Sean Holley to Scarlets

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21079877

Is Holley the first ever non ex-player to coach in/at Llanelli/Scarlets?

Will Easterby be sacked? Or will the 'jobs for the boys' culture save him ('performance in role' certainly won't).

Why did Holley (as he claims) turn down the top job at Connacht to take an interim job at Scarlets? (Stand-in for Mark Jones must rank alongside 'West Glam U-12 cricket vice captain' as the least impressive entry on the Holley CV).

Is Wales the only place that trainee coaches walk into high profile jobs?

Does anyone care any more?

'jobs for the boys' has been freuqently in use all over the Scarlets page this evening Cas. Have you commented on there?

Those last two questions are the same I would ask.

I tend to avoid team specific forums. Are Scarlets fans generally in favour of 'jobs for the boys'? Or against?

No they are not. There has been widepsread annoyance over it after the Scarlets last 5 games. Same with McCusker as captain. Apparently he's stuck up for himself and the boys by insulting the fans on Twitter or in the paper or something.

I'm a bit of a Scarlets fan, and I don't think it will make a significant difference, it's more money spent when there's no need to IMO.

No need to have a backs coach???

Holley is a joke of a coach, too busy promoting other ventures to care, but at least it's half a step into professionalism for the Scarlets, to actually employ a coach instead of a mate!

This is absolutely fantastic news, the best news I have heard all weekend.

For if it happens and he goes to PYS that means he won't get anywhere near Dave.

don't think holley is as bad as people make out. sometimes i think he comes across as smug/arrogant which goes against him. toured with holley before, and he's nice enough fella. does have a bit of an ego, and will need to cut down on his own public ventures. but as a coach he does have something to offer. not sure he will be at the scarlets long enough for us to see if he makes a difference (only covering while MJ is away I believe) but for the scarlets it will be good to see an outside influence, rather than this insular "the scarlets way" of thinking - where the scarlets ethos can only be passed on from within.

I must say I am over the moon with the appointment, I have always considered Sean Holley to be a very straight talking, sensable, and easy to like sort of bloke. Really looking forward to seeing how he implements all of the things he points out on Scrum V.

Now all we need is Roger Lewis as our CEO, and to move to the Liberty and I can die a happy man.

Casartelli wrote:Is Holley the first ever non ex-player to coach in/at Llanelli/Scarlets?

Paul Moriatey and Rob Jones were both Jacks but coached at the Scarlets.

Casartelli wrote:Will Easterby be sacked?

I doubt it, we are still in a position where we are likely (IMO) to make the play offs.

Casartelli wrote:Why did Holley (as he claims) turn down the top job at Connacht to take an interim job at Scarlets? (Stand-in for Mark Jones must rank alongside 'West Glam U-12 cricket vice captain' as the least impressive entry on the Holley CV).

At a guess this job will not impact on his tv job, as Scrum V will have proper pundits during the 6Ns, whereas the Connacht job would have been full time.

Casartelli wrote:Is Wales the only place that trainee coaches walk into high profile jobs?

Possibly, but the other way of looking at it is that Holley (technically) is more experienced than Mark Jones, so you could argue it is a case of a pro stepping in to cover for a trainee. Actually I think Team Wales should give us Mark back and take Sean instead.

Morgannwg wrote:No they are not. There has been widepsread annoyance over it after the Scarlets last 5 games. Same with McCusker as captain. Apparently he's stuck up for himself and the boys by insulting the fans on Twitter or in the paper or something.

There is also wide spread annoyance at keyboard warriors having a pop at players etc amongst the fans.

pioden gorllewin wrote:don't think holley is as bad as people make out. sometimes i think he comes across as smug/arrogant which goes against him. toured with holley before, and he's nice enough fella. does have a bit of an ego, and will need to cut down on his own public ventures. but as a coach he does have something to offer. not sure he will be at the scarlets long enough for us to see if he makes a difference (only covering while MJ is away I believe) but for the scarlets it will be good to see an outside influence, rather than this insular "the scarlets way" of thinking - where the scarlets ethos can only be passed on from within.

I guess he will be there for three months, as he was at the match at the weekend, and I believe is coaching this week. Then there are 7 weeks for the 6Ns. Which takes us up to ten weeks, so probably give Mark a week off, and then a week hand over between the two of them.

All jokes aside, whilst I am not a fan of his, it will be interesting to see if he can bring a different approach to our backs. Main worry is he will be working along side our second string backs, so if he does get them to fire, and then gets a full time job else where, will they want to follow him there?

Easters said he's looking for a defence coach to replace the post he vacated this summer. So possibly after the 3 months Holley will move from backs coach to defence coach?

pioden gorllewin wrote:Easters said he's looking for a defence coach to replace the post he vacated this summer. So possibly after the 3 months Holley will move from backs coach to defence coach?

Which I guess would add up with his other irons in the fire comment on scrum v when asked about the connacht job. So you think it is a bit of a job trial for him?

I'd imagine Holley would prefer to stay in Wales (guessing) So the commute from Port Talbot (if he still lives there) to Llanelli would be convenient for him. The question is would he eventually want a head post somewhere? Also would the scarlets allow him to continue the scrum v, nation radio, Holley consultancy work?

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:No they are not. There has been widepsread annoyance over it after the Scarlets last 5 games. Same with McCusker as captain. Apparently he's stuck up for himself and the boys by insulting the fans on Twitter or in the paper or something.

There is also wide spread annoyance at keyboard warriors having a pop at players etc amongst the fans.

You'd better get on the Scarlets facebook page and tell them that then.

#WeLoveTavis!

pioden gorllewin wrote:I'd imagine Holley would prefer to stay in Wales (guessing) So the commute from Port Talbot (if he still lives there) to Llanelli would be convenient for him. The question is would he eventually want a head post somewhere? Also would the scarlets allow him to continue the scrum v, nation radio, Holley consultancy work?

Or how long is he willing to wait for one? Is he better off hanging around in Wales as an assistant, but making himself visable, until 2015, or is he better off going oversea getting the top job, but being less obvious to the WRU.