The Lions have set their sights on retaining John Mitchell for the Super 15 which starts next year in 2011.
Mitchell is still currently the Head coach of the Western Force but Mitchell has taken over at the Lions as their Currie Cup coach.
The Lions president, Kevin de Klerk says that they are negotiating with Mitchell to stay on despite his contract with the Perth based Western Force franchise expiring only at the end of next year’s Super 15.
The final decision remains with Mitchell’s employers at the Force in Perth.
“We are negotiating with John to remain at the Lions,” De Klerk told Newstime.
“But this depends on whether there is a way out of his contract and if the Western Force will release him.”
“If we are able to retain his services it would be a bonus because he is a good coach and it would assist us in recruiting a quality group of players to strengthen the union.
“If this materialises, Dick will be the director of coaching and John the head coach.”
De Klerk said that although they had openly expressed their wish for Mitchell to remain at the Lions, they would not put pressure on him.
“John is a man of high morals and values and, similarly to him, we would like to follow the proper procedures for him to remain here,” De Klerk said.
“I can’t speak for him, but it looks as though he is enjoying his time at the Lions.”
“He has been an inspiration at the union,” De Klerk said. “The feedback I have received from the players about their experiences of working with John has been very positive.
“The administrative staff also have great respect for him because of his values and high level of professionalism. So I am over the moon with what he has done in the little time that he has been here.”
Want a world class team?
Start with a world class coach.
If only we could apply this logic to a national team with the best player base in the World.
This would be good for the Lions…
well well well
seems like
the weekend was long enough
even for the lions to come up with a good idea!! 😀
Like I said on the other site, this will be very good for the Lions if Mitchell can stay on. With him only there for a bit now the Lions are playing far, far better than they done in the S14. So hoping Mitchell can get out of that contract in Perth.
I for one would really like to see a strong Lions side again. They are my 2nd team.
@ tight head:1 – Tighthead, Spot on. Agree 100%.
John Mitchell is the real deal. The Lions should bend over backwards to get him to stay here. He has proven that he has what it takes to build a team from scratch.
Discussions have been going on for a while now. The question is though, not whether John Mitchell is a professional, but rather is the GLRU professional enough for a man like this to stay on?
Is the GLRU capable of keeping the player base that they now have?
Are they capable of strengthening the player base with some experienced but not too old players?
Are the top dogs at the GLRU forward seeing enough to allow Mitchell to nurture and develop the squad OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, or will they expect immediate results?
What influence would Tricky Dicky as DOR have over Mitchell? The two obviously have VERY different philisophies when it comes to discipline, structure and game plans!
Would Mitchell insist on changing the jersey?
Will a permanent move to the National Stadium affect the ability of the GLRU to recruit and to keep players, and will the spectators return to an even bigger stadium when the team can’t win to save their lives?
Many more questions than answers, and lots more questions not yet posed.
GBS, does the Lions Management ever speak to R-T on the burning issues, or are they the (not so) strong silent types?
(I probably know the answer, but many bloggers perhaps don’t.)
6@ Scrumdown:
The GLRU speaks to nobody, it seems… they come accross as a very unfriendly Union…. I suppose “defensive” is a better word…
They have even retracted the Media Accreditation Status of one of the Lions Supporter web sites…
@ grootblousmile:
So I saw. You know my feelings towards them.
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