara's record against Australia and New Zealand is 3 wins from 12 matches. A 25% win record is going to consign us to also-rans in international rugby league for ever. Time for a change.

The jury is still out for me with reguards to McNamara, I still think a full strength Kiwi side would have beaten us, for them to lose Johnson, Foran, Hargreaves, Leuluai, Vatuvei, Taumalolo and the skipper Mannering was massive and we only lost Tomkins and George Burgess. McNamara should NOT be offered a new deal because his record against Australia is pathetic and against New Zealand it aint much better if it is at all. We only beat a half strength Kiwi Team and everybody thinks we are on the verge of greatness!!! New Coach needed.

I'd get someone else in, but I'd still like to see him involved in the backroom staff, having someone involved who coaches in the NRL, and sees the opposition play every week can only benefit the squad, IMO.

The word lost seems to crop up a lot but you seem to miss that

McNamara out for me.

2013 - lost to Italy, had a poor WC, had a PR nightmare and only a gallant loss to the Kiwis papered over the cracks
2014 - poor against Samoa, bottled it against a weak Australia and beaten by the Kiwis
2015 - squeezed past the Kiwis reserves in the most dour set of Tests I've ever seen

Lots of candidates out there for mine:
McDermott, Wane, Powell

My dream choice would be McNamara's superior...Trent Robinson. Won't happen though.

He's done ok, but if you do what you always do you will get what you always got. My worry is the RFL will think an occasional series victory against a weakened NZ is success.

Surely any of McDermott, Wane, or Powell would be a big improvement?

Not quite sure how England "bottled it" against Australia in 2014, given they were a VR decision away from winning the game?

Results against the "Big Two" have been on a steady upward curve over the last couple of years. Harsh to swing the axe under those circumstances

Stop speaking sense!

In 12 games against NZ & Australia, England have won 3 under Steve McNamara - a win ratio of 25% against the top international teams.

2 of those victories came this year against an NZ team missing their first choice half backs (Johnson & Foran), captain (Mannering), main attacking threat (Vatuvei) & their biggest go forward (Warea-Hargeaves). Would NZ have won this test series if all those had played...we will never know but an educated guess is that they probably would have done

It seems to me as though a 2-1 series win against an under-strength Kiwi team has "papered over the cracks" for a lot of people in terms of McNamara's coaching abilities when the reality is once again in the World Cup 2 years away we will be no nearer beating Australia or NZ with him as coach when it matters.

The main issue is who to replace him with, as unfortunately I dont think anybody is available currently who would realistically be interested in the job who is any better than McNamara (assuming Powell, McDermott, wane etc are unable to do it alongside their club head coach role)

McNamara out.


He is a poor coach and a narrow win against nz second string does not alter that.

He is a part time coach in Australia.


I would rather a part time coach in England .


Powell wane Anderson McDermott all have better coaching records than McNamara .

Get rid now for the good of RL on this country

I'm amazed how often Wane's name comes up on here as a suggestion for England coach. He's got the 2nd easiest head coach job in SL and hasn't been particularly successful. Is he tactically astute? He seems very passionate and hard-working but I wouldn't say he was an improvement on Steve Mc. Powell or McDermott or no change for me.

Of course, in the interests of a balanced assessment, you have to look at both sides and provide relative comparisons.

Been England coach is the easiest job in the world there's only 2 teams that can beat and as long as you trade wins with one of them and beat the other one the odd time your laughing

given macnamara the benefit of the doubt since hes been in charge and seen improvement since hes been in charge

but the way we are playing is awful to watch, think we could do play alot better than we do with tactics

too boring, the first 2 tests certainly were

he did win the series though so you could say he deserves another contract, for me id like to see change for the style of rugby we play to improve

It didnt really matter in comparison to a Four Nations/World Cup competition win though...we won the same trophy back in 2007 and since then NZ have gone on to win a World Cup & 4 Nations and we havent got anywhere near them or Australia since. Yes it is nice to win a series, but in the bigger picture it doesnt rank with the other tournaments we play in

If McNamara stays on for the next World Cup it will be a travesty. Even with the quality of players at his disposal his team still spouts out dire, bland rugby. The poor 2013 World Cup should've been the end as his reign.

But because we sneaked a 2-1 series against only a second string NZ team, people want to see him in the job.

People talking about the record prior to Macnamara are ignoring the quality he has been able to choose from. Especially in the backs which has always been a problem area. We also have more players playing in the NRL now than I can ever remember. So yeah, I think with the right coach we could and should be playing a lot better.

McNamara has to go he is approved poor coach, we have improved in spite of him, the real test is 4 nations next year which under him I am convinced we will fall short.

Mcdermot and Powell dual head coaches for me.

Isn't McDermott the USA coach?

McDermott and Powell is a good shout.

Good god no. I'm not averse to either as England coach but you can't have dual head coaches.

Think Highlander. There can be only one.

We need a new coach, but will the candidates mentioned want the job?

Not if it's full time but may be if it's part time.
We only have a few games a year so part time should be ok, imo.