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#Post#: 147483--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: Subterra
Date: January 7, 2026, 11:56 am
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Well the CEO will be attending a Question & Answer session in
the Debenture Lounge at 11:45.
So wangle your way in there and giving him a good grilling, the
more awkward questions the better.
Maybe someone might record it and stick it on U-Tube.
#Post#: 147484--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: AAjnr
Date: January 7, 2026, 12:37 pm
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--- Quote from: FrostAndFire link ---
>
> I think there are fewer top-level coaches just floating around
waiting for a job, and we don't really have a tradition of
poaching them from other clubs (nor the resources to do it).
Football is on a different level both in terms of available
coaches and money that can be splashed around to obtain them.
>
--- End Quote ---
Makes sense - LD if you're reading this feeling free to poach
the idea if you like it, though 😉
#Post#: 147487--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: January 7, 2026, 2:24 pm
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--- Quote from: KentQuin link ---
>
> Jones, Ugo and Ashton were of the view that we traditionally
do very well at under 18 and 20 level, but not enough of our
academy graduate to become premiership regulars. They point to
an unsettled first team environment and constant chopping and
changing of DOR's as a big contributing factor. They use Saints
as a reference point whereby the playing style from age grade
through to first team is consistent, making the transition for
younger players far easier.
>
--- End Quote ---
Saints are probably the best for this at the moment I think? But
even their hit rate is pretty low.
It's not all that easy finding the details for academies prior
to this season, but as an example, here are the 22/23 senior
academy members for Saints:
George Patten
Ed Prowse*
Nick Tarr
Callum Burns
Aston Gradwick-Light
Craig Wright*
Emeka Atuanya
Joseph Gaffan
Geordie Irvine
Tom Lockett*
Kayde Sylvester
Josh Weru
Duane RatuVilai Willemsen
Jake Garside
Matthew Arden
Ethan Grayson
Archie Kean
Tom Litchfield*
Toby Thame* (ish, he's just begun to start matches regularly)
Frankie Sleightholme
George Hendy*
so there's a lot of players who've sunk without a trace, one
huge success (Hendy), plus a few quality club players (Lockett,
Litchfield & Prowse in particular).
Pollock was promoted for the following season and has obviously
stood out; Todaro I think came through the academy as well.
MacParland is starting to show up nicely.
But it's not like every year they see loads of stars, that's
just not how it works. The vast majority of the Saints squad is
25+; it's about getting a few good academy promotions each
season and the occasional real bright spark.
2022/23 is when we got a pretty average (for us) set of academy
players available for the main squad:
Caleb Ashworth
Ethan Clarke
Jack Doorey-Palmer
Tom Osborne
Will Hobson* (beginning to get regular starts)
Rhys Litterick
Nathan Jibulu (we all know what happened here!)
Tom Golder
Jonny Green*
Harry Browne
Zach Carr*
Seb Driscoll
Jonny Smith
Makeen Alikhan
Will Trenholm (went to Glaws)
Charlie Clare
Jake Murray
Jamie Benson*
Ben Waghorn*
Ludo Kolade
Bryn Bradley*
Hayden Hyde
Cassius Cleaves*
Connor Slevin
Conor Oresanya
so Trenholm and Jibulu are Premiership regulars... just no
longer for us. Hobson is making waves, Waghorn is fantastic,
Bradley is getting games, Cleaves is a regular starter, Benson
is making appearances, Carr is making appearances. We don't
quite have a Hendy but we're not a million miles off Saints. If
we'd held onto Jibulu it'd be a pretty good outcome all told.
#Post#: 147488--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: Scooter
Date: January 7, 2026, 2:52 pm
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--- Quote from: T-Bone link ---
>
> I've not listened to the full interview or the BBC pod. What
are they saying is wrong with the academy integration into the
first team?
>
--- End Quote ---
Quins have far more rugby playing independent schools in their
academy catchment area than any other academy. It's an enormous
resource that simply isn't being developed properly.
#Post#: 147495--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: never sleep
Date: January 7, 2026, 5:53 pm
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And here we go again . . .
#Post#: 147557--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: championes
Date: January 9, 2026, 3:27 am
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--- Quote from: Subterra link ---
>
> Well the CEO will be attending a Question & Answer session in
the Debenture Lounge at 11:45.
> So wangle your way in there and giving him a good grilling,
the more awkward questions the better.
