mate if you think Price as coach of the team has little or no input into player retention and recruitment you are kidding yourself.
if you are correct then the club has even bigger problems than recruitment.
Red have you caught up with any of the Price interviews of late?
When speculation was high re Dugan he was asked on The Game Plan had he met with him. His answer was no. He responded by saying that the recruitment team was handling that process. He hadn't even met a key player that was reportedly a highly prized target!
He has maintained that line (it's in the hands of the recruitment team) in almost every instance since when I have heard him interviewed, including questions about Rangi Chase on BSB either yesterday or this morning (I can't recall which).
If rumours about pursuing another coach are true, it would make sense. Why would they bother to include Price in the process? I can only take the man at his word when he says he hasn't spoken with players or their agents himself.
Even if we aren't actively pursuing an alternative coach, but rather biding time to see how Price goes as the season progresses, it still has legs. Those making these decisions might be prepared to make them without involving him directly and allow him to simply focus on his job. Why I couldn't say, only they would understand the reasoning behind it.
You suggest that would imply bigger problems. I can't necessarily disagree with that, because, as I say, don't understand the full reasoning behind it. However it is part of the reason I won't fall into the trap of blaming everything on Price, and why I reject your contention that all of our recruitment issues lay at his feet. I seriously believe that he does not have full control over our procurement regime at the present time.
Perhaps it's as simple as they consider him too green to walk and chew gum at the same time just yet, and they want him to focus on getting the best out of what he has to work with at present whilst they take care of the bigger picture. From a management perspective it's an acceptable strategy. Let the new guy focus on his core task, and introduce a greater range of responsibilities at time progresses. You're free to disagree with the strategy, but it won't make much difference if that is the current situation.