McNamara parts ways with Bulls (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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McNamara parts ways with Bulls
10:22am Tuesday 13th July 2010 in Bulls By Connor Murphy, Bradford Bulls Reporter
Steve McNamara
Steve McNamara's reign as Bulls boss has been brought to a premature end.
The 38-year-old today departed Odsal by mutual consent despite having more than two months left to run on his contract.
Appointed England coach in April, McNamara had initially been due to see out the season with Bradford before assuming national-team duties full-time ahead of the autumn's Four Nations tournament.
But he appears to have paid the price for a run of eight straight defeats that has seen his side slip out of the Super League play-off places, raising the previously unthinkable possibility of missing out on a post-season spot for the second year running.
Assistant Lee St Hilaire will step up to take caretaker charge until the end of the season, while McNamara is free to assume England duties ahead of schedule.
A club statement said: "The club thanks Steve for his commitment and unstinting hard work as head coach since 2006.
"His legacy at the club is a youth development system that will pay dividends for the club for many years to come."
McNamara added: “I should like to thank all the players and staff at this great club for their undivided commitment whilst I have been in charge. I wish the club every success, now and in the future."
The shock news comes against the background of the Bulls' continued search for a successor to McNamara, who agreed to become England boss in April.
St Helens coach Mick Potter remains the favourite for the role, with an announcement expected in the near future.
Comments(67)
fr13day
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10:28am Tue 13 Jul 10
Exiled-in-Boro
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10:28am Tue 13 Jul 10
birkybull
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10:33am Tue 13 Jul 10
the1bully
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10:35am Tue 13 Jul 10
and others may leave if they dont get gametime like atkins did.
i think the fact remains we have a poor ground, no money and little ambition to attract the best. Potter has changed his mind for same reason as brown- no nrl club wants them yet- but anything is better than macca, surely?????!!!
ladybull
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10:39am Tue 13 Jul 10
Aldbroughbull
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10:42am Tue 13 Jul 10
However I wish him well in the England coaching role
Steampig
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10:45am Tue 13 Jul 10
in fairness i do wish him well in the future so long as that future is a long way from odsal. i can honestly say that i feel he has given 100% effort and his youth development might well bare fruit for us long term but his results, recruitment and tactics have been very very poor ! SO LONG !! lets get the new coach announced ASAP now
Maccaout
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10:49am Tue 13 Jul 10
ladybull
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10:56am Tue 13 Jul 10
VJ Man
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10:58am Tue 13 Jul 10
SMftS loves Ashbournes Titty Lip
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11:00am Tue 13 Jul 10
Shame it's come two years to late.
Steve McNamara...You are the weakest link...Good bye.
bulls_stars
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11:03am Tue 13 Jul 10
Adey
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11:07am Tue 13 Jul 10
manc-bull
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11:07am Tue 13 Jul 10
The Seeker
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11:09am Tue 13 Jul 10
haitch
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11:13am Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Plonkers Supporter must be inconsolable at losing his mate.
Well done Mr Hood but you left it too late. If only you had listened to the more informed fans on here it could have happened long ago and things could be so different, but hey!! he's gone and that's all that matters.
Did I hear someone say he left the club in good shape??? Oh yes it's Ashbournes mate from Milton Keynes. What planet are you guys on?
mumbyfan
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11:13am Tue 13 Jul 10
Just gutted he didn't get a load of abuse at Odsal v Salford
The worse coach in Bradfords history. Fact.
haitch
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11:23am Tue 13 Jul 10
SMftS loves Ashbournes Titty Lip wrote:Well said mate!. Should have kept that old username a tad longer but I like your new one!!
Looks like the great SMFTS was right again, what did I tell you, he wouldn't see the season out and he'd be sacked. Shame it's come two years to late. Steve McNamara...You are the weakest link...Good bye.
