Who next for England?

Smith to help RFL in finding his successor after stepping down from post

Last updated: 15th November 2009  

Who next for England?

Smith: Stepped down

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For 50 minutes at Elland Road on Saturday England fans dared to dream about a win over Australia.

By full time those hopes had been blown away by 32 unanswered points from the Kangaroos that included a hat-trick of tries from Billy Slater.

The 46-16 defeat in the Four Nations final turned out to be the final game in charge of England for Tony Smith, who announced on Sunday morning that he was stepping down from his role.

The 42-year-old, who will now be able to focus all his efforts on his job at Warrington, will help the Rugby Football League in finding his successor.

So who is the man for the job? Should England look overseas to try and find a man capable of leading the nation to glory in the next World Cup?

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Comments (33)

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James Morley says...

There is no point getting rid of import players. I know everyone says that is the reason we can't compete with the aussies, but it's a flawed arguement. The reason that clubs employ overseas players has nothing to do with stopping young british players breaking into RL. It's because there isn't the talent pool in this country to allow teams to be competitive using only home grown players. A removal of overseas players will occumplish only one thing. SL will drop even further behind NRL and that'll have a negative impact on the international game. If they're good enough young british players will break into SL (burgess, lms, westerman). what is needed is a complete overhaul in terms of youth development. what do SL clubs care about international fixtures? Not one bit would be my answer and why should they? All internationals are is a disruption to the club's offseason. The RFL need to make the production of young british players more attractive to SL clubs. Bonus payments, salary cap exemptions, things that speak to the old bottom line on the balance sheets. Otherwise we'll stay as we are, the occasional good player comes through and plays on the losing side in internationals.

Posted 10:59 10th December 2009

James Willerton says...

I don't think we can accept that "we'll never beat the Aussies" at all. One of the beauties of sport is that sometimes the underdog wins. Just giving up the challenge isn't what any self-respecting Rugby League supporter should be advocating. What we need is excellent management of limited resources. There's a lot of, with all due respect, rubbish talked about. I would estimate the NRL is at least twice as commercially strong as the Super League. The profile is high enough there to attract the best young sporting talent, full stop. RL in this country, even in the heartlands, is at best second in the queue. This has nothing to do with our boys not wanting to win enough, not being competitive enough, blah de blah. Utter rubbish. We're doing very well just to compete at International level, given the disparity in the game in the two hemishpeheres, and there are plenty of hardworking adminitrators and courageous players who are doing their very best against the odds, with only criticism in reward. We will not beat the Aussies until we have the players to win, it's very simple. We need to concentrate all our efforts on our youth development, and on the integrity of the Super League competition. You manage sustainable success from the ground up.

Posted 16:31 26th November 2009

Andrew Corcoran says...

For my money I would give the job to Daryll Powell. He was the man who brought through all the leeds younsters and had them playing with pride. Lets not forget that the Rhinos were at the top of the leauge when leeds anounced Tony Smith was taking over. As a Rhinos fan I was Gutted that leeds did not keep to their word and bring him back when Smiths contract was up, so lets see if Daryll can do it for England.

Posted 18:12 25th November 2009

Gary Anders says...

Give Tommy martin a go.

Posted 13:56 22nd November 2009

James Turner says...

I remember years ago we had internationals or representative matches call them what you will between GB and other nationalities. I would think that having an annual series of matches between the national side and a other nationalities team would be of more interest to the fans and a better contest than playing Roses matches or games against lesser national teams. This at least should create more competative matches, Super League has quite a few other nationalities ( some say too many ) who are quality players who should be able to make up a squad capable of giving the national side a stiff test. Something they only get now from the southern hemesphere countries. I suppose there must be some contractural or other reason the that these type of games have not been resurrected, as surely am not the only one to think about it. Would be interested to hear other opinions on this issue.

Posted 16:19 21st November 2009

Vic Mellors says...

I am an Australian Psychologist who has written articles for the Rugby League Coaching Manual in Australia. My father was born in Walsall so you might say I am 50/50 in blood line. The reason why I wish to comment on the recent loss by England is because they can beat Australia. I was a 16 year old kid who watched John Whitely's 1970 squad win the Ashes after losing the first test 37-15. The reason why they won that series was not only the playing talent but the match hardened fitness they developed as the tour went on. Men like Hartley, Reilly, Laughton, Watson, Thompson and Fisher became feared by their opposition. They also had Millward, Hepworth, Myler and Hynes. They were mentally tough all over the park, physically fit and technically sound. For England to win a series or World Cup they need to play a 3 match Test series in Australia every two years where the squad plays in the lead up to these tests such sides as Queensland Residents (Qld Cup), The Queensland State of Origin side , The New South Wales State of Origin side and New South Wales Resident side. The experience in these tour matches would be invaluable and the tour would need to go for about 6 weeks. If the Australian Rugby League is fair-dinkum about developing international rugby league, they would support such a concept. At the individual level Rugby League players need Courage, Commitment and Control. At the team level, the team requires Persistence, Discipline and Concentration. England will develop these characterstics with more exposure to high-intensity Rugby League and a game built on mental-toughness, physiological, technical and psychological strength. If I was the English Rugby League, I would bring back Malcolm Reilly with an assistant coach he could groom. He was not only a great player but has experienced success as a coach in both England and Australia. Exposure to high intensity matches is very important for England. Vic Mellors