> Maybe someone might record it and stick it on U-Tube.
>
--- End Quote ---
What’s the plan when he leaves?
Who’s your first choice DOR who is available?
Which players are you cutting and which if those will need
paying off to end contracts early?
Which players would you like to sign in which positions?
Do we have the cap room to sign those players?
Does this happen now or in the summer and how does recruitment
work if they are all sacked now?
#Post#: 147558--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: never sleep
Date: January 9, 2026, 3:43 am
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--- Quote from: championes link ---
>
> What’s the plan when he leaves?
> Who’s your first choice DOR who is available?
> Which players are you cutting and which if those will need
paying off to end contracts early?
> Which players would you like to sign in which positions?
> Do we have the cap room to sign those players?
>
> Does this happen now or in the summer and how does recruitment
work if they are all sacked now?
>
--- End Quote ---
May I suggest that if you are to want questions answering, then
you should at least ask a question that can be answered.
E.g. There is no way that any business will tell people that a
contract is to be terminated before they spoken to the lawyers
and the parties on the contract.
Also - speculating on first choice DOR. Why would any company
publicly say who they want to employ. This would mean that their
agent could ask for an unreasonable amount of money. etc, etc.
#Post#: 147559--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: January 9, 2026, 4:04 am
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LD is never going to sell anyone down the river or talk badly,
id probably ask something similar to:
1) You've referenced how our previous head coach positions have
not worked out. With the position the club is at now after
seasons upon seasons of failed appointments, do you first agree
it's important the successful candidate has a previous history
of being a head coach, and furthermore having had success
already in that role? And what ultimately are the qualifiers for
someone being offered the role in terms of what the club is
looking for?
2) It's clear the recruitment policy has been on the whole a
failed one over the last 2/3 seasons. We had some generational
talent in the likes of Andre and Collier who provided solid
platforms which led to success. Whilst we would struggle to get
direct replacements, can you explain the thought process behind
firstly not bringing another Centre in following the early
release of Andre, and then seemingly from a very early stage
last season finding Lennox was leaving, to then not replace him?
(As with all due respect to Northmore he isn't a 12, and Waghorn
is still developing)
#Post#: 147560--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: never sleep
Date: January 9, 2026, 5:00 am
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--- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
>
> LD is never going to sell anyone down the river or talk badly,
id probably ask something similar to:
>
>
> 1) You've referenced how our previous head coach positions
have not worked out. With the position the club is at now after
seasons upon seasons of failed appointments, do you first agree
it's important the successful candidate has a previous history
of being a head coach, and furthermore having had success
already in that role? And what ultimately are the qualifiers for
someone being offered the role in terms of what the club is
looking for?
>
> 2) It's clear the recruitment policy has been on the whole a
failed one over the last 2/3 seasons. We had some generational
talent in the likes of Andre and Collier who provided solid
platforms which led to success. Whilst we would struggle to get
direct replacements, can you explain the thought process behind
firstly not bringing another Centre in following the early
release of Andre, and then seemingly from a very early stage
last season finding Lennox was leaving, to then not replace him?
(As with all due respect to Northmore he isn't a 12, and Waghorn
is still developing)
>
>
--- End Quote ---
These are much better examples of questions.
But - some feedback -
"do you first agree". This puts words into the persons mouth.
It is almost as if you are leading the witness.
Basically, you are just wanting to find out what metrics they
are using to rank their candidates. So, it is probably better
just to ask directly "What metrics would you use to rank your
candidates for head coach" may be better.
If your question is even slightly wooly or verbose, then you are
likely to get a wooly and verbose answer.
Likewise - on question 2 - It looks as though you want to know
why they didn't start replacing 12 when they found out that
Lenny was off.
So - maybe also more direct - "When you found out that Lennox
was leaving, why didn't you look to get a replacement
considering that Waghorn is still developing and probably
wouldn't be able to fill the role full time?"
#Post#: 147562--------------------------------------------------
Re: The Ruck podcast is up with CEO interview
DIR By: never sleep
Date: January 9, 2026, 5:07 am
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The bit that I am interested in is this:
All of the focus is on the head coach (who I personally think is
a weakness - but, that is by the by).
But - we have also lost our DOR. In my head, the DOR is as
important (if not even more so) than the head coach.
What is being being done to replace this role?
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