Geordan Murphy leaves the club!

[wormus]

What puzzles me is that on 1 July the club 'created' a DoR role and promoted Geordan into it. Just four months later, we've effectively made the role redundant by saying we now need someone with different responsibilities. How many times do we get the roles/responsibilities/structure wrong!? It's no wonder the coaching set-up has had little success!

It's certainly a strange turn of events.

Just for clarity I think the Borthwick/Murphy appointments were announced at the start of April, it was just that Borthwick couldn't take up the position until 1st July. Anyhow...

I wonder where Murphy saw his career going. I get the impression (I could be wrong) that Murphy is too loyal and too nice for his own good. When Borthwick was brought in as a Head Coach I assumed Murphy was in on it but listening to Peter Tom now it sounds like it's purely on his head. In which case I would have thought Murphy would have taken umbrage and said well you need to sack me and pay me up. But I don't know if he believes in himself as a Head Coach. Or Maybe the DoR role was sold to him as a promotion. Either way I am guessing he was happy to take it and didn't see Borthwick coming in as a slight on his Coaching ability or otherwise.

Skip forward 6 months Murphy has started the conversation about a contract extension. I am guessing he didn't do so back in March/April. So the question is did the board have some thoughts about a change of role for Murphy back then or was this something that developed over the Summer. Maybe, as some have speculated, it was purely a financial decision. But then there were still offering him a role of some kind and anyway it was an extension - they would have expected to have paid him the rest of the season. So I am not convinced it was financial.

Maybe there were a bit unsure about Borthwick - when/if he would come, whether it would work out, whether him and Murphy would gel. Perhaps now Borthwick is here they feel more confident, maybe they realise he can take more on. Was what they offered to Murphy out of guilt/loyalty and it was obvious to him, he was just being used a sort of mascot. So many questions, that will probably go unanswered, for a while at least.

Good post Ourla, but the Club announcement was on 8th May 2020 as attached ~ also posted on other threads.
https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/le ... on-2020-21

[ourla]

Reported in Irish Times Mon, Apr 13, 2020

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4227831

Leicester have announced Steve Borthwick will take up his position as head coach on July 1st with Geordan Murphy moving up to the role of director of rugby.

[Noggs]

We can speculate until the cows come home but in the end it is just that; speculation.

It is what it is and whilst like others I liked and admired Smurf as a player a decision has been made for whatever reason. I thank him for his contribution over the years and wish him and his family all the very best for the future. He's a good man with lots of rugby knowledge and experience so I feel sure he will not have too much of a problem in finding a new role somewhere.

[ourla]

Someone said on Facebook

We all know what Geordan is good at

I am not sure we do... but maybe now we will find out. Best of luck Geordan.

[JP14]

Personally I have a suspicion that if Borthwick does well it will be the club’s equivalent of the Komnenian Restoration, it very well could be the final apex in terms of Leicester’ success.

Sorry for the negativity but nothing lasts forever unfortunately.

[BengalTiger]

What a shambles, every week we see more evidence of poor vision, poor planning and poor treatment of honest people.

The board are dragging the clubs name through the dirt and poisoning the well of goodwill that exists for the club, every board member should hang their heads in shame.

As a fan of very long-standing I am beginning to be ashamed to be in anyway associated with a club who's board treat people like this board have treated their employees over the past few years, there is a rot at the top and a shamelessness that is unbelievable to people with a normal grasp of personal responsibility.

[strawclearer]

What a shambles, every week we see more evidence of poor vision, poor planning and poor treatment of honest people.

The board are dragging the clubs name through the dirt and poisoning the well of goodwill that exists for the club, every board member should hang their heads in shame.

As a fan of very long-standing I am beginning to be ashamed to be in anyway associated with a club who's board treat people like this board have treated their employees over the past few years, there is a rot at the top and a shamelessness that is unbelievable to people with a normal grasp of personal responsibility.

I blame the old board more than the new one but, as an entity, your assessment is spot on imho. They both have a common denominator, of course.

Should they be ashamed? Yes but I'm reminded of the old saying - "you can't shame the shameless."

[BrightonTiger]

Sorry but I find all this Tigers should hang their heads in shame, a bit over the top.

Large portions of the population are struggling to keep their heads above water, many on zero hour contracts with no guarantee of income week to week. Record numbers of families are relying on food banks so their children don't go to bed hungry.

....and a very well paid ex sportsman quits his job a year early, because he didn't get what he feels he deserves and we're all supposed to feel sorry for him!

[strawclearer]

Sorry but I find all this Tigers should hang their heads in shame, a bit over the top.