Posted 09:45 21st November 2009

Mike Burgess says...

The reasons for England failing yet again keep pouring in but from my perspective the real reasons for continual Aussie success (not just in Rugby League but in many world wide popular sports) have not been recognised. For years I have been reading why the Poms can't match it and yet nothing changes. Here is my opinion on why the Aussies are so good. For all Aussies - from those in government down to school kids in little outback towns - sporting success means everything. They play competively and have a win at all costs attitude from an early age. The country has 6 states with their own state governments (as well as a federal government overall). There is fierce rivalry between the states with each one trying to be the best. Government leaders and the state's media all get involved in this rivalry - so from an early age kids who are selected to play for their state (whatever the sport) develop a competitive pride and strong desire to win. State Government leaders and their media use sporting success to justify their claims of being the best state in Oz. They pour money into promoting sport and in providing excellent facilities. So, successful sports people develop a pride in their state firstly and then their country if they reach that level of representation. Success at these two levels means much more to them than success at a club level. After all they can move from club to club but they can never change where they were born! David Waite tried to emulate Oz with county game years ago. It didn't work. Why? Pride was not as strong and players were rested from 2nd half to avoid injury for upcoming club game. So different to Oz. Oz Prime Ministers have been openly and publicly proud of their home state's sporting success. Has this happened in UK? Probably indifferent. If Poms want to succeed at sport then they must change their attitude towards competitive sport in the first instance.

Posted 03:28 19th November 2009

Dean Pritchard says...

Three things need to happen here and soon- Firstly, a total ban on all Australian and NewZealand imports, until the 2013 World Cup- this will allow home talent to come through the system (Scott Moore being a prime example) Secondly, there neds to be greater flexibility to the International requirements, as there is in the Premiership- State of origin- type games could be played during Superleague season, with selected playess releasesd accordingly The Superleague teams will have to buy in to this though. Thirdly- the State of Origin games will have to include the teams from all home nations, plus France, to assess how we are progressing as a viable team. They seem like draconian measure, maybe, but Football manages the system quite easily, and if we are to put an and to this sorry state of affairs, then I believe that this is the only way forward- Just changing the Coach will achieve little, if nothing- we are just papering over the cracks!

Posted 17:08 18th November 2009

John Rouse says...

Tony Smith was lucky to inherit a ready made squad courtesy of Daryll Powell and the Leeds youth system. We had just the same response from Leeds when he was there-the heads would go down and the team gave up , just as England.Look what Bluey has done and the number of games Leeds won last year by busting a gut in the last few minutes. England need a coach to inspire such effort. I think we should look a bit wider than the existing or established Super League set up or bring in someone less established but full of ambition. We shoukld also look at more representative matches as preparation to get the team gelling earlier

Posted 20:31 16th November 2009

Martin Halliwell says...

The problem lies deeper than the coach or the players. It all starts when these average players are 14/15 and they sign for a super league club who employ scouts who have limited RL skill, knowledge or experience, now they don't sign through talent or ability they sign because their faces fit or the scout knows their dad. These players then go on to receive sub-standard coaching by coaches and management who have been employed using similar criteria the club uses for scouting, eventually these players break into an average first team in the so called "SUPER LEAGUE" before you know it they are representing England against a well coached Australia team with natural talent and passion, there's only gonna be one outcome! occasionally talented players come through but don't worry all the natural talent is coached out of them. After all these years of politics and back scratching a rugby league is nothing more than a mockery of what it used to be, flooded with average players, average coaches, clueless scouts, so-called development officers who have never played and idiots sucking every last breath of life from a sport that was loved by many but is now a laughing stock. WE WILL NEVER BEAT THE AUSSIES AS LONG AS MUPPETS ARE ALLOWED TO RUN THE GAME.

Posted 20:12 16th November 2009

Mick Woollard says...

i was at the game saturday and basically it was men against boys. maybe they are called super league players but thats has far as it goes.get a all british team set up to play at club level for a start, stop trying to spread rugby to far and concentrate on putting the GB- England house in order first. i will be going to the club championship but will be there to see the Australians. no doubt there will be an meeting about what went wrong but the fact is the GB set up from management down is not good enough for domestic players.

