Murphy coaches and relegation

[CitizenSmiff]

Wasps Quins and Bath are pretty rubbish too so it's not a dead cert, though admittedly that's not the outlook i was hoping for this early in the season.

[trevb]

I keep checking for the announcement and who is taking temporary charge, must be soon now, the wait is driving me crazy.

As a second point, its my opinion whoever is running the team by next weekend needs the full first team need to play in the challenge cup games to get them back into working as a team instead of idiots. They have the talent, well some of them do so what I hope will be a couple of wins, although I'm not sure of that these days, may give them the boost the need, winning can be a habit, losing can be a habit, we need the winning habit back.

[POSTIGER]

No one in the right mind would want to work for this board in the toxic culture that they've allowed to thrive. I think we're stuck with Murphy until we are relegated which we almost inevitably will be. There's been too much emphasis on growing the corporate side of the business and not enough focus on the very thing the club exists for - rugby.

[DeadlyDunc]

So this is what my thoughts are

1) the club needs some stability having had the churn of coaches in the past 5-6yrs even under Cockers (Burke etc)

2) this has meant we’ve no coherent pattern or style

3) the current coaches with some exceptions are struggling to turn this situation around as results show

4) those with some experience as DOR suggest Murph is creating the foundations of a culture linking Board to squad to academy but that it will take time

5) if Borthwick is coming then it would suggest Murph isn’t happy with the current coaching balance but prefers to wait for the right person (Borthwick) to come in

6) this would also suggest Murph knows the limitations of his own coaching abilities and why he is DOR

7) all this means the players are left in limbo and the club is on the field rudderless

8) recruitment in 2019 is a positive - Taufua, Lavanini, Taute, Reid, Leatigaga, Green, Coghlan etc all look like they can contribute to a higher level than those that left

9) many of the above stated they signed on the basis of Murphy vision for the club which is almost certainly longer term success than short term fixed

10) getting rid of Murph on the basis of the above would do far more harm than good

11) I could be completely wrong and Borthwick isn’t coming and we are sticking with the current set up which demonstrably can’t get the best out of a talented squad

Make of all that what you will but that is how I see it and the mess on the pitch is the making of a decade of decay and bad planning across all aspects on and off the field (mainly on the playing side in fairness) and under the watch of various people on the rugby side but decisions of basically the same Board off it.

I am fairly happy with the squad this season and if the strategy continues then the blend of old, youth and new players should prove sold moving forward. That said, unless a Borthwick Head Coach + others come in to help or replace some existing coaches to get the best out of those players it’s going to be a long season of ups and downs but I’d reluctantly suggest more downs than ups.

[sam16111986]

No one in the right mind would want to work for this board in the toxic culture that they've allowed to thrive. I think we're stuck with Murphy until we are relegated which we almost inevitably will be. There's been too much emphasis on growing the corporate side of the business and not enough focus on the very thing the club exists for - rugby.

On the contrary I think a lot of ambitions coaches would like the chance. We have the financial muscle, big fan base etc the squad is good and we have a big history. We can afford to pay whomever turns the team round a good salary. It would be a big reputation boost for whomever accomplished a turn around here. Plus if you turned the club around you'd be a fan favourite and then have a club to kick on with.

We just need to get the right people/person in because at the minute I don't think we do (sadly as I really wanted Geordie et al to flourish). Chieka is still available or David Wessels has been overlooked for the Australia job. Good places to start.

I still think there's a future for Murphy in a pathway role as he clearly has a vision for his the club academy, development and senior teams should interact and that is one of the few positives of his reign.

[Robespierre]

Tigers are not alone threatened with relegation! Spare a thought for Stade Français who are 7 points adrift at the bottom of the Top14 and are currently down 8-20 away to lowly Brive.

[fentiger]

7) all this means the players are left in limbo and the club is on the field rudderless

Fair points made but reference above: has been questioned many times, where are our on-field leaders? Do some players see our current Captain as the unmovable object and just think 'hey-ho why bother getting involved'?

[DeadlyDunc]

7) all this means the players are left in limbo and the club is on the field rudderless

Fair points made but reference above: has been questioned many times, where are our on-field leaders? Do some players see our current Captain as the unmovable object and just think 'hey-ho why bother getting involved'?

I don’t know but we see it with England too frequently that players (from other clubs like Sarries but Leicester and others as well) can’t adapt from a pre planned tactic during the actual game if it’s not working.

Maybe players are over coached or not given enough flexibility to play what’s in front of them but that’s a wider conversation about how English players are developed compared to other countries and not just a Tigers problem.

Unfortunately it’s compounded by everything else here at the moment!

[fleabane]

I wonder if Ben Kay will take time out from goofing around on TV long enough to help come up with a plan if there isn't one

He is part of the problem not the solution. Just another Ex Tiger with a job for life.

my point was he is one of the "rugby people" on the board, though to be fair for all we know he advised against appointing MOC and Geordan and was ignored

We DO know he was one of those responsible, as he disclosed on BT Sport some time ago. The Rugby Committee and Board ignored the recommendations of the sporting specialist Executive Search Company, and appointed O’Connor after he got in touch and asked to be interviewed. He wasn’t put forward by the Search company for good reason, presumably his failure at Leinster, and his part at the decline at WR. But ‘ he was liked by the players ‘. That’s like asking a primary school class to pick its own teacher.

[LE18]

I wonder if Ben Kay will take time out from goofing around on TV long enough to help come up with a plan if there isn't one

He is part of the problem not the solution. Just another Ex Tiger with a job for life.

my point was he is one of the "rugby people" on the board, though to be fair for all we know he advised against appointing MOC and Geordan and was ignored

I can assure you that Ben Kay was 1 of the 2 responsible for recommending MOC.

[Mark62]

Very very quiet from club and players today.
Certain amount of wound licking and trying to get some dignity back, but it does make you wonder if moves are afoot

[Tigerbeat]

Very very quiet from club and players today.
Certain amount of wound licking and trying to get some dignity back, but it does make you wonder if moves are afoot

It is a Sunday.

[Mark62]

Very very quiet from club and players today.
Certain amount of wound licking and trying to get some dignity back, but it does make you wonder if moves are afoot

It is a Sunday.

And you would normally have at least 3 or 4 players posting on social media, plus postings by the club media team.
They are too busy with Widow Twanky in Loughborough, who would have been more use than some on the pitch yesterday

[sapajo]

The club have given their spin team the day off and even they deserve a day off as they must be suffering from giddiness

[trendylfj]

For me, as I said in an earlier post, GM will not be our Head Coach if we lose 5 prem games before Xmas - we have only one more to lose before I believe he will go. In the Saints game was easy to see one of the many reasons we lost was that they, as a team had played together in the European games and we had not. They knew what they were doing and we attempted to learn on the job. One solution I would suggest is to send out the same 23 as played on Sat (injuries and returnees permitting) in the next 2 European games and if we suffer more injuries - so be it - learn to play as a team against a competitive side and hopefully when we get back to prem games we will see a more cohesive unit. I would also hope that Borthwick is here asap and if we need to buy him out of a contract so be it. Give him full control over everything to do with the rugby side of things - end the "rugby committee" - they should have nothing more to do - it is down to Borthwick and the coaches he wants to keep or sack - no exceptions at all - he has to have the people in post who he wants.