Turner: Jackman deserved a lot better
FORMER Dragons head coach and Wales fly-half Paul Turner has slammed the club for their treatment of sacked head coach Bernard Jackman.
The Irishman was shown the door after a dire period at the helm which yielded only eight PRO14 wins in 18 months.
Despite that record, Turner believes the grass won’t necessarily be greener for the Dragons with Jackman absent.
Turner said: “Bernard certainly wasn’t getting on-field results, but it was always going to take a long time to turn around the Dragons and I believe he should have been given the opportunity to see out his three-year contract.
“Bernard is a genuine bloke and he changed a lot with regards to the infrastructure, the staff, and hopefully laying the groundwork for future success. Results will always determine whether a coach is successful from the outside, but I think they were a bit hasty here.
“It’s a shame he’s gone at this time. Whoever comes in is not going to change things overnight.
“It’s been seven years since I left the Dragons and while I was nearing the end, there were a lot of people who wanted me out. But the people who took over found out how hard it was so sometimes you’ve got to be careful what you wish for.”
Ceri Jones has been made interim head coach at the Dragons until a successor to Jackman is found. Turner believes the next head coach should be Welsh and insists there are plenty of candidates.
He said: “I’d like to see Ceri and his assistants given an opportunity until the end of the season. I’d like to see a Welsh coach given an opportunity.
“There are a lot out there like Robin McBryde and Dwayne Peel. It must be a bit of a worry for the WRU there aren’t any Welsh coaches occupying top jobs at the regions.”