James Haskell

[Covkid40]

I was driving to work this morning at 5.30am listening to Talk Sport when they had Haskell on discussing EJ and England. According to him the can see what Eddie is try to do and can genuinely believes England are moving the right direction. Also said that while he can see Eddies plan he thinks that at the moment it is the players not being able to carry it out that is the issue. His parting shot was that Eddies the best man for the job and nobody out there at the minute could do any better. He also mentioned that fans don’t actually know anything that’s why they are sitting in the stands and not coaching

[JonnyD]

Hask just doesn’t want to get blacklisted like Ugo.

[andermt]

Haskell is very much an Eddie cheerleader, and is matey with him so not sure he is the best person to be objective when discussing Eddie Jones.

[Westy68]

I really do find it odd when someone makes the comment that fans no nothing because they're not coaches. Do you really have to be a coach to see if a player is good or isn't.

I was 100% confident that France would beat England on Saturday, so I can tell the difference from a good team and a poor team

[Rossm]

I really do find it odd when someone makes the comment that fans no nothing because they're not coaches. Do you really have to be a coach to see if a player is good or isn't.

I was 100% confident that France would beat England on Saturday, so I can tell the difference from a good team and a poor team

Hask has always had a big mouth. Look at all the sh*t he threw at us when we wouldn't renew his contract a few years back. Subsequent injuries at Saints showed we were 100% right in ditching him. He was never my favourite Wasp.

[baldpaul101]

He also mentioned that fans don’t actually know anything

Can't argue with that, and the majority of posts on social media & fans forums prove it!   

[DGP Wasp]

I really do find it odd when someone makes the comment that fans no nothing because they're not coaches. Do you really have to be a coach to see if a player is good or isn't.

Agree 100%.  We all have views on the arts for example, despite the fact that very few of us have ever painted, sculpted, acted, sung, played or danced to any decent level.

Presumably when Hask goes for a meal he doesn't comment on the food as he's not a chef, so what would he know!?

[COYW15]

The more Haskell speaks the more I dislike him.

[WonkyWasp]

If  he made a non-playing visit to  Wasps it's unlikely that he'd be welcomed. Maybe a high tackle or a crocodile roll.

[Mellie]

He also mentioned that fans don’t actually know anything

Can't argue with that, and the majority of posts on social media & fans forums prove it!   

Including this one given some of the comments I've read here.

Lots of people think they know how things should be done because they played N years ago. I'm still playing now, have played in every position on the park at some time or other and coached mini and junior rugby and refereed it too. However I never think I know exactly what's going on or what coaches are attempting or the detail of why something isn't working.

We can all appreciate if a team is playing well or badly without knowing that much but, like all social media, keyboard warriors are keen to trot out their views as if they're an expert together with their prejudices about players regardless of the facts. For a fans forum I find it quite strange how certain players are frequently slagged off even though we don't know that much about their circumstances and they're in "our" team.

Rugby today is very different from what it used to be and, as far as I'm aware, none of us know what goes on at an elite level. All coaches are trying to get an edge and innovation is key to success. You can't play the way we were used to seeing in the amateur days and expect to win.

I'm no EJ apologist, in fact I think he's rude arrogant and self-serving and can't wait to see the back of him, but I'm sure he has a plan, though it's hard to work out what it is. It may work eventually, in which case he's a genius, or it may not. We'll have to see.

[westwaleswasp]

Haskell owes his career to Eddie. I like loyalty. The statement nobody could do better is, however, one of the most stupid things I have heard out of a sober rugby player's mouth.
For a start we have a WC winning coach, which Eddie is not. The current champions have one who took them to the title having taken over when they were 6th in the world and losing to Italy. Defining successful coaches is hard, but there are those who have done more with less. Edwards has been involved in 4 grand slams  in 14 years, three with a team that have never been to a final.
Haskell might just be fancying a career as a coach, after all rhe list of people who will work with Eddie gets shorter by the year.

[westwaleswasp]

He also mentioned that fans don’t actually know anything

Can't argue with that, and the majority of posts on social media & fans forums prove it!   

Including this one given some of the comments I've read here.

Lots of people think they know how things should be done because they played N years ago. I'm still playing now, have played in every position on the park at some time or other and coached mini and junior rugby and refereed it too. However I never think I know exactly what's going on or what coaches are attempting or the detail of why something isn't working.

We can all appreciate if a team is playing well or badly without knowing that much but, like all social media, keyboard warriors are keen to trot out their views as if they're an expert together with their prejudices about players regardless of the facts. For a fans forum I find it quite strange how certain players are frequently slagged off even though we don't know that much about their circumstances and they're in "our" team.

Rugby today is very different from what it used to be and, as far as I'm aware, none of us know what goes on at an elite level. All coaches are trying to get an edge and innovation is key to success. You can't play the way we were used to seeing in the amateur days and expect to win.

I'm no EJ apologist, in fact I think he's rude arrogant and self-serving and can't wait to see the back of him, but I'm sure he has a plan, though it's hard to work out what it is. It may work eventually, in which case he's a genius, or it may not. We'll have to see.

But when those keyboard warriors include old players like LOL or Healy,, coaches like SCW, and recently retired players like Monye, and they are saying the same as the fans, often with better access to England's set up, something is amiss.
That is why it is goid to hear some recent players come out and put an opposing view. Sadly its just Haskell.

[mike909]

+1. I tend to look at the player/ex player outputs on such matters - if I want to know about the sporting side - and Lol was pretty clear in his column and on social media - ditto those writing in the SH media too.

If it's something to do with people management, teams and the like, then my background in business provides some hints about if a leader/team is working. And I'd suggest that there are issues.

And When Lol and others' opinion is fairly consistent and the results are equal to the worse (like it's 1998, 2018, 2021) then I believe it's not unreasonable to question the coach and the approach.

[DGP Wasp]

To say that fans know nothing is a bit of an insult to be honest.  If you're on a forum like this, odds are you are a very close follower of the game, and in most cases played and/or coached to some level.  We also all have enough professional experience to recognise poor management when we see it, whatever the field.  Not suggesting that's enough of a CV to land a top international coaching job, but it's enough to have some degree of insight, and enough to reach a relatively well informed opinion, and it really doesn't take a genius to work out that the England team is currently underperforming by quite a lot.  And ultimately every one of us is in some small way contributing to the wages of those in charge, so we are part of the debate whether former players choose to look down their noses at us or not.

If we were only allowed to voice opinions in areas where we had a wealth of top level professional experience then we'd all soon run out of things to talk about. 

[Shugs]

And Haskell’s extensive coaching experience is…………..??