Best news in a long time. Done a decent job and steadied a sinking ship but aside from a flukey CC win (we played very well but the occasion definitely got to Saints), he's took us as far as he can.

Surely we must be now looking at Wane or Bellamy. Would prefer Wane myself. No nonsense and would have our academy sorted out with a clear pathway to SL. He'd clear out the deadwood that's for sure and have young British lads playing rather than over the hill aussies

Bellamy a few years ago yes,but has I’ve already said I’d have Wane in a heartbeat.

I don’t think he’s a bad bloke but it was time for him to go at the end of last season. At least this time we don’t have years of slowly sinking like the end of the Smith era and plenty of time to find the right person. Good luck and good bye.

We should still see him fighting - he’ll want a decent season to seal a contract in the NRL. His problem will be keeping the team on side. He needs to be brutal and hard faced in dropping people not pulling their weight. Moran and the board need to have his back on this.

If the season is not going well, I imagine we will see an earlier exit. Might be interesting to see how Henderson goes in that situation.

Looking ahead to next year, I still want Wane. Let’s get that *@@* trophy once and for all. He’ll have had a world cup by then and the England job can’t be very exciting day to day. I know his veins run with gravy under pastry skin but if he can take us to the big one after everything he did at Wigan, he’ll go down as one of the greatest coaches in the super league era. Surely he had the ego to want that...

Bit strange the difference in reaction to this by individuals. In real life this happens all the time. Many on this forum will have given early notice that they are leaving a particular job. From my experience this has not brought a lack of commitment to the task from anyone.
Those, who seem to see problems everywhere, will see problems.
Steve Price and his family are moving on at the end of the season. Wire will move on and it's fine. It's just another opportunity for the club.

Craig Bellamy or Daryl Powell my choice to take over in 2022

I'm pretty sure many weren't keen on Wigan's grubby niggling arm wrestle style of Wane's, just shows quite how desperate/impatient some people are for a GF win.

It's not even certain he'd replicate any success here either, looking back at Millward and Noble and their failings when they moved on.

What is this obsession with Powell from our supporters?! What has he ever achieved? A couple of decent season at Cas and thats it.

Last season proved what a bad coach, bad winner and more importantly what a bad lover he can be.

The timing of this news is appalling regardless of whose decision it is. Its like they have their eye on excuses if it all goes pear shaped. This could have and should have been kept between Price and his boss until much later in the year. If they had to release early, I can only think they have done so to be able to approach people well in advance of the season end to avoid a mad scramble.

I like others, wish Steve Price and his family well in their next venture.

One of our clan Leek Wire I think mentions Bellamy or Powell for 2022, what a difference there is between these two in level of success and ability. I would look to entice Bellamy or Wane. However, if we had won a GF I would look to find an up and coming coach purely for something different.

There are also 14 players who are out of contract at the end of this season. Who now decides who stays or goes? A new coach would need time to access his options accordingly.

The difference is millward and noble both inherited squads that were already champions and runners up for the previous 2 seasons in 2000.
Wayne overhauled the whole wigan team from top to bottom. Thats the difference.

As for other candidates.

Powell has not finnished his job at cas. He wont want to leave unless pushed with only a LLS to his name at cas.

Other names
McDermott. Did the leeds team carry him as he did struggle when sinfield. Peacock burrow and Maguire moved on.

As for the Aussies
Bellamy. Yes he is in his last year as storms coach. Will he come over here for a couple seasons or stay in Australia and move up to state or national level.

Flannigan. When does his suspension finnish in being banned from being a first team coach in the nrl. Will he come over here for a few seasons and then bugger off when the suspension finishes.

Malinga. If Bellamy takes the Australia job. Maybe a 60 year old mal malinga maybe a option.

Inglis. A final season playing. Learn the playing style. And retire and take over as first team coach. Or even player coach for 2022???