Adey
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11:26am Tue 13 Jul 10
bulls2win
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11:30am Tue 13 Jul 10
danger mouse
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11:31am Tue 13 Jul 10
Wots up
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11:33am Tue 13 Jul 10
Prycey
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11:41am Tue 13 Jul 10
We must now get behind StHillair for these few games that are left. I hope Menzies is asked to assist him as I feel he could decide to go home after this season if he doesn't see light at the end of the tunnel.
haitch
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11:45am Tue 13 Jul 10
bulls2win wrote:Don't venture to Bulls as much as I'd like but there again we all have our cross to bear.
Hiatch you old **** do you venture to bulls games very often from your sheep **** home of lincolnshire??!!!!
Not many sheep here in sunny Lincs., It's more Tatties, Collies, Sprouts and Cabbage to keep Morrisons afloat!. Hope you are well bulls2win. Keep supporting for us old soldiers who no longer can.
stuwilkie
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12:02pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Sheffieldbull
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12:14pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Should have happened long ago. Lets enjoy the 'relief' i'm sure most Bulls supporters are feeling at this moment and welcome in the 'new dawn' - it starts NOW!
renegade chess
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12:17pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Craig
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12:22pm Tue 13 Jul 10
First and foremost, a man has lost his job and i wish him well, i never bore any personal ill will against Steve but it was clear to me and it seems judging from the reaction on here, to many others too, he simply was not up to the job.
However, he now has the opportunity to prepare well for the 4 Nations with England and maybe the fact that he has the players for a short, sharp burst of time means that he will be able to better impart his ideas onto that squad and perform to a level that we have sadly never seen at Bradford.
Back to Bradford, i am not sure what the temporary appointment of St Hilaire achieves given that he is a McNamara devotee and must therefore share coaching philosophies and to that end, i am not hopeful of any immediate pick up in results (he also still has the same dud players in the squad to work with - i think we all know who i'm talking about).
The Board now need to appoint a successor as soon as possible and support the tough decisions on player retainment and recruitment, which are going to have to be made to get us anywhere near to being competetive next year.
Thank you to Mr Hood for making a decision at last but my message is, do not risk disaffecting the fans by leaving it so long next time. I fear (and i know from personal experience among friends of mine) that some fans are lost to us for the foreseeable future as a result of McNamara being allowed to serve up the rubbish we've had to watch under his tenure for so long, time now to build stronger bonds with the fans and get the club back to where we have and should be in Super League, challenging for the pots!
Tricky Dicky
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12:30pm Tue 13 Jul 10
I assume the top 4 is now out of the question? What was young Crossley going on about yesterday? Another smokescreen. Many players will now have to put up or move on. I wish the caretaker coach all the best. He cannot possibly do worse and, who knows, may get a positive response from the players. However, I reiterate the words I have been making over the last three years. When MacNamara goes (and he has!), Hood should be two paces behind. He has overseen this debacle. Mr MacNamara has the excuse of inability, although I wish him well to prove me wrong at international level, but what is Mr Hood's?
But there will be no celebrating here tonight. The club I have followed for 45 years resides in a hole bigger and deeper than the one in Bradford City centre. A boil has been lanced but will the patient recover?
blue marlin
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12:41pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club
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12:44pm Tue 13 Jul 10
mumbyfan
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12:55pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club wrote:A better man would have resigned when it became obvious the players had lost faith in him and the fans pillared him.
Most of the above blogs remind me of the Roman Empire’s Coliseum and the crowd’s reaction baying for the death plunge when the opponent is beaten. The dark side of human nature! Show more compassion as Macca was a better man than all you critics on this blog site.
Stuart McCall did the decent thing at City... For the club!
Not like Macca who hung on like dog $hit on a shoe
Steampig
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1:06pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club wrote:oh dear, are you by any chance steve's dad? i agree that personal insults are not warranted and that steve is a nice enough bloke , but a good coach? no way! his results speak for themselves, he knows that a proffesional manager in any sport is only as good as the results his team achieve, his results are not good enough and he has at long last been shown the door. it's not a slight on the man as a person or his efforts but on his ability to coach a team that he built to win.
Most of the above blogs remind me of the Roman Empire’s Coliseum and the crowd’s reaction baying for the death plunge when the opponent is beaten. The dark side of human nature! Show more compassion as Macca was a better man than all you critics on this blog site.
