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       #Post#: 147412--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: honkytonk
       Date: January 6, 2026, 5:15 am
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       Im not shocked we spend up to the cap.  This reminds me of a few
       years ago when some were saying similar things on here.
       Its about value for money for me, and I would say that we are
       not getting that from certain players.
       Picking names out of the air....Lewies, Launchbury and Chisholm.
       I doubt they are cheap and we hardly see them on the pitch.
       Injuries happen of course but if I had to predict players that
       would miss games before the season starts, those 3 would be up
       there.
       #Post#: 147414--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: Archquin
       Date: January 6, 2026, 7:26 am
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       "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."
       But according to some on here, he's a right wing fascist
       [emoji33]
       I think he would be a good option also [emoji3]
       #Post#: 147416--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: Rugbycat
       Date: January 6, 2026, 8:09 am
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       --- Quote from: Archquin link ---
       >
       > "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."
       >
       > But according to some on here, he's a right wing fascist
       [emoji33]
       >
       > I think he would be a good option also [emoji3]
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Trouble is he was a useless defence coach, and coaches a semi
       pro Champ team, who are mid table, and yet another unproven
       coach, we need a been there and done it type DoR and Head coach,
       and people are entitled to their views and to express them as
       long as they don’t break the law.
       Just don’t expect any high profile organisation to employ you,
       as it is going to risk their reputation.
       #Post#: 147418--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
       Date: January 6, 2026, 8:24 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I don't think NE will be considered. LD can't come out and
       basically say the selections of the past
       (Gustard/Matson/Kingston/Wilson) were all wrong picks (probably
       because they hadn't had such a senior job before), but then give
       the job to someone who has equally a limited CV for a top job.
       The saying buy cheap buy twice comes to mind. We are currently
       on our third head coach in the time Bath appointed Van Graan as
       an example. I think he knows whoever comes in has to have a
       similar pedigree where it isn't some  "learning on the job",
       with periods of reflection (or the many learnings the team
       discovers) but instead someone who can spot a problem and has a
       track record in fixing it.
       For another saying, throw enough mud and something will stick.
       Sure, NE could be a great pick, and it works out..I mean, it has
       to at some stage right? But it's a risk, as if hes appointed,
       flops, and the same arguments of not having the experience come
       up...LD knows he won't have any wiggle room and all of his lives
       have been effectively used up. Plus the discontent would be much
       more than now, and that's a risk for "the business".
       #Post#: 147420--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: never sleep
       Date: January 6, 2026, 9:22 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
       >
       > Trouble is he was a useless defence coach
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       A question from me though -
       Are you basing this on his first coaching role at Harlequins in
       2016?
       Or - are you basing this on his coaching career as a whole?
       For example, I have no idea about how good/bad he was a Sharks.
       I expect that if you are basing this view on his first coaching
       role only, then this may be a little unfair as it was 10 years
       ago and I would expect that he has developed since then.
       #Post#: 147421--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: poorfour
       Date: January 6, 2026, 10:21 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       There was some talk that the issue with Easter as defence coach
       was that he was too close to the squad at the time, so it was
       hard for him to be hard on players who weren't pulling their
       weight defensively.
       In the subsequent decade, he's gained a lot of experience in a
       wide range of different environments and has shown that he's
       effective at the Head Coach role, at least at lower levels. Is
       he ready to make the step up to a Prem club? I don't think we as
       fans can know, but he's regarded by the pundits as a fairly hot
       property and he is someone who has a good combination of knowing
       the Quins style of play while also being a pretty hard nosed
       player.
       If we're serious about having a long term head coach, then you
       are probably looking at someone for whom the role is a promotion
       and you look for them to grow into it; there aren't too many
       examples of coaches who stick with one club for a long time
       having already won top level trophies as a coach elsewhere.
       It's also about someone who can set a consistent culture over
       the years (Pat Lam did a good interview on this recently for one
       of the antipodean pods - GBRANZ or DSPN, I think - his
       relationship with Steve Lansdown is based on establishing the
       right culture) while also having the rugby brains to adapt
       tactics as laws and tactics evolve. Easter has shown some
       aptitude for both - and particularly for getting a lot out of
       his players - though whether than translates to Quins today is
       another question.
       #Post#: 147422--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: FrostAndFire
       Date: January 6, 2026, 10:25 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I think we all loved Nick Easter as a player, but the evidence
       for him being the head coach or director or rugby we need to
       turn this failing team around seems way too thin. And, yeah, add
       that to his apparent tendency to tweet stupid things, and it's
       hard to see that this is the best we could do. We'll see. Maybe
       I'm wrong. Maybe he'll get the job, turn the club around, and
       keep his personal views to himself. If so, I'll be as happy as
       anyone here.
       #Post#: 147424--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: KentQuin
       Date: January 6, 2026, 10:33 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       For me of Easter comes in its as head coach alongside an
       experienced DOR for him to learn from and succeed in a few
       years. Think Boyd and Dowson.
       #Post#: 147425--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: Rugbycat
       Date: January 6, 2026, 10:45 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: never sleep link ---
       >
       > A question from me though -
       >
       > Are you basing this on his first coaching role at Harlequins
       in 2016?
       > Or - are you basing this on his coaching career as a whole?
       > For example, I have no idea about how good/bad he was a
       Sharks.
       >
       > I expect that if you are basing this view on his first
       coaching role only, then this may be a little unfair as it was
       10 years ago and I would expect that he has developed since
       then.
       >
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       his first spell as a coach at Harlequins as a defence coach, the
       rest as a judgement of his coaching progress , his development
       has brought him to head coach of a mid table champ team, in 10
       years, so not exactly a stunning coaching trajectory.
       He was at Durban sharks for three months in the first spell, and
       an unpaid volunteer in the 2nd, and his forward and defence
       coaching of the USA national team has not exactly transformed
       them.
       Great player, but absolutely no proof that he is a good coach,
       and do we want to take the chance.
       You could probably make a better case for Dave Ward, if you want
       an aspiring coach.
       #Post#: 147426--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
   DIR By: KentQuin
       Date: January 6, 2026, 10:48 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: KentQuin link ---
       >
       > For me if Easter comes in its as head coach alongside an
       experienced DOR for him to learn from and succeed in a few
       years. Think Boyd and Dowson.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
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