Will Brian Smith do a better job than Fittler?

He can't do any worse because they have hit rock bottom but the bigger question is will he last the 4 years of his contract? He's never won a Grand Final in over 500 games as a coach and he has a winning percentage of 52% Will middle of the road be good enough for the success starved Roosters?

Bit hard not too. Roosters got the spoon didn't they?

It's interesting, the Roosters head coach position has been a virtual who's who of NRL coaching. Phil Gould, Graham Murray, Ricky Stuart, Chris Anderson and now Brian Smith.

Hopefully Phil Gould will show the same restraint with Smith as he did with Fittler and not white ant the head coach, like he did with other coaches who were better that him, like Murray, Stuart and Anderson.

If Smith is given free rein, he can definitely turn the Roosters around just like he turned Newcastle around. Every top level side he's coached in Australia since the Steelers have made the finals. I reckon he can do the same over the next few years at the Roosters.

This is Easts worst finish since 1966 so unless they stay in last position he will have done a better job. At least Fittler's side won some games, that was more than the 66 side did.

I'm pretty sure anybody (or anything) could do a better job than Fittler.

Apparently Brian Smith has gotten one of those talking fishes to be his assistant coach. At least the fish won't get pissed.

What's better than the wooden spoon? Anything.

Smith will do a great job at the Roosters. He's a Mr Fixit. He'll get them back on track and then leave to go to another club.

Yes to both questions.

The kind of coach he is will start to turn the Roosters around. He has the knack of building a "team" - getting rid of deadwood and signing workers or promising players and moulding them into the type of unit he likes to coach.

That said, he is not a brilliant coach as far at tactics etc. go, and the teams he builds usually go better under somebody else once he has moved on.

At least you will know that Smith does have a pretty good record in coaching and has the experience. Everything (like every year) is going to come down to recruiting and jelling of everyone. Let's see how they go, but I must say that Big Willie (even though I am not a fan of his) is starting to play a lot tough now he is gaining confidence in the knee. I think he will have a big year!

Its a guarantee he will. The Roosters of 2010 will be a complete different team that played this year, he will sign a bunch of players & transform them into a real NRL team. They wont win the grandfinal but its for the best in every which way. Im expecting them to keep clear of the bottom 4 next year, and will get better & stronger as time goes by with him in charge, he is a very strict, clever & exciting coach, the Roosters are lucky to have him- he is their one and only chance to turn things around, without him they wouldnt last too many more years.

I would sure hope so.

Fittler made his name as a player not a coach. Brian Smith has got some pretty decent coaching credits on the board.

Having Smithy stumbling around hotel corridors in his undies at 4am would be pretty funny also:-)

Id say the Roosters wont be complaining, sometimes change is good.