Opinion.
Of all the options. We need to throw money at a world class coach to come over on a massive contract with exit clauses.
For our next coach.
We give him the stability and security for the future. So Have a 6 year fixed term (rolling year by year) contract with exit clauses depending on results after certain periods. So example. A minimum of 10 wins in 2022. And if we dont get 10 wins in 2022. We have the option to release him. And then in 2023. if we dont make the playoffs. We can trigger a exit clause. And allow the coach and the board to negotiate the terms of each years contact in January. With salary increasing each year with inflation plus 1%. Or something like that so he sticks it out and if he doesn't meet his target. But we dont trigger the exit clause. He stays at the salary he is on for the previous year.. Similarly. The coach has the option to request leaving his contact early to return home (situation dependent and only authorised by Middleton or moran.) and give us notice by 1st July in order for us to find a suitable replacement. That will give the coach the chance to build something up. not fear the sack unleas he constantly under performs. And it sets out clear conditions for the year and sets expectations for him. The team and what we expect as fans.
I've been consistent in saying I am sick of Aussies coming over. Just to screw us over by either not playing to the potential they shown in the nrl. Coming over for a last pay check. Or screwing us over and holding us to ransom and not coming back for pre season. Basically Latu (ok. Blessing in disguise) this year or sandow in 2017.
I'm basically looking for someone who can build something up again. Put the necessary changes in place from top to bottom. And to build something long term for the next decade or so.
As For Steve price. I respect his decision for going back home at the end of the season. He has given us the respect in telling the club early so that we have a year to recruit the best of the best. It maybe wasnt the best decision by the club to have it leaked and confirmed before the season starts.
When you look back at steve prices appointment. He has a young family. It was always going to be a 4 year appointment when you think about it.
I'm not concerned with prices performances this year. He will be looking for a contract in the NRL. So he will want to show off his coaching prowess.

1 request please. TAKE LEE BRIERS WITH YOU PLEASE. The one constant from the last 2/3 years of tony Smith's tenure and the 4 years of Steve prices tenure is Lee briers being the 1st team coach. When Tony Smith built the golden years of 2011-2013. We had willie poaching as our qst team coach. We hated on Richard agar. But look at how he is turning leeds round. (They will be force for the next few years) and keep briers was to a extent involved in the agar years. Briers is a legend of the wire as a player. But his coaching skills have been non existent. There is no creativity from a player who had creativity in abundance as a player.

I thank you for reading my rant. And if there is anything that doesnt make sense. Let me know and I can explain better as I'm writing this after a night shift and am exhausted.

Thanks

How long have you been a warrington fan? we've got more leaks than a retired russian submarine.

think how ornery this fanbase gets when someone knows something, and they know it for certain and the club doesn't announce anything.

think back to last year, and the 3 widdop situations, the pre season injury, the covid/family situ and then him going back to the nrl,

Club didn't say anything, but everybody knew these things, and were then used as ammo for people to have a pop at KF and the club.


Imagine the fervour amongst the malcontents if they tried to keep this quiet.

Wane was at Wigan for 8 yrs (in various coaching roles) before taking the head coach role - whilst coming in here would be quite similar to inheriting a squad he'd not previously worked with, similar to Noble & Millward.

1974 I started as I moved to the High School and was allowed freedom from the parents.

No doubt like many other I knew this was breaking after a call with a fellow fan at 15:30ish yesterday. If they wish they can keep anything a secret, but only if they want too.

Tbh when Smith had "had enough" of coaching the biggest shock to me was how a squad of professional players also capitulated & we have also seen that happening in the last couple of seasons under Price .Perhaps it isn't always the coach at fault.

Agree with some of the rant, but not Mal Me[un[/uinga as an option.

What does he have as a day-to-day club coach? Only 1997-2001 as Canberra coach during which time they finished 3rd, 7th, 9th, 4th then 11th. Knocked out in the semis in the three seasons they qualified for the playoffs. No progress in charge of that club, if anything it looks like they went backwards.

Assembling a winning national team from Australia's pool of players isn't exactly a challenge.

So when is the perfect time to decide & announce to leave.
Seems as good as any time to me but am I missing something?

But whenever a coach goes there is this sort of issue & more. What is your perfect way of changing the coach?
I am sure in the past you have wanted us to get rid of Price. But now he's going you don't seem to be happy.

14 payers? Never known that many.

I'm happy he's leaving. He's a great bloke and all that but he's just not good enough. The perfect way would have been if we'd have done the right thing and got rid after the 2019 season when we capitulated in the league and signed Wane then before he took the England job but that's another debate and I cba getting into another 'you're a negative fan' arguement.

Quote ="Lord Tony Smith"14 payers? Never known that many. I'm happy he's leaving. He's a great bloke and all that but he's just not good enough. The perfect way would have been if we'd have done the right thing and got rid after the 2019 season when we capitulated in the league and signed Wane then before he took the England job but that's another debate and I cba getting into another 'you're a negative fan' arguement.'" Just to confirm facts 2019 Challenge Cup Winners and finished 4th. Lost by 12-14 to Castleford in play offs. We were going like a bomb until Blake Austin got injured (I think at Catalan) and struggled for form even on his return. Played whole season without one of our main half-backs (Brown) so Austin's injury was a big blow. Beat St Helens to win cup with Currie & Patton at half back. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49436134 No club would have sacked the coach after that.