Posted 07:38 16th November 2009

Chris Allam says...

As a Rugby Union fan, I would like Martin Johnson to be the next League Coach.

Posted 07:36 16th November 2009

Paul Johnson says...

The key is not the coach,its getting our best young tallent playing down under,in their COACHING SYSTEM, [not just the coach but the system is most important]. And not just for a season ,but for a three of four year stint. The more english players competing week in week out over a longer period in Australia will directly relate to our chances of winning the world cup. Give Edwards a chance with Justin Morgan to assist.

Posted 06:11 16th November 2009

Neale Vaughan says...

Believe it or not but I thought Englands performance was the best I have seen in years,You have a young enthusiastic side who with more experience and fitness will develop into a team that I believe will be our biggest challenger. Although I did not agree with removing Tony Smith,he was just starting to develop this squad and now you have to start again,look at Sir Clive Woodward he coached the England Rugby Team for years before they developed into the team that would win a World Cup. You need to be patient England or the scorelines will always be the same.

Posted 03:05 16th November 2009

Chris Rigby says...

i personally think that the way forward would be to bring in are own origin games it would bring money to the game as in tv rights etc and give the fans somethin to look forward to. plus i think tony smith did something that not many would have had the guts to do as in leaving out players who hadnt performed last season like pryce, wellens, i think we need to keep that philosophey and we should pick on form not reputation look at the aussies every year there form players get picked and that means to start they are confident in there play because they know they have been playing well all year. plus i think england should try to get daniel anderson to come coach us as he done wonders for saints and there attacking game. but whoever coachs i think we wont beat the aussies till we get some money to keep the top talented sports men in are country in this game instead of losing them to football or union

Posted 22:45 15th November 2009

John Douglass says...

i would like to say to all the pundits and so called experts that there is no difference in player quality intensity /sport when it comes down to it they just handle the pressure better ,better you say ?it does not matter what the sport is in there country they get behind it 100% can we say that as a country we get behind them no just wait and see world club championship the leeds players in a stadium that is actually full not half or three quaters full what a shambles no wonder the lads did not perform let me think ive got myself syked up iam ready to pile into the aussies and there is half a crowd ,now the aussies on the other hand come out and are thinking well dont people in england know about rugby they should have stopped selling tickets on friday and given the other tickets for free to get more people involved, can i just ask why we have a sallery cap and who the iddiots are that are running the rfl maybe they come from the same school of no thought as the thiefing and lieing mps i keep saying but look at leeds rhinos succesfull on/off the field yes they make money but they also bring a hell of alot of youth and local talent through which in turn keeps the people interested the rfl need to see these players are not ignorent to the public they are well in tune it needs to be channeld into

Posted 22:29 15th November 2009

Andy Powell says...

I believe we had 2 options for last nights game go with experiance and see if we could beat the Aussies or go with youth and try for suprise win, we opted for the 2nd. For 60 minutes we were well in with a shout but lacked anyone taking command at the key points I.e. Thurston, Lockyer, Slater. The english game needs to step up a gear, to come even close, my big rant is that there seems to be no passion from the team as a whole just look at the passion you saw in the Aussies vs New Zeland game neither wanted to give in or loose. John Kear would be a good option but its the people higher up the ranks that need to have answers to where England / GB are going to go from here. Bring back the Roses challenge and start a little competition between players, go on tour to the state of origans and experiance what they do down there, come on guys we are going to be left behind again!!! *Rant Over*

Posted 21:58 15th November 2009

Jeff Talbot says...

The obvious candidate is Justin Morgan who has achieved more than any superleague coach when you consider what he has had to work with.

Posted 21:33 15th November 2009

Sean Morgan says...

I think that we should give the job to Shaun Edwards and make Kris Radlinski the joint assistant manager with Phil Clarke.

Posted 21:20 15th November 2009

Kevin Bower says...

You can point the finger at several reasons why we appear to be no nearer to competing with the aussies.When all said and done though regardless of who the coach is we will never be able to compete unless time money and effort are given over a long term period to junior development. The australians have thousands and thousands of kids playing rugby league at school and club in good conditions. Most of our schools dont play regular fixtures and few clubs run teams at every age group.Also the people who control our game still think its ok for the professionals of our sport to play in the summer conditions whilst sending kids out to play in the winter.I hope the next man in charge is english and the authorities look at changing the structure at grass roots level then maybe in 10 years time we might not only have a crop of quality englishmen but the depth to match the australians also ..

Posted 21:18 15th November 2009
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