SMftS loves Ashbournes Titty Lip
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1:15pm Tue 13 Jul 10
philgrogan
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1:17pm Tue 13 Jul 10
liklmissgiglz
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1:33pm Tue 13 Jul 10
philgrogan wrote:That was my thought too when I ready Steve had gone. Seems a bit uncanny to me that this was released yesterday and the board announce today that they had parted company with Steve. They would be cheap too!
Cummins and Poaching leaving Leeds at end of year :-p
Prycey
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1:36pm Tue 13 Jul 10
haitch
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1:42pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club wrote:Well you don't need critics, your posts say it all. As usual you obviously think everyone else is wrong and you are the only man in step.
Most of the above blogs remind me of the Roman Empire’s Coliseum and the crowd’s reaction baying for the death plunge when the opponent is beaten. The dark side of human nature! Show more compassion as Macca was a better man than all you critics on this blog site.
Macca was a complete waste of space as a coach, there is no other way to describe him. Maybe you should order a 5 seater taxi to take you, Macca and all his supporters out for a farewell drink.
haitch
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1:50pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Prycey wrote:Your post makes good sense to me Prycey. It would be interesting to know just what input Macca actually had in the youth development at the club too. He has had many plaudits for his youth policy but was it really Macca who was responsible or did help come from many quarters?.
A sports club is just as much a business these days as any other business. Macca has made a very good living from the bulls – probably better than most people who post on here. He has also had the support from the board for three full years which is better than most clubs would have given him. I have always said he has given 1005 and always came over to me as a good bloke. In the cold light of business you have to say he struggled with the job. He struggled to sign good players and it isn’t just about money. Good coaches find and make good players which is something Macca just hasn’t done. He can’t motivate a team and send them out. We played one man rugby all of the time. His conversational skills were cringingly awful at times – through no fault of his own as that is how he came over – very poor linguistic skills for someone who earns a living in training people. I believe I am only pointing out what so many other people have noticed over the years. For a coach motivation and spotting talent is everything. Macca just hasn’t got this which is a shame for someone who did put his heart and soul into the job. I hope he does well with England as I see him having real difficulty getting another SL job when he finishes with England – especially with his club coaching record. He may need to eventually drop into the championship and learn his trade properly as he only knew success when with Noble and didn’t know what to do when the money dried up and he needed to coach success rather than buy it. Good luck Macca but we all need a change from you.
doctor.t
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2:20pm Tue 13 Jul 10
I agree with Craig,in so far as St. Hilaire appears to be a Mc.Namara clone,and may just serve up more of the same.
However,he will need a temporary assistant,and that should be Paul Medley,who could instil some of the club values that have been so sadly lacking,recently.
Good luck for the rest of the season.
shaun from richmond
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3:34pm Tue 13 Jul 10
bulls_stars wrote:TO BLAME........SIMPLE "PETER HOOD" this man has brought the Bulls to its knees!!
Let see what everyone says next week if we lose to salford.. who will be to blame then?? best of luck macca for england. really feel he has left us in good shape for the future it must be said.
As for McNamara......2 years too Late!!!
bulls_stars
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3:46pm Tue 13 Jul 10
haitch wrote:Haitch.. read again i said for the future meaning young lads coming through. i have said many times already that macca has clearly not doing something right as far as the first team goes but the young lads coming through are very promising and thats down to his work. I, like many others wanted this news but dont feel the insults are necessary!!
Yippeeeeee so many whoops and Hollas it seems we all won the lottery.
Ashbourne Bulls Plonkers Supporter must be inconsolable at losing his mate.
Well done Mr Hood but you left it too late. If only you had listened to the more informed fans on here it could have happened long ago and things could be so different, but hey!! he's gone and that's all that matters.
Did I hear someone say he left the club in good shape??? Oh yes it's Ashbournes mate from Milton Keynes. What planet are you guys on?
Sheffieldbull
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4:30pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Like many others on here, i too believed Macca put in 100% - but he proved some time ago that he didn't have what it takes to be a successful SL Club Head Coach. Lets all hope he fairs better in charge of our National side.
