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#Post#: 147397--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: SiB
Date: January 6, 2026, 3:01 am
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Thought when asked about other clubs ( Exeter/Saints) changing
things, to say nope we stick to our DNA, sounds like we are
hoping it will work if we continue long enough on this path
That being said the rest was as expected, and very few questions
from supporters answered
Remember when David Evan’s had a meeting in 2005 with
supporters, maybe that would be better approach, but at least he
did the interview
#Post#: 147398--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: January 6, 2026, 3:11 am
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It looks like as long as we have the present ownership that
playing the Harlequins way is nonnegotiable, which is fine with
me. As both times we won the title we did it that way.
We need an experienced DoR and head coach to do that, and to
play that way, we need good forwards and set pieces, and some
edge, and not just to throw the ball about and hope for the
best.
It’s fine making a mistake in appointing a coach but we have
done it time and time again recently, and need to appoint
someone who has been there and done it, and also plan for
succession, and that is not just giving someone the job at the
club and hoping they can do it, when one of the coaches leave.
We are spending the cap, which seems to suggest that we are
overpaying some players, we need to pragmatic around players who
are past their best, and recruitment in general, the inside
centre disaster, shows how bad our recruitment has been.
We need to make more use of the academy, and blood players
early, and retain the best ones, and if players are not going to
make it let them go, as we have retained players for too long in
the past.
#Post#: 147401--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: January 6, 2026, 3:30 am
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--- Quote ---
> We were on target to break even in the current financial year
...
--- End Quote ---
Yeah, right. Just like we were every other time.
#Post#: 147402--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: January 6, 2026, 3:34 am
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Fair play for fronting up rather than hiding away.
The thing is though its all fine and well highlighting the merry
go round of head coaches and poor recruitment, but it all
happened under his tenure. It was said (to me) like it was
something they were just unlucky about, rather than being
avoidable. Someone has sat there and gone (as an example) lets
sign up Launchbury and Lewies, who combined will probably play
less than half this seasons total games at best. That dosen't
represent value. Then the extensions for the likes of Anderson,
Els etc, to spend up to the cap and have so many players who
really cannot be relied on for one reason or another IS poor
judgement. I fail to believe he had no knowledge or influence on
things. Like with most things in business, big spends go up the
chain for the sign off.
#Post#: 147405--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: Quinten Poulsen
Date: January 6, 2026, 4:34 am
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Joe Schmidt is available from around July I believe.
#Post#: 147407--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: DOK
Date: January 6, 2026, 4:36 am
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--- Quote ---
> We were on target to break even in the current financial year
...
--- End Quote ---
Laurie did cover this "And, and on the financials piece, may
maybe something was a bit misconstrued and if that was me, I
apologize. We did the state of play in March 25. I don't think I
was referring to the figures that were gonna be published in,
in, in this last publication I was referring to the financial
year we're in now.
Um, whereby, 'cause at that point when I explained it, we'd
already set the budget for the financial year we're in now,
which sees the club going to break even. I think the important
thing to also point out is this is financial breakeven on an
operating p and l. If you take out. COVID loans and leases and
capital investment into the stadium and into the training
ground.
I'm talking about on an operating p and l basis. The club should
be in a position or should have been in a position to break even
in the current financial year we're in now. And that's always
been the target. The long term target or the medium term target
is. For the club to be sustainable financially and also pay for
itself in terms of what we need to capital invest in, in
developing the ground and and improving ourselves.
But in the shorter term, it was, that was the targets for break
even. Now, again, for full disclosure, having a slightly a less
than full big game two, three weeks ago. Well, well of course
there's a few issues, no doubt about it."
#Post#: 147408--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: T-Bone
Date: January 6, 2026, 4:39 am
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Thanks for posting the summaries. Fair play to him for fronting
up.
As others have said, the coaching appointments aren't bad luck.
There has been a clear decision to hire or promote people who
aren't top tier.
I'm glad they want to stick with an attacking gameplan, but both
title wins were also based on a really strong, competitive pack.
If we're spending up to the cap then Ed Spokes needs to go.
Imagine how much cap space we're using on launchbury and Lewies
that could have gone on lamb and tizard. Same for walker vs
jibulu.
As others have said, how can you lose marchant, andre, louw,
collier, marler and care and still be spending up to the cap.
Surely only petti of the recent signings is on a top salary
#Post#: 147409--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: TomBuckQuin
Date: January 6, 2026, 4:53 am
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--- Quote from: quins4life link ---
>
> Communication from the club is welcome, and credit to
Dalrymple for finally fronting up — that should have happened
much sooner.
>
> That said, many of the issues raised are long-standing and
ultimately the result of board-level decision-making. After
repeated errors around coaching appointments, succession
planning, and recruitment, it’s fair to ask: why is Laurie still
the right person to lead the club forward? Where is the evidence
he can deliver the next phase when the current one has so
clearly failed? A few things he said I have serous gripes with…
>
> Allowing a head coach to leave on secondment without full
clarity on potential future international commitments was basic
negligence. Regardless of what Wales said, I would not let any
coach go without clarity and assurances on next steps after.
>
> Supporters were also told — in previous meetings — that we
were working to a clear three-year plan. What happened to it? If
it existed, it should have answered the recruitment and
succession questions now being asked, not left us reacting
mid-season.
>
> It’s equally alarming that recruitment for next season appears
to be ongoing with no clarity on who the head coach will be.