Quote ="Lord Tony Smith"14 payers? Never known that many. I'm happy he's leaving. He's a great bloke and all that but he's just not good enough. The perfect way would have been if we'd have done the right thing and got rid after the 2019 season when we capitulated in the league and signed Wane then before he took the England job but that's another debate and I cba getting into another 'you're a negative fan' arguement.'" Just to confirm facts 2019 Challenge Cup Winners and finished 4th. Lost by 12-14 to Castleford in play offs. We were going like a bomb until Blake Austin got injured (I think at Catalan) and struggled for form even on his return. Played whole season without one of our main half-backs (Brown) so Austin's injury was a big blow. Beat St Helens to win cup with Currie & Patton at half back. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49436134 No club would have sacked the coach after that.

Quote ="Smiffy27"Just to confirm facts 2019 Challenge Cup Winners and finished 4th. Lost by 12-14 to Castleford in play offs. We were going like a bomb until Blake Austin got injured (I think at Catalan) and struggled for form even on his return. Played whole season without one of our main half-backs (Brown) so Austin's injury was a big blow. Beat St Helens to win cup with Currie & Patton at half back. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49436134 No club would have sacked the coach after that. '" We lost 8 games in 10 (6 in a row) during that cup win. That's relegation form. The cup win glossed over the cracks and barring that one off performance our performances were awful in the league. I'll never forget how bad we were during that Cas play off game.

Quote ="Smiffy27"Just to confirm facts 2019 Challenge Cup Winners and finished 4th. Lost by 12-14 to Castleford in play offs. We were going like a bomb until Blake Austin got injured (I think at Catalan) and struggled for form even on his return. Played whole season without one of our main half-backs (Brown) so Austin's injury was a big blow. Beat St Helens to win cup with Currie & Patton at half back. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49436134 No club would have sacked the coach after that. '" We lost 8 games in 10 (6 in a row) during that cup win. That's relegation form. The cup win glossed over the cracks and barring that one off performance our performances were awful in the league. I'll never forget how bad we were during that Cas play off game.

Whoever it is will get my backing. I will reserve judgement until I see what they produce on the pitch. I just hope they get the main target rather than best of the rest that's available as we seem to end up with every time our Karl goes to australia.

Powell wouldn't go far wrong and I'd back sean wane to win us a trophy or 2. It's a big decision this, saints and Wigan are surging ahead of us at the minute and we have generally punched below our weight for 2 or 3 years.

You are right that we were poor. But ...we finished 4th in the League and won the Cup.
As I have said ... no club in the league would have sacked their coach and you know that really.
We'd have been taken to court for unfair dismissal.
Anyway he's going now. So there will be no need for anyone to moan.

Quote ="Smiffy27"Just to confirm facts 2019 Challenge Cup Winners and finished 4th. Lost by 12-14 to Castleford in play offs. We were going like a bomb until Blake Austin got injured (I think at Catalan) and struggled for form even on his return. Played whole season without one of our main half-backs (Brown) so Austin's injury was a big blow. Beat St Helens to win cup with Currie & Patton at half back. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49436134 No club would have sacked the coach after that. '" Saints have sacked coaches after winning them the grand final. They also sacked a club legend who has a statue outside the stadium. As much as I dislike them, they are ruthless and that is what you need to stay at the top.

Quote ="Smiffy27"Just to confirm facts 2019 Challenge Cup Winners and finished 4th. Lost by 12-14 to Castleford in play offs. We were going like a bomb until Blake Austin got injured (I think at Catalan) and struggled for form even on his return. Played whole season without one of our main half-backs (Brown) so Austin's injury was a big blow. Beat St Helens to win cup with Currie & Patton at half back. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/49436134 No club would have sacked the coach after that. '" Saints have sacked coaches after winning them the grand final. They also sacked a club legend who has a statue outside the stadium. As much as I dislike them, they are ruthless and that is what you need to stay at the top.

Leeds as well with McDermott.

Just seen a tweet, ‘If Warrington crave this elusive grand final as much as they say they do then there is only one man for the job’. Over to you Mr Fitzpatrick.

Not read all of this thread, but in my view as an initial reaction it's a crazy time to announce this.

What sort of message does it send the players and fans for the coming season?
Either 'let's do it for Steve' or 'his heart wont be in it, is he that bothered?'

There's never an ideal time, but I suppose you could argue that it's out of the way and ends the 'will he/won't he' speculation.
Now it'll transfer to who's going to come in. (Wayne, McDermott etc).

Personally doubt he'd have got an extension.

Can't blame him for wanting to go back. Covid has affected many lives and being so far from the warm summer beaches in Sydney must be difficult - as opposed to fishing on the banks of the Mersey in winter.....

Either way, even though I didn't/ don't like his footy tactics I wish him all the best.