Never has it been more important for everyone to pull together now and get behind the team. The results will be less important than the passion in which the lads play out the remaining 6 games. Our new Head Coach has a huge task in front of him... who ever he is, Mr Hood, please get it right, our future depends on it.
haitch
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4:31pm Tue 13 Jul 10
bulls_stars wrote:Point taken. Your loyalty does not deserve insults so I apologise for the offence. As I have said, I wonder if Macca has much input into Academy affairs. He has had many plaudits for work put in by others not least Medley this season. So whilst I withdraw the insult I can't agree that Macca deserves credit and am just glad we have seen the back of him.
haitch wrote: Yippeeeeee so many whoops and Hollas it seems we all won the lottery. Ashbourne Bulls Plonkers Supporter must be inconsolable at losing his mate. Well done Mr Hood but you left it too late. If only you had listened to the more informed fans on here it could have happened long ago and things could be so different, but hey!! he's gone and that's all that matters. Did I hear someone say he left the club in good shape??? Oh yes it's Ashbournes mate from Milton Keynes. What planet are you guys on?Haitch.. read again i said for the future meaning young lads coming through. i have said many times already that macca has clearly not doing something right as far as the first team goes but the young lads coming through are very promising and thats down to his work. I, like many others wanted this news but dont feel the insults are necessary!!
Prycey
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4:54pm Tue 13 Jul 10
kennyr13
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5:10pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club
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6:03pm Tue 13 Jul 10
haitch wrote:It has been said that when men grow old and senile they revert to the behaviour of young children. I see that trait in you and unfortunately you cannot reverse the slide, so it is no point me saying to you grow up. COYB get behind St Hilare until we lose a match and then same advice for next coach.
Yippeeeeee so many whoops and Hollas it seems we all won the lottery. Ashbourne Bulls Plonkers Supporter must be inconsolable at losing his mate. Well done Mr Hood but you left it too late. If only you had listened to the more informed fans on here it could have happened long ago and things could be so different, but hey!! he's gone and that's all that matters. Did I hear someone say he left the club in good shape??? Oh yes it's Ashbournes mate from Milton Keynes. What planet are you guys on?
bullybullman
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6:23pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club wrote:ABSC - I wont disrespect your loyal veiws on the club but I will say I think you very misguided indeed. How can you support Macca he has had a rough time & had less resource than many but he totaly wasted the resources he has had. He has shown poor judgement in the players he has bought & poor judgement in the on field actions he has taken. Macca is not a head coach but to make things worse he is now our national coach. How can the RFL give a job to a total under performer its like giving Roul Moat a job as a relationship advisor !. Macca has made a big mess at our club & Hood has allowed him to, at last he has seen sense. Macca`s quote about this great club is wrong it should say once great club. We can now get on the road to recovery I think most on here will tolerate lost matches now for the rest of the season & live in hope we can move forward. Francis Cummings is now likley to be our new coach I have heard on the grape vine Potter is going home but this is just talk. If it is Cummings he has done great things at Leeds & is a youth man & believes in youth so its not all bad.Haitch is a great supporter of the club & has been for years so there is no need to slate the guy for not attending every game ect support comes in many forms & we need all the support we can.Amen
haitch wrote: Yippeeeeee so many whoops and Hollas it seems we all won the lottery. Ashbourne Bulls Plonkers Supporter must be inconsolable at losing his mate. Well done Mr Hood but you left it too late. If only you had listened to the more informed fans on here it could have happened long ago and things could be so different, but hey!! he's gone and that's all that matters. Did I hear someone say he left the club in good shape??? Oh yes it's Ashbournes mate from Milton Keynes. What planet are you guys on?It has been said that when men grow old and senile they revert to the behaviour of young children. I see that trait in you and unfortunately you cannot reverse the slide, so it is no point me saying to you grow up. COYB get behind St Hilare until we lose a match and then same advice for next coach.
haitch
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6:42pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Prycey wrote:I would hope the new coach sees fit to select his own assistants. Likewise his own players. Few really deserve to be part of the new set up having helped plunge the club into new depths.
