It has been announced on the official Leeds Carnegie web site in the last hour that Stuart Lancaster is to leave Leeds Carnegie at the end of the current campaign. This will end a sixteen year association with the club and sees him join the national set-up as Head of Elite Rugby Development.
While this is a fantastic opportunity for Stuart to operate at a high level in the national setup, and recognises his coaching credentials, Gary Hetherinton is none too pleased about the way in which he was recruited by the RFU.
It appears as though negotiations with Lancaster have been at an advanced stage for some time without the knowledge of the club. Hetherington doesn't disguise his distaste for the means in which Rob Andrew has approached this, and perhaps adds to the debate on the methods and mechanisms by which the RFU are recruiting for their national set-up; you only have to look at how Brian Ashton has been shifted sideways after repeated assurances that his job as head-coach was safe to be a little bit concerned by this approach.
However, we should also be mindful of the season we've had in 2008/9 as Leeds Carnegie fans. Many people, once relegation was mathematically confirmed, have called for a shake-up in the coaching structure here, with some calling for Lancaster's head, while others have been more moderate and suggested changes in the other coaching staff.
For me, this puts the cat among the pigeons. Lanny's reign has been one - as the song goes - of ups and downs; he got us promoted, and now we're relegated again. This will be the second time that a relegation has cost us the head man, albeit for different reasons, but this isn't a great way to create and maintain stability. Not the club's fault though, and the noises coming from Headingley are ascerbically positive.
So, who's in the frame? Apparently this has come as such a shock that no list has been drawn up, but they're looking for someone to be in place for 1st July, ready for the pre-season. As speculation will be rife, we can say that, dispite Phil Davies being sacked by the Scarlets barely a week ago, it is unlikely we will see his return to Yorkshire. Other "name" candidates will be wary of trying their luck in National 1 for a new club; most will want to go straight in at the top level, and as Newcastle are currently (at least technically) searching for a new DoR as well, I would imagine they would be the first draw to any southern hemisphere candidates.
To be honest, it's difficult to see who would come to fill Lanny's shoes. I would imagine this would be a job for someone looking to make their first step up, or from someone already coaching in National 1 wanting to see if they can take a professional club forward into the big time once again.
Whoever it is should have no links with Leeds Rhinos and should be big enough to stand his corner. Until we get some MAJOR RU influence upstairs then the Union side of Leeds Rugby has got as far as it will get.
Interview with Gary Hetherington between 12:30 and 1 today, will be repeated as well later.
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Good luck, Lanny.
As to the behaviour of the RFU, it falls far below what should be expected and Mr Baron and Mr Andrew should be hanging their heads in shame for their shoddy treatment of Leeds.
As to the succession, I hope they choose a big name capable of attracting key players from around the world.
I hope his new job goes well but i am pleased that it has happened. I think this is a real opportunity to do what Leeds should have done last time. There are lots of good name coaches available who would certainly fit the bill and have what the club needs to take us back to the top.
The timing i think smacks a lot though - PD did the same when he left, got rid of a number of good players then left...if this has been in advanced stages he has made huge decisions about the club when he must have known he was going. Depending on who they appoint will be the major factor in the future stability of the club, only time will tell.
I would love to see your list of good name coaches JBird that are available to join a relegated club with no guarantee of short term success. One lesson we may all learn from this is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Dragon if we want somone who is only after short term success then that would be the wrong chocie but we do need somone who knows HOW to make us succesful if SL can take a squad and turn them round in 12 months i have confidence that a more seasoned DoR could as well...
Bates is good and Blackie
Callard is available and think he has a proven track record...and yes i know he has been at Leeds before but he was harnessed by PD...
JBird, like many others yesterday I was confident that with our current players plus our new signings we would probably get promoted back to the GP next year, now without a DOR and a chance that we will see no more signings I'm not so sure. Any new coach must be experienced and successful in the GP, I'm not convinced that any of your choices fit the bill. I've suggested on another thread that someone like Paul Hull might fit the bill after being at London Irish and Bristol for the past 5 years, but whether he or anyone else who is currently involved in the GP would want to move is debateable.
