Hodge is not the answer

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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby germain on Mon Jan 23, 2017 2:56 pm

Friday Knight Lights wrote:
BigD163 wrote:
Friday Knight Lights wrote:The problem is - would a highly respected and experienced assistant coach want to move to Hodge's Edinburgh? We're not a big team and Hodge isn't the most respected coach going. In an ideal world you'd two really well respected and proven assistant coaches but perhaps they'd want to be DoR.


A very valid point, Hodge may not to bin Stevie Scott either (unless I have missed something). So the HC may be the only position that is different to the start of last season. I assume he may bring someone else in though.


I presume Scott is forwards coach next year and in my vision Blair is backs coach with Dalziel defence coach.


Hodge, Scott and Wilkins are all already signed for next year. It could possibly change (mainly if there is a problem with Hodge, or if Scott or Wilkins can't bear anymore to coach under Hodge), but possibly not.
If Hodge secures the HC position for next year, it's possible, but not sure, to see a new back or skill coach.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby germain on Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:47 pm

germain wrote:The deadly run of game that is coming during the 6 Nations will tell us what to think about Hodge.
For recall: Munster (H), Ulster (A), Leinster (A), Cardiff (H), Ospreys (H). Three wins out of that will be hard to achieve, but a real minimum if we target that 7th place.

Edit: I get it wrong. Cardiff is home and not away, just after the irish games. After Cardiff, it's Oz (H). Then Scarlets (A), Connacht (H), Treviso (A), Dragons (H), Glasgow (A).
So we'll receive our two rivals for the 7th place, Carfiff and Connacht. But just winning those two games, and the other home games, won't be enough.


I'll add that Cardiff also play Munster home, and then Ulster and Leinster away (their Ulster game will be after the 6 nations, and their Leinster game just before their european quarter final). The difference can be made during those games.
So we really need to be ambitious for the next five games: obviously three home wins + something else along the road. This is a season defining moment!
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby New Gunner on Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:36 pm

If Hodge can steer us to even 8th, I suspect he keeps the job. 7th would be an outstanding effort from where we are currently, and were when Solly left.

What about the Leinster model, but aligned to our budget? Leinster were going nowhere fast with Leo Cullen as head coach, but they didn't want to bin one of their young hopefuls so early in his new career, so they brought in Lancaster as an exceptionally experienced coach above him (ignore the titles) as mentor. Seems to be working rather well!

Aligning that to our budget, then we could do worse than bringing Lineen in for the DOR-style role, allowing Hodge more time to develop but with an experienced head helping him out. Lineen could still combine with talent acquisition, but would drop the LS responsibilities as ER has to be more of a priority.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby Crichton Gunner on Mon Jan 23, 2017 11:29 pm

But if Hodge is the head coach, what would Linden actually do in that set up? I can only see that leading to confusion. And are you sure that Lancaster is acting as lead coach at Leinster? Townsend didn't need a "mentor" at Glasgow, so I can't see why Hodge should need one.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby macdone on Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:14 am

I think the answer would just be to appoint Stuart Lancaster.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby robdinsdale on Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:55 am

I'd be unsure what the role of a Director of Rugby would be given that there is a fair amount of 'direction' heading Embra's way from the SRU in any case.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Tue Jan 24, 2017 12:06 pm

robdinsdale wrote:I'd be unsure what the role of a Director of Rugby would be given that there is a fair amount of 'direction' heading Embra's way from the SRU in any case.


Yep, Scott Johnson is our de facto Director of Rugby.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby bignose on Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:03 pm

Friday Knight Lights wrote:
robdinsdale wrote:I'd be unsure what the role of a Director of Rugby would be given that there is a fair amount of 'direction' heading Embra's way from the SRU in any case.


Yep, Scott Johnson is our de facto Director of Rugby.


What does that man actually do? Can anyone point to anything that he's been instrumental in bringing about over the past three years at any level of the game? For a man not known for hiding his light under a bushel he's been astonishingly quiet.

I'm genuinely curious by the way.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby biffer on Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:07 pm

bignose wrote:
Friday Knight Lights wrote:
robdinsdale wrote:I'd be unsure what the role of a Director of Rugby would be given that there is a fair amount of 'direction' heading Embra's way from the SRU in any case.


Yep, Scott Johnson is our de facto Director of Rugby.


What does that man actually do? Can anyone point to anything that he's been instrumental in bringing about over the past three years at any level of the game? For a man not known for hiding his light under a bushel he's been astonishingly quiet.

I'm genuinely curious by the way.


To be fair, he's been instrumental in building the academy system and that seems to be working pretty well.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby Frenchy on Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:16 pm

bignose wrote:What does that man actually do? Can anyone point to anything that he's been instrumental in bringing about over the past three years at any level of the game? For a man not known for hiding his light under a bushel he's been astonishingly quiet.

I'm genuinely curious by the way.

As I understand it, his job is to oversee all professional (and possibly some non-professional, seen him a few times on a Saturday at Raeburn Place) rugby for the SRU, including the academies (and possibly London Scottish). That includes easing any friction which occurs between the national team and the professional clubs, or between the sevens side and the professional clubs. I think he'd have a lot of say in whether players should move between Glasgow and Edinburgh, for example, or if players should consider positional changes, a la McInally and Vernon. As such, he needs to be aware of and interested in the development of all 100+ players on the SRU's books, plus all the academy players, and probably dozens of others. No wonder he's a wee bit quiet.

