This thread is to discuss anyone linked with the Head Coach role at the Ospreys.
I will start with Swys De Bruin, the former Lions coach has been linked with the job by Wales Online. De Bruin is supposed to be an innovative coach who is good at reading people and had the Lions playing some excellent rugby.
This is from rugbypass.com
“Swys has made a ground-breaking contribution in the style of play and attacking patterns to the Team whereby memorable tries have been scored at Emirates Airline Park,” said club chief executive Rudolf Straeuli. “On behalf of the management, players and supporters we thank him and wish him well in his future endeavours.”
During de Bruin’s tenure the Lions won the Vodacom Cup in 2013, the Currie Cup in 2015 and reached the Vodacom Super Rugby finals is 2016, 2017 and 2018."
Brock James appointed as Attacks Coach. Anyone know anything about him?
Any updates Milldew?
Aren’t we still short of a backs coach?
Well, it’s not going to be Blackett as attack coach then. He has been appointed as wasps head coach. Who does that now leave as favourite?
Following on from this Orders suggesting now Blackett is on our short list as attack coach
In TRP today Lee Blackett the Wasps attack coach for the past five years under Dai Young was lined up to take over at Coventry but as put it on hold to talk to an unnamed pro 14 outfit.
@Fiddler what do you think about signing Simon Gardner on a longer term contract? This will allow us to free up one of our NWQ players and may be relatively cheap. Is he up to being 2nd choice tight head?
Home grown could include, on top of Protheroe and Reffell, Halfpenny and Thornton?
At least nepotism hasn’t secured him the job. Best of luck to him. Will be interesting to see who his backroom staff.
The search is OVER. Toby Booth is announced as the new Head Coach at the Ospreys.
Welcome Toby.
Interesting interview with Ruddock on ospreys tv. His brief seems very wide as he has been holding workshops to align off field departments. He almost appears the de facto CEO reporting to the board and setting up the sort of structures I thought a kiwi was paid a lot of money to do!!
He suggested announcements were imminent and interestingly suggested he was looking at players with their roots in the area. Prothero looks a clear target as does Reffel. There are rumours of another player in England with ties to the area. Just wondering who that might be. Lewis/Beck at worcester? Wonder about Moriarty if he wins his appeal. Any other local lads we lost?
It did sound like the announcement was imminent.
By the sounds of the Mike Ruddock presentations it would appear we may have got the man we wanted. or am I reading them wrongly.
According to the rugby paper Toby Booth is now clear favourite
https://www.ospreysrugby.com/news/talk-ospreys-mike-ruddock-coaching-recruitment
Looks like it’s coming to a climax.
Is there any word on when the choice of the new head coach will be made?
Wouldn’t that be great? For the first time in our history we would actually have a competent coaching setup.
Atleast there’s quality in that list.
If Tips is waiting then I wonder which one he wouldn’t work with.
TRP today.
Per Fissler Booth interviewed last week and he Peel and Herring on three man shortlist. Steffan Thomas says Booth favourite and Tips waiting to see who new coach is before signing.
Going by 2 convesations I had with 1 person from within our organisation and the other with the man himself Dwayne Peel is not coming to us, but I was told probably we should know something in the next week or so.
Toby Booth is the latest to be linked to the Ospreys head coach position.
Quality at last
Dai Young now available. Stood down at Wasps today
Dwayne Peel? Why can we never learn. Shut us down now........
Latest news is that Day Young has been "relieved of first team duties' at Wasps. Possible signing or damaged goods?
I find it baffling that the Turks have found their new man even after starting to look after us. It hurts me to say it, but they seem years ahead of us in every department.
Any news or rumours on our new head coach?
Thanks for that Fiddler.
I think we need to be mindful of a few things.
Firstly Ruddock will only play a role for a short time, hopefully enough to see AWJ into retirement and in a position to take over as DOR. If we are grooming AWJ for a role at the top of the organisation and then move Ruddock into a consulting role we can stop wasting funds on "FUB "the fat useless bloke masquerading as a MD.
Secondly do we know if there is a limit on nwq players and what the position may be post brexit. Do we still employ Chris Davey as part of our recruitment team?
How much money have we set aside for coaches? If we got a great innovative coach for attack will he want the large number of carthorses with no speed we have littered in our back five and back division. Any attacking mastermind would want speed and we seriously lack that. There is no point telling your new attack coach there is no room for new players because we have carthorses like Price Cracknell Dirksen and Ashley under contract. There are probably only a handful of players in our back division with elite speed. Anscombe North Giles and Morgan.
I have no problems with Peel or any other young head coach provided we have decent director of rugby above him, its making sure that the person overseeing all aspects of game development and management has been through it and uses this knowledge and expertise to steer us in a positive direction.
There are no guarantees in planning a squad but if there is the right blend of experience and youth we might just capture a coaching team that employs good working practices to structure the team to compete with the best. This model worked for Pivac and Steven Jones when they were at the Scarlets and may well do so again for the Wales team; although their back room coaching staff of Hump's etc may inhibit this. I think they were employed to ensure there was a Welsh culture more than a winning mentality to the Wales setup. Selection by media shouting about the lack of welsh influence and thereby political righteousness is not the way to run an international squad.
And on that notion of doing what others think is the right thing is what worries me about the way the Ospreys management might be going about their business. My hope is that they may just be pacifying the media by leaking the notion of looking at a welsh coach.
To end this comment, who ever the coach is needs to have a playing or coaching record that makes them stand out against the international players in our current squad. Peel does have an excellent CV and he has been slowly and quietly gathering coaching experience which may be the opportunity for him to put into practice any ideas he may have while being mentored by a wisely old DOR who doesn't what the hands on role, Ruddock and Peel may just be the chemical balance that makes the Ospreys work.
Backs coach yes Head coach noooooooo!
Dwayne Peel? your thoughts anyone
There is also talk out there about Felix Jones, being in the mix. Most of the online stuff about him is pre World Cup, yet most talk is very complimentary especially from within Ireland and with Ruddock's contacts there it could be a very astute move.
He sounds like the head coach we should be going for, which probably means we won’t.