Are you referring to the piece in Thursday's paper? I took that more as a small reference to Fisher being a puppet/media face for the Wildcats rather than a traditional coach.

A lot of coaches under fire this week -- talk of Molloy being sacked if the Taipans lose their next game. Criticism of Wright after the departure of Freeman.

How far off NBL coaching is Sapwell?

I personally would like to see the 6ers admin be as brave as they were in 97, and appoint some untried faces if Smyth & Breheny were to leave at the end of the year.

Scotty Ninnis would be the perfect candidate in my eyes, he knows the system, knows what he would change if he was the main man, and the players know him.

Bring in Rupert as his assistant, and I think you could have a pretty kick-ass coaching duo right there.

My only other suggestion if either of them were unavailable is Mark Davis, if the man wanted the job. He still knows the game inside out, and has the respect of many players still playing today.

Obviously i've missed something, it may be because I dony read the tiser or whatever, but since when is there talk of Smyth leaving? And for what reason?

Isac Nagy doesn't write things without some underlying motive. It can't be just trying to give the impression that Fisher can't coach and its really Ingham who has made the difference. Ingham was there last year when they went so bad and the change is Fisher. So it has to be either Phil is on the way out, must be some rumour or Nagy is looking for a reason cause if Fisher can coach it goes against what Nagy has been saying. So he is looking for an excuse why Perth are doing so well. Why haven't the Sixers tried to resign Phil? Top three at the moment. Ruperts a long way off. If you are going bad in business you dont move a rookie into the MD's chair. Look what the Pirates did. They brought back Hurley and in the NBA West brought back Hubie Brown and he got Coach of the Year. Sixers cant afford a rookie coach. Brisbane did that and got burned.

It's been reported that Smyth and Breheny's salaries, stemming from long contracts in a time of strength for the club, are beyond the NBL norm and may be more than the club can afford to keep paying. That's understandable too.

Surely they're not likely to offer anywhere near what the two are currently receiving. But I'd guess that they're in a tough position because Smyth is a popular coach with a positive approach (contrasting with Goorjian the slave-driver) and with a solid record. I'd say that the Sixers standing at the end of the season may impact the negotiations, so it doesn't surprise me that they're waiting.

What about Ninnis as successor should the dealings go awry?

(I haven't heard any rumours or been told anything about any of this -- just looking at it from the perspective that Ninnis and Sapwell have played for Adelaide, are in Adelaide now, have coaching aspirations, and I've heard only positive things about both of them.)

It could be that a lot of coaches have question marks against them at the end of this season -- Molloy, Stacker, Arsego, etc. But I wouldn't want any of them in Adelaide.

All of this said, hopefully Smyth/SJ can negotiate something that works for them and for the club; I just think both parties are in a rough position. One is potentially being asked to take a pay cut while the other may not be able to afford to maintain current spending.

On the topic of Boti's mention of Ingham, you are correct to assume an underlying motive exists, but it could just as easily be that he's making an observation and that the motive is as simple trying to look aware. If Ingham's name pops up a few more times, you may be right...

Nah, Nagy just taking a swipe at Fisher, simple as that. He states the obvious for those not so sharp to understand what he's getting at.

Next time the Wildcats are on Foxtel watch who does all the talking at the timeouts and you will see what Boti is saying.

On that though haq I think Ingham did most of the talking in the other nights game as Fisher had lost his voice, that's what Carfino had stated anyway.

Ingham calls most of the plays for the Cats and has all season. That's all Boti was getting at.

So Ingham wasn't calling the plays last year? Ellis was such a dominating personality that he wouldn't let Ingahm make the same amount of calls that Fisher, apparently, lets Ingham make. How would Nagy know who makes the calls. Fisher wouldn't talk to him after all the bagging Nagy has done. You can bet none of the players would so that means by elimination the person telling Nagy how good Ingham is doing is Ingham?

No, last year Ellis was coaching in the traditional role. Fisher has decided to do something a bit different, perhaps because of inexperience, I don't know.

Nagy would know who makes the calls just the same way that everyone else knows. It's on TV there for everyone to see it. Go to the Wildcats forum and ask those guys. It's been discussed on Ozhoops by Wildcats fans. It's common knowledge.

This is hardly new news, Jay. Boti isn't the first to say something like that about Fisher/Ingham.