Rob Powell was never going to be successful as a Head Coach of senior players because he does not have integral elements such as man management ability, leadership skills, gravitas or a level of respect which is needed to be seen as a dominant leader.

His focus is purely based around academic and theoretical 'technical' knowledge because of a complete absence of any tacit knowledge and nothing to pass onto his players other than what he has read or copied.

The reality is that his persona and the education, qualifications, and experience he brought to the table were not suitable for the role in the first place.

With 37 losses from 47 there is no possible 'benefit of the doubt'.

I felt that his biggest weaknesses were setting up the player committee at the start which undermined him and a stubborn insistence in selecting youth players, especially the bad ones who had repeatedly failed.

His appointment was not a 'master-stroke' as I have read by the Code 13 guy but a ridiculous gamble which was certain to fail.

I've therefore been staggered to read from some commentators that the appointment came "too soon" and that he will be a Head Coach again in the future.

I'm sorry but this is a deluded view.

The fans want the opposite of a Powell - they want a media aware, savvy and inspirational leader and not someone who looks miserable, says the same stock phrases week after week and shies away not just from supporters but from his players who needed the riot act at times.

He'll never be offered a job at that level again not just because of his 9 wins from 47 games but because he is obviously lacking too many elements which just ageing will not add on - he's an academic and he can read all he want but that won't add in the 'non book' elements.

It will also be humbling for Powell to be out with the balls and cones and water after being the top man. He's obviously desperate for a role but this wouldn't be appropriate. Remember that he cannot ever return to Head Coach with London Broncos - that is just not on, so there is no career path for him.

Even as an Assistant he is hardly a Lee Radford, Sean Long or Paul Anderson commanding respect for his feats in the game.

He will only be considered knowledgeable by amateur and youth players so must stay at this level.

It would not be kindness to make him an Assistant because when the Head Coach goes and someone replaces him and brings in a management team they will not want Powell. So his career will end anyway.

The club if they must keep him should purely keep him involved with impressionable youths from the London areas but a role with the RFL in the south of England would be better. That is his level.

I'm not charitable in any way but 'Director of Youth Development' would be what I would give him if you twisted my arm.

What role would you guys and gals give him?

Cheers
Rammo

He was good at developing youth and that is where he should go. Anyone who can develop youth is worth their weight in gold! However, let us say, he became coach of one of the new Championship 1 sides next year, he could start from the bottom and work his way up. I wish him well.

Just as Rob Powell has proved to be not qualified, in the broader sense of the term, to be a SL coach, then also am I not qualified to be his career advisor.

Like PP, I wish him well and I hope that he stays in Rugby League.

The guys been replaced Mark and I do not see the need or point of this thread. He will have his own demons to come to terms with regarding his experience as head coach.

I thank him for his efforts, but he should never have been put in that difficult position in the first place. Unfortunately the club has now been left in a mess and at the foot of the table due to a stupid gamble by others; there is a lot to be addressed before we can again move forward.

Let it go Mark and leave RP to sort out his own job prospects.

We can argue the merits of whether Rob Powell should have been appointed or not. The position was he was given the job by DH almost certainly against the advice of others but alas his win/loss ratio's haven't been great. Now whether he stays on or not at Broncos is for others to decide. I'd like to thank him for doing his best but in any professional sports enviroment it's a results driven business. And if he does stay in the game I'd like to wish him well for the future wherever he continues at.

Part of the problem is clearly trying to motivate players to play in front of home crowds where the crowd can hear the players as much as they can hear or in some cases not hear the crowd. Some would argue that those attending aren't really a crowd, in the true sense. I realise that the crowd/no crowd debate is a "chicken and egg" scenario and this has been pulled, pushed, tossed around and discussed until we've all become blue in the face. And more.

As well as the coaching issue which the board appear now to be starting to deal with they now need to get player recruitment right, followed by efforts in getting more punters through the gate.

I finally hope that we are begining to make some progress for a brighter future where fans follow the team that is worthy of it's support. And we put a few flatcappers noses out of joint in the process, metaphorically speaking of course.

However the culture of any organisation starts with it's leadership and that clearly permeates throughout the organisation. Get that right things will change for the better. Get it wrong and the malaise will continue. I believe that organistional leadership or a lack of it is an area that also needs to be addressed as part of the ongoing review process.

Keep the faith.

I wish Rob the very best in Rugby League, he is good at working with young people, I'm sure the club will use him in a role on the youth side and he will do it well, but I think The RFL would be wise to use him for the South of England in Youth Development.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LONDON-BRONCO ... 4d00907bad He's been put in charge of this London Broncos side for the remainder of 2012.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LONDON-BRONCO ... 4d00907bad He's been put in charge of this London Broncos side for the remainder of 2012.

I can see why you have Charlie Brooker as your avatar!

Gotta love this
[urlhttps://twitter.com/RobPowellCoach[/url

This post is pompous, vindictive and malevolent. You've barely even spoken to the guy, yet you're dribbling some great long piece of pointless bile as if you've been his therapist. You write about what qualities Powell does or doesn't have, with no knowledge of him, or his qualities. You set out what a SL player wants, when you have no experience as a SL player. You presume to patronise everyone with your knowledge of what's best for a SL club, but you've never run an SL club. Have you ever, in fact, had any role at an RL cub, either professional or amateur, which hasn't been sitting on your backside in the stands spouting your own meaningless, ill-informed, opinions at a bunch of guys on and off the field who have achieved far more in this game than you ever will ?

