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#Post#: 151192--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: Yareet
Date: March 19, 2026, 6:49 am
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--- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
>
> I like NE but he isn't what we need. Basically, if we go for
anyone other than someone with a proven track record already
doing a top job (in a directly comparable league) it could be
curtains for the club.
>
> Now, it could work out in the way Dowson at Saints has. But
that's a huge gamble. There is a chance it could work, but
there's probably a bigger chance it wouldn't which would be a
real disaster. My main fear is we get in someone who's never had
a great example of being at the helm getting success, and we
continue to be crap. Our top players within a season or 2 will
then go, and we will struggle to attract anyone half decent
which would resign us to probably a team having the season goal
of not finishing bottom.
>
> Obviously, a big name isn't 100% to do well but we at least
need to make educated decisions which we've not really done the
last 6-7 years
>
--- End Quote ---
I'm thinking through the current Prem DoRs and trying to think
who had a track record as the head honcho elsewhere before
joining their current club.
McCall, Lam and van Graan? So two of the current top 4 which for
me isn't a clear indicator that this is route clubs should
definitely go down.
Looked wider, famously there have been 6 different Prem winners
since 2020 (the end of Sarries' artificial dominance). I think
only Sarries and Bath have been led by men who've had previous
HC/DoR roles.
#Post#: 151193--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: March 19, 2026, 7:38 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> I'm thinking through the current Prem DoRs and trying to think
who had a track record as the head honcho elsewhere before
joining their current club.
>
> McCall, Lam and van Graan? So two of the current top 4 which
for me isn't a clear indicator that this is route clubs should
definitely go down.
>
> Looked wider, famously there have been 6 different Prem
winners since 2020 (the end of Sarries' artificial dominance). I
think only Sarries and Bath have been led by men who've had
previous HC/DoR roles.
>
--- End Quote ---
That’s true. But just means in the large that other teams giving
those chances have either been lucky or the choice was more
educated.
My main point is we’ve done that numerous times, particularly
with Kingston & Gustard as well as flopping with Matson and
Wilson, so the need for someone experienced is more than ever.
#Post#: 151196--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: March 19, 2026, 7:42 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> I'm thinking through the current Prem DoRs and trying to think
who had a track record as the head honcho elsewhere before
joining their current club.
>
> McCall, Lam and van Graan? So two of the current top 4 which
for me isn't a clear indicator that this is route clubs should
definitely go down.
>
> Looked wider, famously there have been 6 different Prem
winners since 2020 (the end of Sarries' artificial dominance). I
think only Sarries and Bath have been led by men who've had
previous HC/DoR roles.
>
--- End Quote ---
Think you'd also want to know if they were groomed for the role
in a successful coaching team, the circumstances that led to
them getting the job, etc
Proper succession planning is very different to "we're in the
muck, time to panic" ;-)
#Post#: 151199--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: Yareet
Date: March 19, 2026, 8:17 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Replying to both posts in one:
MQ, I think there's also a question of patience. Tabs was a
great fit for Quins stylistically. He was given two seasons
where you finished 3rd (of 13) and 6th (of 11). Since then, it's
been 6th of 10, 7th of 10 and currently 8th of 10. In hindsight,
I don't think Tabs was the problem.
Jammy, how many of the Prem-winning or current Top 4 DoRs have
been groomed into leading a Prem team? Take out Sarries and Bath
as they had already been HCs/DoRs and that leaves: Baxter, your
group, Borthwick and Dowson. By my reckoning only Dowson fits
your description. And I also Tabs was a panic hire - you'd just
won the league and had a settled group of coaches that just
needed a leader.
#Post#: 151201--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: Archquin
Date: March 19, 2026, 8:23 am
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can you stop with the Grooming rhetoric - makes me uncomfortable
:-*
#Post#: 151203--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: March 19, 2026, 8:29 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: JammyGit link ---
>
> Think you'd also want to know if they were groomed for the
role in a successful coaching team, the circumstances that led
to them getting the job, etc
>
> Proper succession planning is very different to "we're in the
muck, time to panic" ;-)
>
--- End Quote ---
Certainly with Kingston and Gustard the train of thought was
"good coach so must obviously make a good head coach"
Matson had one season at bath where he got 5th but also had
Blackadder as DOR
Wilson in 20/21 had a win % in the league of 37.5% with his only
main achievement being winning the ECC with Cardiff in 2018
All were gambles and all ultimately failed. Should Matson have
had had longer as he led us to by todays standards good table
positions? Maybe, but it was in his tenure the warning signs
were already visible, namely that tonking by Bath at the BSKO.
For me that game was the changing of the baton between the two
sides to being regular top 4/playing enjoyable rugby. Personally
I think Matson falls into the category of a good coach as he cut
his teeth as a decent backs coach, but not the full ticket for
long term success across a more wide spread task.
#Post#: 151216--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: JammyGit
Date: March 19, 2026, 10:57 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> Jammy, how many of the Prem-winning or current Top 4 DoRs have
been groomed into leading a Prem team? Take out Sarries and Bath
as they had already been HCs/DoRs and that leaves: Baxter, your
group, Borthwick and Dowson. By my reckoning only Dowson fits
your description.
--- End Quote ---
I don't know - I was suggesting it was a weakness of the
methodology and hoping you'd do the work! :P The question about
track records was a fair one but obviously people have to start
somewhere.
Dowson does seem to be a bit of a unicorn. I do remember a few
people like him who didn't work out. Stu Hooper, anyone? Aaron
Mauger? Nick Kennedy at Irish? Jason Robinson at Sale?
--- Quote ---
> And I also Tabs was a panic hire - you'd just won the league
and had a settled group of coaches that just needed a leader.
>
--- End Quote ---
I don't think he was a panic hire. Wilson and Gilmour have been,
though.
#Post#: 151222--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: Iamsnakes
Date: March 19, 2026, 1:49 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Nick Easter Can certainly take a Quins defence and teach it to
concede lots of trys.
I think its likely that he can take an attack and get it to
score lots......
#Post#: 151402--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: Quinaldo
Date: March 22, 2026, 6:18 am
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after the match yesterday, i got talking to a current player. he
wasn't certain but seemed to think there would be an
announcement potentially next week, and that our new head coach
will be mark mapletoft...
He also mentioned that we had gone after several high profile
southern hemisphere coaches (inc scott robertson), but they
spoke to tabai matson about his experience at the club and that
put them off joining...
#Post#: 151403--------------------------------------------------
Re: Robbie Deans
DIR By: A222Quin
Date: March 22, 2026, 6:30 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Quinaldo link ---
>
> after the match yesterday, i got talking to a current player.
he wasn't certain but seemed to think there would be an
announcement potentially next week, and that our new head coach
will be mark mapletoft...
>
> He also mentioned that we had gone after several high profile
southern hemisphere coaches (inc scott robertson), but they
spoke to tabai matson about his experience at the club and that
put them off joining...
>
--- End Quote ---
If the player was that candid then I can only guess that he
already knows he won’t be here next season.
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