I just wonder if we are placing far too much hope in the young lads coming through. Other teams also have good youth policies so we mustn’t think ours is going to be our saviour. We need them as we can’t afford to buy players we used to do. A good youth system only works when they get into the team and become regulars. They are useless if all we do is get them ready to play for other teams which has happened far too often in the past. The Burgess twins will be no good if they follow Sam. The new coach and his philosophy are vital regarding the youth. He has to play some of them to show the others that there is a reason for them to stay. Youngsters make mistakes though and we must all be prepared to accept them and not shoot them down after a couple of games which is what happened to Crossley after his first game. I wonder if the new coach will keep StHilaire on as assistant. Should he be kept?
It's a huge challenge and will take some time to implement. The main problem being that if the new guy does not start until the end of the season, he has little time to assess individuals and replace them with the staff and players of his choosing before the start of the new year.
Had funding not been such a problem clearing out and starting again could have been managed in one clean sweep but its more a matter of prudence, pick up the pieces and gently forward.
So it appears whoever gets the job will need a year or two before his structure is in place and the fruits of such become evident.
I do see Kennyr13's point that we don't want any more learn as you work coaches. This must be a job for experience so lets hope whoever takes it has the knowledge and ability to turn things around. One thing he can be sure of. This is Bradford Bulls and whatever happens the club have a proud record of giving the new guy plenty of time to produce. Not sure he'll get that from the fans though who have been starved of even decent rugby for far too long.
blue marlin
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6:45pm Tue 13 Jul 10
pjbull
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7:58pm Tue 13 Jul 10
A Cummings/Poaching combination is not one I would relish - unproven at this level and we just cannot afford to run the risk. If the new Coach is not an Aussie, we are pretty much sunk as far as I can see.
Why people think St Hilaire, for the remainder of the season, is better than Macca is a mystery to me.
Tonight's password "good-once"; how ironic.
haitch
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7:59pm Tue 13 Jul 10
blue marlin wrote:I agree. My first thought was that Cummins is untried and not what we want but on further reflection the guy has had so many years now at a top club under some good coaches as has Poaching who has been at Leeds for some time now.Their youth policy is there for all to see. Together they might just be a potent force.
Dont think that the cummins poaching 'dream team' would be a bad idea given the selection of other cadiates that have been banded about i know most poster's will disagree but they have been involved at a top club and it hurts to say that but may be two outsiders could be the answer,also worth noting that richie mathers has gone to the tigers who are looking for a new coach. That's what makes rugby league such a great game we all have our own veiws but still have good old banter, also on a diffrent not sykes out for two games with ban for tackle at quins,
Okay, it may not be a top front line Aussie coach as we all crave but neither is Cummins a coach who has tried and failed at a S/L club in the mould of Macca, Lowes Brian Mac etc.,
These guys are also well known and respected in the game so.....Who knows Hood may be onto something if he is leaning that way.
pjbull
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8:04pm Tue 13 Jul 10
O ye of little faith
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9:18pm Tue 13 Jul 10
SMftS loves Ashbournes Titty Lip
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10:01pm Tue 13 Jul 10
eadwager
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10:17pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Steampig
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10:24pm Tue 13 Jul 10
haitch
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10:27pm Tue 13 Jul 10
pjbull wrote:You may well be right pj.and it felt hypocritical to write what I did after having said nothing short of a top Aussie coach would ever achieve whats required.
Haitch, surely you're clutching at straws? If it was announced two months ago that Cummins/Poaching had applied for the Bulls jobs, I really doubt we'd have seen them as serious applicants. I honestly believe appointing them would be the clearest sign yet of a desperate club who had failed to attract a decent field for Head Coach.
But having accepted such a top guy is not available and looked at the options such as Lowes, MacDermott etc I just wonder if an untried, but not inexperienced bloke like Cummins might be best of a bad lot.
I must admit I didn't know these two had applied for the Bulls job previously.
I can see where you say they were never taken as serious candidates but now it seems they are very much in the frame.