You need to take a long hard look at yourself. This post says far, far more about you than it does about Rob Powell. None of it's good.

I am soooooo fu++ing happy I didn't mention marketing

Indeed.

Wasting that amount of words on a critique of Rob Powell.

The man who is to Rugby League coaching what former Eastender Joe Swash is to acting.

Honestly I ask you ...

I have played five seasons of Rugby League Roy as a Prop or Second Row seeing my club win two championships and the SRL plate, have followed the game for around seventeen years, have two degrees including a Bachelors in Organizational Psychology and a range of contacts who have been or still are part of the London Broncos. I have also been to the majority of game home and away and seen for myself what has gone on in person.

There has been a generally negative aura and body language from the players and Rob Powell since the Warrington game last season and it has been blindingly obvious that the organizational culture has been one in which players are not performing to their best. That is players of all standards.

With two separate squads and round about forty players appearing at first team level I'm struggling to name anyone who looks better than when they first appeared in the squad

I'm genuinely not aware of any of the club's youth squads (from foundation to under 18s or under 20s) having had a winning record in the years Powell has been involved, save for the season when we lost at home to Huddersfield in the play-offs about five years ago.

As for players brought through on his watch - Louie, Tony Clubb and Mike Worrincy were introduced before he arrived. Tony Rea discovered Will Sharp. I'd suggest that most of his discoveries are at London Skolars apart from the exciting crop of young backs and Jamie O'C.

Even if you are the former St Helens Prop - which in itself is not a qualification but gains respect - you'd be unable to argue that there has been a general improvement or name specific players who've improved. In fact I'd put it to you that you'll simply put a barrage of comments about me together instead rather than name names. But I'm not a public figure.

Just a long suffering fan struggling to come to terms with why our club has broken the time honoured tradition of giving someone the sack but then offering them a job. Rewarding failure. Perhaps I am maleovelent to question why someone who has brought the club to its knees should remain. I think he must be distanced from the first team not just for his gardening leave but forever if truth be told. Even if he is someone you know - he is a negative force, rather than a negative commentator.

He's carried the can for disappointing results and been sacked. You and others have got the outcome you wanted. The flip side is that a young man who's spent his entire adult life working to help the sport in London just had his career shredded. Writing an essay on why he should find it impossible to rebuild it and should have never had it in the first place is just unpleasant, bordering on obsessive.

He got the bullet. There's no need to dance on his grave. Move on.

Roy is spot on.

Mark, sadly on this occasion I agree with Roy, it is time to move on and as I said I wish Rob the best in the future, I think he has something to offer the game but it is with youth development.

[url=http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/sport/9829164.Rea_hopes_Powell_remains/Tony Rea wants him to stay........[/url

#markrammondwontbehappyifheeveris

Think Powell would have had more respect if he had just buggered off or at least asked for his old job back rather than hanging around in the full knowledge that he couldnt handle the task. Should have stepped down ages ago but stuck around for the pay cheque in doing so leaving himself open to critiscm, also loosing a lot of fans respect. Its pro sport and like it or not you will always be judged on performance but Towell seems to be avoinding the bullett and i dont think that sends out a good message. We need a club of winners or at least a winning mentality. Not sure if Powell has that, it would seem the players dont think he does?
Dont see anything wrong with Marks comments tbh, nothing personal in his opinion that i can read. Anyway time to look forward with optimism at last.

There must be a role in the club for RP...jeez, we're short on numbers in all areas.

I bet if Nobby came here, the first thing he'd want is about 3 or 4 assistants to help him. I would think the London Head Coach role job descrip covers a lot more than coaching the first team squad.

I haven't lost any respect for RP because he didn't resign. The Senior players backed RP for the job so they must have thought he had some attributes, and CG certainly was backing RP in the interviews I read (though that was a couple of months back).

Time may tell how much of the mediocrity this season has been down to RP or the players. I'm hoping it's mainly RP's fault or else we are in big trouble next year ,with so many players already contracted for next season.

Cullen at Widnes
TR at the Broncos
McRea and or Simms at the Reds

Just of the top of my head.

Great post, completely agree.

roy! Have to agree with you, the management at the club obviously thought he had all the skills that Mark reckons he has not got

If he was not suitable in the first place then blame the bloke that gave him the job!
Maybe he was given the poison chalice coz the club could not get or afford anyone else.
I still say it runs deeper than RP

Rob Did not train it in to the boys to drop the ball
he did not train the boys to give away so many penalties
He did not train it in to the boys to be pretty innept at tackling!!!
It was an attitude that crept in to the players and the club very early on this season! call it confidence if you want, or lack of!
You critisise him for the players having an input! are there not comments on this thread saying its down to the senior players to take an active role

I do not begrudge the bloke a position at the club! he was thrown in at the deep end! with the experience of the playing staff we should have done better.
How do you know he did not try to say I am not coming up with the goods i will resign and been asked to stay by the management until they found someone else

Or, another way of seeing it:


In all fairness though, no grudges against the bloke, he obviously tried his best but was out of his depth. Hope he can bring some positivity to the club in his new role, now let's leave the man be and move forwards!

A lack of fitness does all of that as it does make you lose games in the last 20 minutes of each half.

I suspect when he looks back on his time as the No 1 this will be an area he will regret- the total lack of fitness in the squad.

I must say I agree. I was no fan of Powell and think he should have gone earlier, but some of the comments in this thread are a bit harsh. Drawing a line under this one now.