I suppose D it is someone who wants a challenge! I am sure there are good coaches out there who would break an arm to take Leeds up to where it can be. As we have said on numerous occasions the club has everything going for it in location, set up etc.
I think those who has backed Lannys vision (like Merry on the previosu thread) must be P*ssed. He has made a claim to build the identity of the club and then scarpered at the first opprtunity to do something better - or maybe he has realised it is not for him.
Whatever the reason Leeds Tykes are still there. Whatever you call them! There is stilla good core of players who have stayed loyal that still emulate the core values that make Leeds what it is.
I agree with all that JBird I just find it difficult to put a positive spin on this news, we now go into the unknown, I have no doubt that Tom Biggs will move, I'm not as hopeful about new signings and now we have to find a new DOR, so forgive me if I don't feel as positive as you.
Good Luck to Lanny it's not every day a job of this calibre comes along.But what this means to Leeds Carnegie I don't know, but at the moment I don't feel very positive.Don't think they saw this in the five year plan either.Just hope that in a few year's time we still have a rugby union team in Leeds.
TYKES live on.
KNOCK ME DOWN IT'LL ONLY MAKE ME STRONGER.
This is going to be interesting who we get as a new coach. But we have got to get someone who has already being a coach in the GP if we get a NAT 1 coach this club isnt going to go where we should. If we get the right management and experiance this club could do really well it might not happen over night but we do have the ability.
Dragon,
you made a comment about posible no more new signings, If there aren't any we wont have a first team so the problems over right now. There will be players coming, wether they are the ones we have been trying to bring in or not could be totally different. Leeds realy need to make some factual statements now regarding future players and negotiations. This has to be right at the top of the list. We have lost too many not to replace. This could also affect who wants to come into the job. If we have approached a team of has beens ( in the potential DOR opinion) he will be less likley to come along. A for Tom, well he may have had his mind made up by Stuarts departure, only time will tell on that one.
It's interesting to come home to a flier encouraging me to come and see the departure of Delagio next weekend. Sorry Leeds rugby, he has been a brilliant player, but I feel you have only applied to the nutural fans and not to any of the existing ones. That said, you've done jack all for the people who have been watching for the last ten years any way so why change now?
Who will we be waving off this weekend, Hooper, SL, Biggs?
I'm not saying players wont be replaced Bran but presumably any discussions now taking place will probably be suspended until a new DOR has arrived. Because players need to know where they'll be playing next season we just may lose a few we were hoping to get. This is a black day for Leeds but good luck to Lanny he enjoys player development and has proved good at it.
JBird - Is Callard available?, as i'm sure he's still employed by the RFU in their new formatted coaching set-up ( i may well be wrong, but i'm sure that Johnson and Andrew were singing his praises at the Official launch interviews with the media of Martin Johnson). As for Eddie O'Sullivan, then i think that Freddy wouldn't know what to do, as he's in line for the Munster job when Deccy takes over the Ireland job - "Frying Pan to Fire" for Freddy i Think !!
I think that you want a new broom to sweep clean if appointed by a club - The "5 Year Plan" has bittten the dust along with Lancaster and the Premiership. New Ideas and a new way of thinking can only be of benefit to the club. I wasn't a big fan of getting rid of coaches just for the sake of it - but the decision has been made for you now and it's now a matter of waiting to see who comes fowards as candidates for the roles (as i expect the rest of the coaching staff to be further casualities of todays events)
that maybe but, it does not stop him adding more players when he arrives if we sign where need cover then the new DoR could add the cram when he is appointed.