I make no judgement on whether he's fulfilling this role successfully, but that's what I understand his role to be.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Tue Jan 24, 2017 4:23 pm

Not only between Glasgow and Edinburgh but he's responsible for all the contracts those clubs have so works with Toonie/Rennie and Hodge on who to keep, allow to leave and who to bring in from elsewhere. In an interview Huw Jones said that Johnson kept in contact with him about playing for Scotland so presumably does the same with other exiles. So he'll be looking for players to bring to Edinburgh and talking to Hastings/Jones about their move to Glasgow.

It is quite odd he wanted to scrap the sevens who since then have gone onto be much more successful, not sure that has anything to do with Johnson though. It has to be said since Johnson moved upstairs Scottish rugby is moving forward quite fast - apart from Edinburgh who are unfortunately standing still. Obviously correlation is not causation but makes you wonder if he is competent.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby royc on Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:02 pm

I think SJ has a very big job, he's responsible for 8 departments, including the two Pro teams, the academies, the international teams - Womens, 7s, Age grades, plus exiles, strength & conditioning, medical, etc. See picture.

I'd think he is also responsible for a lot of the pro player contract negotiations and for the talent-spotting of overseas players, as there is nobody else doing these bits AFAIK.

Dodson said last year that he worked very hard and I can believe it, that is a very wide area of responsibility by any stretch of the imagination. I think he earns his corn and doesn't get the credit he deserves.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby doedin on Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:51 pm

Crichton Gunner wrote:But if Hodge is the head coach, what would Linden actually do in that set up? I can only see that leading to confusion. And are you sure that Lancaster is acting as lead coach at Leinster? Townsend didn't need a "mentor" at Glasgow, so I can't see why Hodge should need one.



Don’t know if he had one or not. However in my previous post I suggested that Townsend has more experience playing elsewhere as a player and had far more exposure to different coaching teams etc than Hodge has had whose career has almost been entirely based within Scotland. As a result i think Townsend brought more to the party than Hodge in that respect. Townsend also comes across as a bit of a thinker and that he was preparing himself during his playing days and learning everything he could whilst in England and France. If we go with Hodge, which I think we should, then he isnt going to get that experience so it would be good to bring in someone with different experience to his who can add to the team. We have some experience of coaching elsewhere in the coaching team but not lots at a higher level.
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby New Gunner on Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:24 pm

royc wrote:I think SJ has a very big job, he's responsible for 8 departments, including the two Pro teams, the academies, the international teams - Womens, 7s, Age grades, plus exiles, strength & conditioning, medical, etc. See picture.

I'd think he is also responsible for a lot of the pro player contract negotiations and for the talent-spotting of overseas players, as there is nobody else doing these bits AFAIK.

Dodson said last year that he worked very hard and I can believe it, that is a very wide area of responsibility by any stretch of the imagination. I think he earns his corn and doesn't get the credit he deserves.


That's quite an interesting reporting line / set of responsibilities, and would make him quite a busy boy. To be fair, Petrie and Bombrys (and Dodson) between them presumably manage the pro team contracting, but Johnson will give strategic input on who to keep etc. I remember him being responsible for the Toolii being recruited as an example, and he's been involved with Jones, probably Hardie as well. He's set up the academy system, presumably instigated the changes with schools rugby, and was behind the (unsuccessful) attempt to get the Premiership semi-pro league off the ground. It may not all work, and may not be all down to him, but Scottish rugby is doing quite a lot right and he happens to be Director of Rugby while it's happening. Interesting.

So Johnson, Petrie, Bombrys and Cotter presumably report into Dodson?
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Re: Hodge is not the answer

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:55 pm

New Gunner wrote:
royc wrote:I think SJ has a very big job, he's responsible for 8 departments, including the two Pro teams, the academies, the international teams - Womens, 7s, Age grades, plus exiles, strength & conditioning, medical, etc. See picture.

I'd think he is also responsible for a lot of the pro player contract negotiations and for the talent-spotting of overseas players, as there is nobody else doing these bits AFAIK.

Dodson said last year that he worked very hard and I can believe it, that is a very wide area of responsibility by any stretch of the imagination. I think he earns his corn and doesn't get the credit he deserves.


That's quite an interesting reporting line / set of responsibilities, and would make him quite a busy boy. To be fair, Petrie and Bombrys (and Dodson) between them presumably manage the pro team contracting, but Johnson will give strategic input on who to keep etc. I remember him being responsible for the Toolii being recruited as an example, and he's been involved with Jones, probably Hardie as well. He's set up the academy system, presumably instigated the changes with schools rugby, and was behind the (unsuccessful) attempt to get the Premiership semi-pro league off the ground. It may not all work, and may not be all down to him, but Scottish rugby is doing quite a lot right and he happens to be Director of Rugby while it's happening. Interesting.

So Johnson, Petrie, Bombrys and Cotter presumably report into Dodson?


I think technically Petrie, Bombrys and the coaches report to Johnson who reports to Dodson but there will be overlapping communication. I imagine there's a fair few cc'd emails.
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