I suggest Andy Goode should take his own advice when it comes the opinions of rugby fans
Given his job is not be a political commentator perhaps he should stick his Mum's basement and watch
EDIT: Before anyone says it, this is not a pro-Starmer or an anti-Starmer post - this is an Andy Goode is a hypocrite post
As a Quins fan, I think Joe Marler is absolutely spot on
Here is why from a fan's perspective:
Harlequins CEO, Laurie Dalrymple, has been a commercial success for the club - we have the highest revenue in the league and by social media following we are the 2nd largest club in Europe after Toulouse
However, his on-pitch running of the club has been nothing short of atrocious
Two weeks before the start of the season we had no Head Coach and no DOR
No plans had been put in place in case head coach Danny Wilson left following his secondment with Wales last summer and, despite knowing since March 2025 that DOR Billy Millard was leaving, the club waited until the last minute for a replacement to be made
It does beg the question who on earth was making the signings up until that point but I digress
The club then goes on to appoint Jason Gilmore to the permanent head coach role - clearly a nice man but clearly out of his depth - his greatest achievement to date being the Interim Head Coach role with the Waratahs which he did not keep
On top of that, despite a months-long search, the best DOR we could find is a part-timer for next season who will only be with the club in London for 12 weeks of the year
On top of this we have made just 1 major signing - George Furbank, we already spend up to the salary cap, none of the poor performing players (i.e Jack Walker) seem to be held accountable for several seasons in a row and we consistently let go of our most promising youngsters in favour of average, usually older players (i.e Jibulu, Louis Lynagh, Hugh Tizard and now Jamie Benson)
We've now also let go of Nick Evans who, despite a poor performing season for the team, had the best reputation among the fans of all the coaches and had actually played for the team
If I, as a fan with no day-to-day insight into the club, can recognise these problems (https://www.reddit.com/r/HarlequinsRugby/comments/1paor5d/why\_are\_we\_run\_so\_poorly/ + https://www.reddit.com/r/HarlequinsRugby/comments/1nhv156/any\_news\_on\_next\_head\_coach/), why isn't Dalrymple able to see them himself?
Laurie has been asleep at the wheel and it's time for a change of leadership at the top
I, like everyone here, am gutted to see Nick Evans leaving the club
He has been with us through thick and thin, and while it is clear some guys throughout years pull on the shirt and collect the paycheque this man has lived and breathed Harlequins
While other guys, like Keith Wood, may have achieved higher while at the club (World Player of the Year), Danny with his appearances and tries or Robbo with this captaincy, Nick is the only one who can claim league honours as both a player and a coach at the club
He is also a legend of the Prem in his own right, 6th for all time points and 2nd for any overseas player
I, like many, dreamed of him completing the journey and taking over the club as Head Coach at the start of the season but sadly it was not to be
I think I speak for all of us when I say as bad as this season has been, this will not tarnish his legacy one bit
While it is heartbreaking to see him leave, I know he wouldn't have taken this decision lightly and I wish Nick and his family all the best for the future
COYQ
Is it just me or does it seem like every season we run into some sort of injury crisis?
Obviously, every team will suffer injuries to an extent throughout the season but I can re-call almost every year going back at least 2 or 3 seasons where a curse has clearly placed on the training usually around the mid-point of the season
Maybe it's just me but I don't get the impression other clubs suffer as much as we do. I certainly can't think of clubs like Bath, Leicester or Salarycens having any sort of crisis in recent memory. Saints tbf I can remember had a huge crisis last season
For context, here is the current list:
Harlequins Unavailable (Forwards): Joe Launchbury (Quad), Harry Browne (Hamstring), Pedro Delgado (Knee), Jonny Green (Calf), Harry Williams (Neck), Boris Wenger (Hamstring), Cameron Doak (Concussion), James Chisholm (Calf), Tate Williams (Shoulder), Fin Baxter (Foot), Titi Lamositele (Foot), Tom Lawday (Hamstring, Jordan Els (Achilles), Simon Kerrod (Foot), Lucas Schmid (Ankle), Stephan Lewies (Shoulder)
Harlequins Unavailable (Backs): Jamie Benson (Hamstring), Josh Bellamy (Thumb), Rodrigo Isgró (Rib, Ludo Kolade (Vision), Will Porter (Shoulder), Oscar Beard (Shoulder), Frank McMillan (Pubis, Sean Sharp (ACL), Ben Waghorn (Knee), Tyrone Green (Hamstring), Cassius Cleaves (Back)
What can be done to improve on this and where are we not learning from our mistakes?