It would be a huge gamble but I would rather gamble than employ anyone who has already coached at S/L level and failed. These guys also have many contacts home and abroad which could be of benefit. Poaching is I believe well respected in RL circles.
It's pure speculation of course and it could indeed be anybody who takes the post. We'll know in good time but I wouldn't completely write off these two in the current circumstances especially as it is rumoured Potter may be on his way home?
finemess
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10:46pm Tue 13 Jul 10
johntheumpire
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10:47pm Tue 13 Jul 10
As I have stated before, the final straw for me was THAT cup-tie in Perpignan. There is no way in this world that he should have been kept on after that fiasco! The plain fact is that he was simply not up to the job, though clearly he tried his best.
As regards the Cummins/Poching story, might not be too bad if they were to have an older head working with them!
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club
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11:31pm Tue 13 Jul 10
O ye of little faith wrote:"O ye" you have the wisdom of King Solomon , shame the Philistine bloggers on here don't listen to you. COYB
With regard to Steve McNamara,three names come to mind,Iestyn Harris,Greg Bird,Matty Orford.The first is probabley why Steve never had the resources to build a better team,this episode cost this club more money than can be imagined I guess.The second couldnt get a visa to play in this country,what a difference just this one player made to Catalans last season,and could have been if he had been at the Bulls.The third was just running in to form when he got injured and so out for the rest of the season,which has coincided with the poor results of late.Then of course Steve Mc inherited a team that was decimated by players leaving for other teams,and then further with players leaving for Rugby Union.He had to start from scratch with limited resources and with players that were available.The youth development and recruitment had been neglected so this had to be started from scratch from the same limited money available.So the man had a big job all way round,so its no surprise that things didnt work out as we all would have liked as supporters.There are a few coaches in Super League that havent been successful in recent years but I dont see them ostracised as Steve McNamara has by his own supporters especially on this site.The man did his best but it didnt work out so I dont see any point in all the nasty remarks that have been made,we should all wish him the best and hope he is more successful with the England team.As regards Peter Hood and his board,without the stringent measures they have had introduce they probabley wouldnt have been a Bulls to criticise.COYB.
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club
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11:50pm Tue 13 Jul 10
mumbyfan wrote:To be gutted because a human being is not abused says a lot for your character. You should be ashamed of yourself or pitied if you have been abused in your life!
At last!! Just gutted he didn't get a load of abuse at Odsal v Salford The worse coach in Bradfords history. Fact.
This blog site does not representative the ideals of a family club with comments like that.
Tricky Dicky
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12:07am Wed 14 Jul 10
All is not well in the Odsal Sporting Village. The procrastinations over the announcement of a new coach can only mean that there is no name to announce. It seems we are now in a least worst option position. A knight in shining armour is needed to lead the club out of the shallows and the miseries with a trusty page at his side. Enter stage left Chris Caisley and Brian Noble.
VJ Man
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7:40am Wed 14 Jul 10
Would explain all the delays.
Password "sell-both"!
pjbull
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8:27am Wed 14 Jul 10
Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club
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8:33am Wed 14 Jul 10
Tricky Dicky wrote:Do you believe in fairies as well? Or that Sheffieldbull will win the Euro lottery and come charging up the motorway brandishing a cheque book. Dream on and lets stoke the rumour fires more, err heard on a grapevine that Prince Charles was toying with the idea of selling off part of Cornwall and buying out the Bulls. COYB
It beggars belief to still find support on this site for Peter Hood. In any other business, a leader who has run a company down to the status of junk stock would have been ousted long ago. All is not well in the Odsal Sporting Village. The procrastinations over the announcement of a new coach can only mean that there is no name to announce. It seems we are now in a least worst option position. A knight in shining armour is needed to lead the club out of the shallows and the miseries with a trusty page at his side. Enter stage left Chris Caisley and Brian Noble.
the1bully says...
10:25am Tue 13 Jul 10
sss!!!! jason, jason you got on the plane yet?? no why??
come back you can have the job til the end of the season see what you can do...
and if you can get steve matai to sign too you can stay!!!! and also anybody from the storm would also be great!!!!