Or did he step into a group of players with plenty of talent and a winning mentality installed by previous coaches? Something Smith certainly didn't inherit at Warrington.

I have not always been happy with smith or McDermott with chunks of performances. Have we been greater than the sum of our parts in winning or underperformed too often and lacked style.



What is fact is that smith with a mainly young side in 2004 won the hub cap with style and the grand final.



Powell MAY have done it but SMITH did.



After the 80s and early 90s cannot be denied with differing ways Graham Murray (R.i.p) and Smith brought something extra to the table.



Slight thread drift whoever had the Hetherington out banner?

Smith is without doubt the best coach Leeds has had in the SL era - I was no big fan of his but you cannot deny his ability and his impact at Leeds. He create a belief that didn't exist before he arrived.



You can say all you want about Warrington not winning a GF but they have come pretty close - save a cannonball of Ratchford they probably would have beaten Wigan - that is a testament to his skill. In the last two years they have got closer to winning the GF than Leeds!!



Less said about the two CC finals between Leeds and Warrington under Smith the better. Save some on here the embarrassment of trying to defend the indefensible. Completely out played, out skilled and most of all out coached.

Yet if we mention when Leeds have injuries you label it making excuses, priceless.







Let's give them a trophy for coming close then











How well did he fair against us in the 2011 playoffs, or the 2012 GF, or the 2014 CC semi? 3-1 to McDermott in knockout games against him.

You are very selective in what you quote what is Smith's record against Leeds in finals? What is Smith's record against Leeds in knock out games? We can all make the stats say what we want. More importantly what is his record this season i.e. the present?

I think some on here are forgetting that "Tony Smith is magic" as I recall, on account of the fact that "he wears a magic hat". How soon some forget

Why are people on here so obsessed with a coach who left us over 5 years ago?

We enjoyed his time with us, he left.

Get over it.

Get behind our current back room staff.

Says the guy conveniently ignoring the GF and last year's CC below









As for this year's record, as it stands it's meaningless. Something you've pointed out yourself on other threads. Leeds are top of the the league, we're both still in the cup with the play offs to come. Wire might not even make the top 4 at this rate. Leeds will.

So remind us how many trophies Smith has won? How many has McDermott won?



Leeds have beaten Smith in 3 knock out games during his time at Warrington and he has beaten Leeds in two - two finals to one.



More meaningful than historic data would you not agree!!



Time will tell whether Leeds make the top 4 far from nailed on especially with fixtures after the split.



Would you like a charity bet Warrington will not make the top 4 you seem very confident?

Perosnally I think the comparisons are redundant really.



The coaches who have come in have been the right man for the job at the time.



Smith turned the clubs mentatilty around, and turned them into winners.



McClennan kept them motivated to keep doing it and instilled a hunger to keep winning



McDermott has been able to manage the transition, along with a more competitive league, and still win trophies.



All are top coaches but in different ways

I make it Smith has won 8 trophies in 10 seasons at a top club. (0.8 trophies per season)

4 trophies in 4 seasons at Leeds (04-07)

1 League Leaders

2 Grand Final wins

1 World Club Challenge



4 trophies in 6 seasons at Warrington (09-14)

1 League Leaders

3 Challenge Cups



Brian McDermott has won 4 trophies in 4 seasons at a top club (1 trophy per season)

2 Grand Finals

1 Challenge Cup

1 World Club Challenge



Brian McClennan has won 4 trophies in 3 seasons (1.3 trophies per season)

2 Grand Finals

1 League Leaders

1 World Club Challenge





Now I happen to think Tony Smith is the best coach out of those 3 with McDermott in 2nd place, but just going off trophies is a bit too simplistic.



As The Eagle has said they all came in and did the job they needed to and did it very well in my opinion. In which case perhaps a lot of praise has to be directed toward the man who hired the right people for the right job?

Please see your posts following a couple of dodgy performances and subsequent backtracking following a couple of good performances on the McDermott out thread as I can't be bothered.







I'm not sure where you're getting that from, I said Wire *MIGHT NOT* make the top 4. As it stands they're 5th best team in the country, your earlier posts in this thread back that up don't they? Or are you going to backtrack and move the goal posts again?



I'll be very happy to take a charity bet on Leeds making the top 4 though, since that's the point i'm clearly very confident of happening.

What does this have to do with the question in the original post precious?

Calm reasoned sanity in a world of polarisation

And IMO spot on. I would add that the fact the TS hasn't so far replicated the trophy success with the Wire, highlights the fact that success comes from the combined efforts of Coach the Players in the squad and the back room staff.