You are correct Dragon, but the new dor would have to come in to any existing team with the pressence of mind to decide well he's good I'll keep him, or not impressed when I can I'll get rid. That's sport never mind at a pro standard. As I say, from my point of view, Leeds has now got a chance to kick on. wether or not leeds does is in part at the boards hands. They need to make those signings that they have been chasing, and make them soon, and they need to be the right ones ( I realise this is the same thing we were saying last week) This could stimulate a potential coach to give leeds a shot. where as a few ok players could be read as they have no ambition I'm not going there. The issues out of Leeds hands are a bigger concern. We have been religated twice, and are not yet stable, and do not appear to have anywhere near the funding required That WILL put of potential D'sOR
This could be the huge step in the right dirrection that leeds requires. Clearly , the coaching has been wrong this year, to a point, now there is the posibility of recifying, but likewise the chance to colapse!
By the time we appoint a DOR, pre-season training would have begun and most of the better players would have sorted out their futures, at least in the short term. Much will depend on who if anyone we have been talking to, where we are with those negotiations, and was it Lanny or his vision what attracted them in the first place.
What annoys me most today is the few posters who've been looking for coaching changes IMO didn't really see the effect such changes might have.
Really not looking for an arguement, but do you not feel we need to look at our defence and the way we have organised it this year? Vertualy every gp team uses league coaches for this, we are part of the biggest league club in the country if not world yet we cant defend?
Yes Bran we need to sort out our defence, but todays news means that we have no DOR, will probably lose Tom Biggs and miss out on new signings, the defence can be sorted but these other problems are now much bigger.
Have a look at the squad phot, folks. There's more than Biggsy there. IF he goes I'll wail and gnash my teeth with the rest of you, but it's the TEAM in the shirts that will do the business at the end of the day.
I would like to have been a fly on the wall over the last couple of weeks, though.
To be fair to SL, if he stayd with us and failed with promotion, would he have had a job, if he had been promoted, and psibly religated the year after, would he have had a job? For thr RFU, he will have a fairly secure job, doing what he is very good at, with prospects of either a large settlement or a position to the side, in the event of them doing an 'Ashton'
SL is not a succesful DOR, he may or may not have what it takes to ever be one. For his family and stability the decission for him is easy.
Now it's Leeds turn to make a statement of intent..
As someone who has defended Lanny against some of our grottier posters I feel slightly affronted that he has jumped ship at the first opportunity. " It is the only job I would leave Leeds for" Ballcocks! So much for a 5 year plan & all that commitment stuff.
I, for one hope Soops is right. Bester got blood out of stones at Roth & would do better with our squad & facilities.
If anyone is interested there is a small interview with Gary Hetherington on the BBC site if you click here.
He points out that the squad for next season is almost ready with new signings to announce, does a new DoR want his hands tied by players bought under the previous regime?
What a shambles. This makes a right mockery of all the talk of the '5 year plan' and the emphasis of player loyalty, team building etc. Is this really a 'just couldn't say no' killer job that comes along once in a lifetime?
I think we will struggle to appoint someone as good as SL and next season is going to be even tougher now.
I don't harbour any grudges (even with regard to Marshall, Balshaw et al) so good luck to the guy but this is very disappointing news.
I have no idea who we might appoint as a replacement. Not much £, not many good candidates around, no internal possibilities...
Rocky The Tyke If anyone is interested there is a small interview with Gary Hetherington on the BBC site if you click here.
He points out that the squad for next season is almost ready with new signings to announce, does a new DoR want his hands tied by players bought under the previous regime?
but it doesn't mean the new DoR won't be able to sign any more players a few to come in the middle should suffice
Loosehead
but it doesn't mean the new DoR won't be able to sign any more players a few to come in the middle should suffice
True, but the concern is that by the time appointments are made in the DoR position the players he wants may not be available. The next month will be very interesting.
ok here goes i spoke with sl on sunday after the game ref signings, tom biggs and so on he said we have 3 confirmed signings that are just waiting to be announced and 2 more that are 90% confirmed he also spoke about the fact that we have tried to sign big name players including olly barkley the fact of the matter is these players didnt want to come to the club we offered more money than glous alot more!!!! we have also tried to sign flood tait and more the problem we have is we arent a big enough club to attract these players which is something we are going to have to work on how i am not sure????
with ref to tom biggs sl still didnt know what he was doing!
i think there are a couple of issues there sparky...