That is not strategy — it’s guesswork.
>
> We’re also told we are spending to the full salary cap, yet
when compared to Bath and Northampton — who reportedly aren’t —
the quality and balance of our squad falls well short. If true,
that points to serious failings in contract management and squad
construction.
>
> I also think we give our players far too much say in
decisions. I don’t believe they deliberately choose easy options
when asked, but many simply do not have the experience or
leadership of figures like Care, Marler, and Brown — players the
club previously empowered to step up and drive standards. That
leadership void is now obvious due to youngness and lack of
experience.
>
> Communication is a start. What supporters need now is
accountability, proof of competence at the top, and a clear,
credible plan — not more explanations after the damage is done.
>
--- End Quote ---
You make some very valid points here, many of which I agree with
(and I'm sure I won't be the only one). But, to me at least, the
middle bolded section feels like your (completely
understandable) frustrations as a fan are clouding reason and
logic.
Firstly, we weren't in the conversations Laurie had with the WRU
pertaining to Wilson's secondment, but I'd be surprised if
clarity on next steps was not given. I'm just not sure what
reassurances you think the WRU could realistically have given...
and, if they had, what those assurances would realistically be
worth. Professional sport by its nature means whole coaching
ecosystems can be broken apart and reformed in an instant - and
when an entire international coaching staff is cleared out and
rebuilt from scratch, club coaching setups are likely to be
impacted. Ultimately, there are no reassurances that can be
given and there are no guarantees from season to season or even
game to game - Laurie knows that and I'm sure you do too. For
what it's worth, I think the WRU have done us a favour longer
term, because Wilson was never the guy - that's maybe where I'd
suggest Laurie and the board should take more heat.
On your point about the 3 year plan - well, Laurie answered that
too. It was Wilson's plan, Wilson left, end of 3 year plan. I
understand your suggestion - OK, so why doesn't Gilmore just see
out the end of that plan? Again, not sure that's realistic - you
want your head guy to have a degree of autonomy to make
decisions and execute planning that he believes will bring him
and his roster of coaches and players the best chance of
success. I'm sure he agreed with some of the projects Wilson had
underway, but would want to tweak others and bin off some
entirely. I think that's the only realistic way for a Head
Coach/DOR to go about business - not just blindly follow a
blueprint laid down for them by their predecessor. Laurie
diplomatically alludes to accountability for this season's
performances being partly down to the unexpected disruption
caused by the timing of Wilson's departure, whilst also
inferring that Gilmore will be judged on his performance in
leading the programme, albeit in difficult circumstances. I'd be
very surprised if Gilmore is here next season.
And then your point about recruitment I'm going to put down to
pure frustration - because I'm sure you're not suggesting we
should stop all recruitment for next season until we've gone on
a months-long search for a proper DOR/HC. The recruitment window
is short and there will be players becoming available who we
evidently need to battle for more than ever before (e.g. Kpoku
who is out of contract end of season and has been linked with us
previously, but more recently Sale). We're all saying our squad
is not up to scratch, so while I understand that you're
advocating for our next DOR/HC to be able to mould the squad in
their image (and I don't disagree with that), no DOR comes in
with that benefit in year 1/2. That's exactly why we hear about
these dreaded 3 year plans - that is realistically how long it
takes for a DOR to start to see the fruits of their squad
building strategy.
Having said all of that, I couldn't agree more with your
concerns re: our spend up to cap and the gulf in apparent squad
strength between us and the high-achievers. I'm sure it is at
least in part down to having to pay the London uplift on each
salary - we are no doubt having to pay our players above market
value simply because of where they're living and working and
with a salary cap in place that is always going to be a
limitation for us. That's not to make excuses though - there
have been some obvious and unacceptable flaws in our recruitment
over recent seasons and those need to be addressed urgently. Is
Ed Stokes still heading up this department? If so, maybe he'll
be packing up his desk - I remember there were murmurings about
him previously and by all accounts it doesn't look like he's
done a great job of late.
And I think I'm starting to come to a firm position of my own on
the player vs coaching voice tug of war which I do think has
played its part in our inconsistency over the years. You look
around the DORs achieving success around the league and you do
just get a sense they have a clear plan, a respected voice in
the changing room and they ask the players to buy in to their
plan. I don't necessarily think this means dictatorially - in
fact I'm quite sure that doesn't work either (see Sanderson,
Diamond). I just look at Dowson, Baxter, Van Graan, even now
Parling, and see composed figures who demand work ethic,
discipline and commitment and build cultures that necessitate
resilience as well as all the nice camaraderie, etc. The nice
stuff is fine, but you need the tougher stuff too - that, to me,
is where we're lacking most of all.
From my external layman's pov, Nick Easter strikes me as that
type of leader and he knows and loves the club. I'm growing more
and more convinced he might be the answer to our problems.
#Post#: 147410--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: never sleep
Date: January 6, 2026, 5:00 am
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I think the person who doesn't get enough stick is Billy
Millard. Basically he was the DOR when the merry go round of
head coaches was happening.
#Post#: 147411--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: Scooter
Date: January 6, 2026, 5:06 am
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The BBC Rugby podcast spends a long time discussing Quins and
what is wrong. At last some questions are being asked about the
underperforming Quins academy and Ashton recalls that he never
felt Quins were a serious aspirational team when he was there.
Ugo chips in with his usual waffle but it is well worth
listening to.
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