Large portions of the population are struggling to keep their heads above water, many on zero hour contracts with no guarantee of income week to week. Record numbers of families are relying on food banks so their children don't go to bed hungry.

....and a very well paid ex sportsman quits his job a year early, because he didn't get what he feels he deserves and we're all supposed to feel sorry for him!

With respect, that's a bit of a non sequitur and an exercise in 'whataboutery'. No-one is doubting the dire situation of many in our society - which pales into insignificance when compared to other, poorer parts of the world - but trying to shoehorn that into a perfectly legitimate discussion about Tigers is a bit of a stretch!

[RagingBull]

Personally I feel the goodwill of the club is what has been helping drag us down. Clubs are not successful on good will.
I feel that whoever is in will have too break it regardless.

In all reality say we had a different Chairman/Owner.
Do you honestly think they would have kept Murphy in his position? and

My big concern is does Tom really have a clue anymore? I'm sure he helps the club out with the money.
But the worst things for clubs IMO is when the Owners/Chairmen who have not really been that involved in the modern game starts to get involved too much in decisions.

[Noggs]

Just give it some time and we will know whether or not the board got it right. To keep going on and on over the same ground is pointless.

[RagingBull]

Isn't it going on and on saying "Just give it some time and we will know whether or not the board got it right"
When we have been through 4 Head coaches/DOR in 3 years?

[Traveller]

Sorry but I find all this Tigers should hang their heads in shame, a bit over the top.

Large portions of the population are struggling to keep their heads above water, many on zero hour contracts with no guarantee of income week to week. Record numbers of families are relying on food banks so their children don't go to bed hungry.

....and a very well paid ex sportsman quits his job a year early, because he didn't get what he feels he deserves and we're all supposed to feel sorry for him!

With respect, that's a bit of a non sequitur and an exercise in 'whataboutery'. No-one is doubting the dire situation of many in our society - which pales into insignificance when compared to other, poorer parts of the world - but trying to shoehorn that into a perfectly legitimate discussion about Tigers is a bit of a stretch!

With respect ....... it isn't. GM's a big boy. He signed a contract which finishes at the end of the 2021 season. He asked for clarification on an extension and the club told him that it was not their intention to extend it beyond this forthcoming season. So he left. In just the same way that GM had to tell numerous players that their contracts would not be extended at the end of the season. Guy Thompson I seem to recall was the cause of much discussion.

My nephew is in his 40s, a Tigers season ticket holder - bought his second house (with a mortgage) in January, worked all his life, and for the last decade at one company. The house was a big step for him and his wife (with two young children). He and wife were made redundant in May, in the same week, working for different companies, statutory redundancy pay. It's happening to thousands of people.

It's not 'whataboutery' (whatever that is). It's a perfectly legitimate and IMO logical opinion to express on a forum such as this, particularly at a time like this when businesses are collapsing and management is having to make really hard decisions.

[Noggs]

Isn't it going on and on saying "Just give it some time and we will know whether or not the board got it right"
When we have been through 4 Head coaches/DOR in 3 years?

Clearly everyone has their opinion but the discussion just seems to be going around in circles. I am not happy at what has happened on the field of play over the last few years but the changes many have asked for have now happened. All I am saying is we need to give it a little time in order to know whether or not the changes work as we all hope they will.

[Redstripeman]

Personally I feel the goodwill of the club is what has been helping drag us down. Clubs are not successful on good will.
I feel that whoever is in will have too break it regardless.

In all reality say we had a different Chairman/Owner.
Do you honestly think they would have kept Murphy in his position? and

My big concern is does Tom really have a clue anymore? I'm sure he helps the club out with the money.
But the worst things for clubs IMO is when the Owners/Chairmen who have not really been that involved in the modern game starts to get involved too much in decisions.

...I would have loved King Power to have taken over the club!!
Murphy would still be here, in either an ambassadorial role or used in an administrative role like LCFC uses in the form of John Rudkin, where a "Director of" is not involved in any aspect of the team, except to liaise and procure certain players on a list agreed by the scouting network and the actual Head Coach and oversee the implementation
and facilitation of a style of play, throughout the age ranges.
There is a problem within Rugby, in as much as the duties of a DOR are subject to different interpretations and it needs to come in line with the LCFC model, so we have clear lines, into how a structure is to work, rather than the varied interpretations carried out, by individual clubs within the Rugby universe.
As for Tom, he is more than culpable for this debacle and as I have said before, Murphy put himself in this situation and left himself out on a limb, agreeing to a one year contract as DOR....crazy!!!