1. He shouldn't be saying anythng to fans that is not "official" especially knowing what he did.
2. It is very unprofessional to be talking specifics about what one of the players is or is not going to do
3. He should not be sayng or admitting that the club is not big enough to attract these names - it is his job to persuade them - and if money really is no obstacle then that only leaves one reason for them not coming....
I think it is very very bad of him to be saying any of that to a supporter or anyone really it is incredibly unprofessional.(not having a dig at you but SL)
Though it should say a great deal to Carnegie who, when offering the most money to these great players, turn it down to go to another club for less money but better coach.
Why is it unprofessional to say these things, when everyone knows this to be true. We will not sign the likes of Flood, Tait, Barkley, etc whilst we yo-yo between nat 1 and the GP.
We got big players last time on the back of winning the powergen and look what happend, we will be stuck with signing player who are surplus at GP clubs, youth team or UK based player from Nat 1 and lower
We have to get up and stay up or a few season before we get these name because we are not a big club (yet)!!!
If you believe that we can go out there and sign All Blacks, this is never going to happen.
Unfortunatley, there is no reason for any of these players to want to come here, The mistakes of two years a go will rumble on for a very long time, as the GP standard moves out of reach,and thr RFU/ powers that be have no interest in promotoing the game across the country just lining their own pockets. This game will be a poor version of the english premier football, booring to watch with a couple of teams with any chance of winning and a stalemate elsewhere. The people at the top wont care, because many of them dont watch the agme, it's just a way to make money and meet with people!
jbird the last thing you can say about sl is that he is unprofessional the man works more hours than anyone i know he just was being honest i do feel though that it may have helped if this had been mentioned on the offical site to let people know that we are trying but i assume hands were tied! i belive that this will take an awful long time to sort out as leeds are such a young club and at the moment seem to have an inability to hold down a regular gp spot!
the only way this can be sorted out in the short term is if the gp goes to 14 and be ringfenced and teams bid for the franchise as is now being done in superleague! otherwise i feel that for a long time yet we may struggle to attract the players
So what you are saying is,
the gp have financially tied the hands of ANY team outside of the GP Leeds and wust included.
And that the RFU and GP are quite happy restricting the sport to minimise development Or to protect their own interests?
I for one will be sad to see him depart, he constructed a team from scratch and got back into the GP last season. His moving on could not come at a worse moment for the club who need stability having been relegated. My concern is that we will not get a DOR of his quality and experience. As Dragon rightly said the grass is not always greener and I cannot see a top name applying for the job......I hope I am wrong.
There are/will be people to fill the post the issue is to convince them to join the club has everyting in place, stadium,training facilities and money.
We might not get a #1 to join us but we can appeal to a number #2 or #3 who may wish to step up this is a good article in todays Yorks Post
what about a set up of Jon Callard as Director of Rugby and Andre Bester as Forwards coach, with maybe Alan Tait as defence
I've asked this question previously - but is Jon Callard actually available to take up the post - and does he want it ?. I seem to remember good things been said about Callard in the opening press conferences recently of the Johnson/Andrew era, so i'm not too sure whether he come back to Leeds
I dunno it depends if he sticks around in the new England set up, he still lives local(ish) Harrogate way so its not a massive upheavel and he still seen around the ground from time to time after games.
he has the relevent expereince, knows the set up well and can double as a kicking coach. A solid forwrd coach next to him and we would look ok.
The prospect of Leeds isnt so bad as we are making out - I agree with the sentiment of Mark C when he says "have a look at the team photo".....we have produced some great young talent and not just this season (ok they have gone on in some instances to greater prominence) but the fact remains our Academy has and is producing the goods - we not only have some seasoned pros who have fought very hard this season, but we have some really promising youngsters. Whilst I agree with the feeling that (a) we could yo-yo and (b) it is not difficult to understand why the big named players will not sign for Leeds, the fact that we have one of the best Academy systems in the country has to give us a sense of optimism - for example young Clarke signing today at 18 playing in the GP and what a great attitude - also toward senior players - the support he has had from JD. We must try and keep these guys so that they can develop beyond GP prospects into GP regulars - Myall in my book is another terrific player for ND1 and GP in 2009/10 - but we must keep him.
I know there will be the arguments about them being good/big enough, but we have seen what some of these young lads can do. For me, bring in the big signings OK lets try - but if we cant and even if we can lets mix it up with these guys and get a coaching team that can bring out the best in them - my vote is for Callard
PS anyone know the latest with Adam Balding - timing might have muffed our chances there - but here's hoping.
Frankly, given the support that everyone (almost) has given SL, no one has suggested that he goes even though relegation has occurred with a massive amount of points separating Tykes from Warriors/Falcons, all the hype about the 'five year plan' etc. I think it is disgusting that he has opted for the post that Robber Andrews has organised for him!
I am very disappointed with the guy! I know it's classed as a career move, but Leeds have stuck by him and his reaction is to kick Leeds in the teeth! I have no respect for this guy!
So if Lancaster was under contract at the time the approach was made without Hetheringtons knowledge will there be a compensation package or will he be commencing legal proceedings against the RFU.
Actually Lanny could be deemed to be in breach of contract if as Hetherington suggestes he was talking to the RFU without his knowledge.
I would like to think that we get someone in before July. How long does it take? Advertise now. Put out discreet feelers to desirable candidates. Interview in 10 days time & appoint at the end of May. Once the club know who is applying GH will have a good idea who he wants in the role.
Yep, let's not mess about with this. Let's throw open the interview process as soon as possible and get this sorted................ how do you apply???? I'm going for it, who's with me??????????!!!!
I'm not too sure about you going for the Job "Fan", as i can see 5 Years worth of playing Budget getting Blown in around 20 Minutes !! (and then there's the signing policy of No Welsh or Irish - which is, i'm sure, illegal under EEC law !!!)
I think that i may well be able to Guess which Ireland players you'd be signing (and there we would have lost at least 3 Years worth of the annual playing budget without a Ball being touched !!!)
Availability may well be a problem though "Fan" - especially with "Baby Humph", as we've only just got him back !!! (Although Shane Jennings hasn't had much of a long-term run in the Leinster side as a starter with the emergence of Heaslip over the last 12 months - and i'm none too sure whether "The Polar Bear" will be around for much longer)
As far as I can see it I'm the only candidate. I know the game, I know the club, I know the players, I know National One, might be a struggle to get the fans on board with the decision...... I'll put Merry down as a possible!
I don't think for one minute that you're the only candidate to have put his name forward - Andre Bester will have been on the Phone as soon as the page loaded on the Official Site !!
TIM He should go for the Job as he's doing the FB 7's team
he'd get my vote.
Anyway enough of this sillyness i wouldn't mind if we got Andre Bester BUT we would need a coach to do the backs too but not sure who would fit it
Some say he has a Tykes flag with team signatures on.
Others say that he's doing the same to the Carnegie flag,
All we know is that he's called Leeds carnegie signed flag.
Ask Dion who Posts here occasionally - Bester's biggest Fan and certainly no Fan of mine !!!. Andre was always going to apply for the Job as he's not doing nothing in the game at present. He has a coaching style that favours the forwards and is very abrasive and certainly isn't media savvy
He's very very very assured of himself. Top forwards coach and tends to like to opperate by himself. He won't be liked as much as Lancaster put it that way.
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